A wedding is a church sacrament, a marriage made before God. It is held according to the charters of the church, and only spouses who have an official marriage certificate and are not related by blood can enter into such a union. The decision to marry a couple should be made deliberately, since there will be no way back, and there is no procedure for debunking. If the husband and wife decide to part and document the divorce, they can only get permission from the archbishop to perform the re-rite.
What it is?
The whole essence of the sacrament is that spouses before God and their loved ones swear to each other in eternal fidelity, after which their union becomes sacred and blessed, children can appear and be brought up in it.
If young people do not have enough of a stamp in the passport, and they decided to undergo this ceremony, you need to properly prepare and clarify all the nuances. And there are many of them: for example, how to prepare for the procedure, what to take with you, how long the wedding lasts and much more. Consider all the details in our article.
Requirements for crowning
In the Orthodox Church, only a baptized couple can go to the wedding ceremony. If someone from the young before marriage was unbaptized, this procedure can be carried out in advance. The main thing is to envisage and discuss everything with the priest.
The main condition is a marriage concluded in the territory of the Russian Federation. The certificate issued at the registry office is required to be presented in many churches, therefore it is also necessary to worry about its presence. Also before the procedure you need to go through confession and communion. In cases where one spouse is much older than the other, the bishop must approve the union.
With regard to prohibitions, you can not get married as a consolidated and blood relatives. According to the church calendar, on certain days of the week, a ritual is prohibited. We are talking about Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Also, the wedding is not held at Christmas time, during fasting, before serious church festivals.
Required Attributes
Young people on their wedding day will need wedding rings made of silver or gold, wedding icons, towel and church candles. As for the icons, they can be purchased on their own or received as a gift from their parents. The most commonly used faces of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin. It is with these icons that the clergyman will bless the couple during the ceremony.
Candles throughout the action will be in the hands of the spouses. To avoid scalding with hot wax, you can use handkerchiefs or napkins. Sanctified candles are usually sold in a temple shop. After the sacrament, you can take them home to light there before the icons.
Towel - is a white canvas, mainly from flax or cotton. Its edges are decorated with embroidery. This product can be made independently or bought in a store.
And one more important point: each spouse during the ceremony should have a cross around his neck.
How is it done?
The wedding ceremony includes various stages:
- blessing;
- betrothal;
- marriage.
What it is, and how they differ, we will discuss in more detail.
In order to receive a blessing, those who are married must wait for the holy father in a specially designated place - a porch. The spouse should be located on the right side, and the spouse, respectively, on the left, and be deployed to the altar.The priest brings to the pair 2 lit candles, personifying chastity and purity. Thrice blessing the young, he gives them candles, then crosses them and allows them to go to the temple.
During the engagement before the spouses and their guests revealed the importance and responsibility of marriage. Everyone should feel the importance of this action. After the betrothal, the young should wear wedding rings three times each.
And then before the face of the Lord and all those present is the marriage itself. Spouses must confirm their consent to enter into a sacred union. With burning candles, they kneel before a lectern, on which are the Gospel, crowns and crucifixion. Everyone utters an oath, which says about the inviolability of marriage. After reading the necessary prayers, the clergyman crosses the newlyweds with a crown.
After that, the couple bowed their heads under the crowns. Then you should taste the wine served in a special bowl, after which the procession takes place around the lectern. Two hearts merge together, a husband and wife wish long years of happy life together, after which all those present can congratulate.
This ceremony lasts from 40 to 60 minutes, it depends on the clergyman and the haste of his speech. Usually the wedding is held between 11 and 13 hours of the day. Guests are not forbidden to congratulate the newlyweds and give them flowers and gifts. The main thing - do not forget that the event takes place in the temple, and you need to behave appropriately.
Training
Before you bind yourself and your half to the sacred bonds of marriage, you need to hold a series of preparatory activities. It will not be superfluous to meet with representatives of the clergy in the proposed church, as well as the choice of a priest who will have to conduct the ritual. You can ask him questions, clarify the details and nuances of the rite.
Recording on a specific date and a specific time is made in advance. It should be borne in mind that couples who want to get married may be many, or may not be at all, so it is best to clarify in the temple when to sign up. This is usually done either 2 months or 2 weeks before the ceremony.
Wedding outfit should be selected, initially asking the priest what standards he should meet. You should also take care of the attributes. The list of things can also be clarified in the temple.
Rules of conduct in the church
Before the wedding, the newlyweds should remind their guests that the ceremony will take place in the church, and this imposes certain limits on the behavior of its participants. For example, the calling appearance is not welcome. Loud noise and talk during the procedure is also prohibited.
Newlyweds need to prepare and know by heart the marriage vows that will be required to pronounce during the wedding. By this they show their respect.
Lipstick, especially bright, on the face of the bride during the ceremony is unacceptable. Lips will need to wipe thoroughly. All women present should be in the temple, covering her head with a scarf or scarf, it is also recommended to cover her shoulders. The bottom of the garment should cover your knees. You can not attend the wedding in too revealing clothes and defiant make-up.
Photo and video
In most of the temples, the recording of the sacrament on a video camera or photography is not prohibited, however, in order not to get into an uncomfortable situation, it is better to discuss this point in advance with the priest. The main condition is usually that the operator must behave quietly and not interfere with the conduct of the ceremony. It is best to turn off the flash, the loudly clicking shutter can also cause inconvenience, it is recommended to turn it off. You should not interfere with the priest and get up in uncomfortable for him and young places with the desire to make more interesting shots, there will be plenty of angles for shooting.
The church is a sacred place, so the main photo session with guests is best done by leaving it after the ceremony.Here it will be possible to spend the necessary time, without particularly limiting oneself from the perspectives and the disposition of those present.
What not to do after the ceremony?
Often, people who marry believe that a wedding in a church can impose any unnecessarily severe restrictions on them. This is not at all the case, because there is nothing in her demands that we could not afford, in terms of morality.
The sacrament of a wedding is not a duty or a heavy burden, but the conclusion of a marriage before God and a blessing received from above. The main thing that is required after the meeting is to never lose the desire to live all your life next to your beloved spouse.
Signs
They say that hearing the bell ringing after the wedding procedure is a good sign. Some newlyweds agree with the clergy, and their exit from the temple is accompanied by a bell ringing. This service may be refused, in this case you should try to agree on payment. After all, it is solemn and beautiful when the bells tell heaven about the creation of a new family!
Details about the mystery of the wedding, see the video below.
