The wedding is important. Marriage - what kind of ceremony? What is the sacrament of marriage? Wedding rules in the Orthodox Church. How to prepare for the sacrament of the wedding correctly

), and it is customary for the priest to be from the white (non-monastic) clergy.

In the practice of the Orthodox Church, it is customary to perform a wedding after the betrothal rite, sometimes they can be separated by time.

The wedding is also allowed to be performed on those entering into a second marriage, however, the rite of the second marriage is less solemn, with the reading of prayers of repentance. In special situations, a blessing can be given for a third marriage - but without a wedding.

In the Russian Orthodox Church, at all times, on Easter week, at Christmas time, on the days before the twelve feasts and Sundays (i.e. Saturday), and also on the eve of Wednesday and Friday (i.e. Tuesday and Thursday). Cm. .

Required for a wedding

• preliminary interview with the priest;
• a wedding pair of icons - the Savior and the Mother of God.
• wedding candles - sold in the Church shop;
• towel (wedding towel) - plain: white (for spreading under the feet). Long enough for two people to stand on it;
• wedding rings. According to the Church Charter, the rings must be made of different metals: the groom's ring is gold, the bride's ring is silver (it is advisable to comply with this).

wedding cost

All Church Sacraments cannot have a cost, but are performed for a donation. In many temples, its recommended size is indicated.

The bride and groom need

• confess on the eve of the wedding (preferably at the end of the evening service);
• come to the temple on the day of the wedding to the beginning of the Divine Liturgy and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ;
• be with pectoral crosses (as always).

Requirements for Witnesses

• in pre-revolutionary Russia, church marriage had legal force, so the wedding was necessarily performed with guarantors - among the people they were called friends or best men, and in liturgical books - godparents; the guarantors confirmed with their signatures the act of wedding in the register of births; they, as a rule, knew the bride and groom well, vouched for them;
• at present, the presence of witnesses is not a mandatory, but a desirable condition for performing the Sacrament of Marriage, this is a tradition, not a canon: their presence is determined by the desire of the bride and groom;
• the modern role of witnesses is to spiritually support those entering into marriage with prayer and advice based on the experience of their pious Christian marriage;
• it is desirable to find witnesses who Orthodox and God-loving, which means they are churched;
• divorced spouses or people living in a "civil" (not registered in the registry office) marriage cannot become guarantors at the wedding. The former, not having preserved the grace they received in the Sacrament of the wedding and setting a bad example for the spouses, cannot be faithful mentors for the family being created. The latter, while living in, cannot at all proceed to the Church Sacraments until they stop ungodly relations.

Some features of the bride's clothing

• the bride must have a headdress covering her head (veil or scarf);
• shoulders must be covered (cape, scarf, veil);
• dress is white. If people who have already been married for some time get married, or remarry, then the bride is no longer supposed to wear a white dress;
• cosmetics - in a minimum amount.
• because If you have to be at the Liturgy on the day of the wedding, then in total, in time, it will take several hours. For your comfort, consider wearing comfortable shoes.

Age of those getting married

• the lower age limit for the performance of the Sacrament of the Wedding should be considered the onset of civil majority, when it is possible to marry in the registry office;
• in church marriage law, the upper limit for marriage is also established: for women - 60 years, for men - 70 years. This rule does not apply to those who are already married.

Barriers to marriage

• The bride and groom before the wedding must register their marriage in the registry office. Lawless cohabitation cannot sanctify;
• The bride and groom cannot be: in consanguinity(up to the fourth degree of relationship, for example, with a second cousin or sister); in spiritual relationship(if those wishing to marry are godparents of the same person or wish to marry a godson).
• Marriage cannot be entered into if at least one of the two persons wishing to enter into marriage has not reached marriageable age.

The Church does not consecrate the union between or with...

• Gentiles- representatives of non-Christian religions (for example, Muslims). A non-Christian cannot participate in the Orthodox sacrament what a wedding is.
• unbaptized;
• atheists, even if baptized;
• people who are in blood and spiritual relationship;
• people, whose officially confirmed mental illness, deprives them of the opportunity to freely and consciously exercise their will.
• In special cases, an exception may be made for confessional mixed marriages. Only the ruling bishop can give a blessing for this;
• Orthodox, with permission, may marry heterodox(with Catholics, Protestants, Lutherans, Armenian Gregorians) provided that their children are baptized and brought up in Orthodoxy.

Marrying a clergyman

• if your chosen one is a person who decides to become a priest, then your marriage is possible just until the moment the ordination of your fiancé, i.e. before he takes holy orders;
• you cannot marry a monk or nun by virtue of their vows to God.

Behavior in the Temple during the Sacrament of the Wedding

• The Sacrament of the Wedding is not just a rite, it is a prayer; treat with attention and reverence the prayers that are uttered by the priest: during the entire Sacrament, almost no one else prays, as soon as the bride and groom (and one prayer “for raising parents);
• all those present at the wedding, to the best of their ability (with prayers, in their own words and thoughts), should pray for those two who are getting married;
• if possible, refrain from unnecessary conversations.

The tradition of parental blessing

• the groom and his parents come to the house of the bride's parents and ask them for the hand of their daughter;
• upon consent to marriage, parents on both sides bless the young for a family union: the groom with the icon of Christ the Savior, the girl with the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos;
• the young ones overshadow themselves with the banner of the cross and kiss the holy images;
• handing over the icons, parents say that the time for raising children is over for them and with faith and hope they entrust their children to the all-powerful intercession of the Lord and Mother of God;
• icons, after the Wedding, are placed in the red corner, in the house where the bride and groom will live - these are the first icons of their family iconostasis.
• If one of the parents is not alive, then the survivor blesses;
• If the parents are against marriage and do not want to give blessings, then you should contact the spiritual father and ask his advice on how reasonable the opinion of the parents is, whether it is based on selfishness or life experience and prudence.

Why are they crowned on fast days: Wednesday and Friday?

• The wedding is followed by the wedding night. If you get married on Tuesday or Thursday, then the wedding night falls on the time of the one-day fasts of Wednesday and Friday, which is unacceptable.
• When getting married on Wednesday/Friday, the wedding night begins when the fasting period is over (Wednesday evening and Friday evening).

Brief Description of the Betrothal

• The rite of betrothal (precedes the Sacrament of the Wedding) - strengthens the mutual promises of those entering into Marriage and marks the fact that Marriage is performed in the face of God, in His presence, according to His all-good Providence and discretion.
• The ceremony begins with censing. The priest blesses the groom three times, who each time makes the sign of the cross, then the bride, saying: "In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" and gives them lighted candles. Candles signify pure and fiery love, the chastity of the bride and groom, and the grace of God.
• Prayers are said praising the Lord; prayers for those who are married on behalf of all those present in the Temple. Then, at the command of the priest, all those present bow their heads before the Lord, waiting for a spiritual blessing from him. The priest secretly reads a prayer, after which he puts on the ring to the groom, three times overshadowing him with a cross, and to the bride. After the blessing, those who are married exchange rings three times in honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity, which accomplishes and affirms everything.
• A prayer is said to the Lord that He Himself bless and approve the Betrothal and send the Guardian Angel to the bride and groom in their new life.

Brief description of the wedding

• Following the priest with a censer, the bride and groom with lit candles enter the middle of the temple. The choir greets them with singing, glorifying God-blessed marriage.
• In front of the lectern (on which lie the cross, the Gospel and the crowns) a white cloth is spread on the floor. Those who marry him become. The priest asks questions to the groom (then the bride) - whether they confirm the free and unconstrained desire to marry and the absence in the past on the part of each of them of a promise to a third party to marry him.
• The priest proclaims the blessing, then the litany is pronounced.
• Three prayers follow, in which the priest asks the Lord to bless this marriage and give children.
• At the end of the prayers, the priest marks the groom with a crown, gives him to kiss the image of the Savior attached to the front of the crown and says: “The servant of God is getting married ....”. The image of the Most Holy Theotokos is attached to the bride's crown.
• The bridal adorned with crowns stand before the face of God, waiting for the blessing of God. Proclamation: " Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor!” is pronounced by the priest three times with the blessing of the bride and groom three times.
• Guests, if possible wordlessly help the priest, repeating: “Lord, our God! Crown them with glory and honor!”
• Then the Epistle to the Ephesians () is read, in which the marriage union is likened to the union of Christ and the Church.
• The Gospel of John () is read about God's blessing of the marital union and its sanctification.
• The litany is pronounced.
• After the exclamation: “And vouchsafe us, Master, with boldness, without condemnation, dare to call on Thee…” all those present at the Sacrament sing “Our Father.” As a sign of humility and devotion to the Lord, the bride and groom bow their heads under the crowns.
• A cup of communion is brought (with red wine) and the priest blesses it for the mutual communion of husband and wife. They sip the common wine three times, in sips, after which the priest connects the right hand of the husband with the right hand of the wife, covers their hands with epitrachelion and puts his hand on top of it, signifying that the husband receives a wife from the Church itself, uniting them in Christ forever.
• Marking the marriage, as an eternal procession hand in hand, the priest circles the newlyweds three times around the lectern with the singing of troparia: “Isaiah, rejoice ...”, “Holy martyr” and “Glory to you, Christ God, praise the apostles ...”. At the end of the solemn procession, the priest removes the crowns from the spouses and addresses them with words of welcome.
• This is followed by a prayer to the Lord for the acceptance of the crowns of the newlyweds undefiled and blameless in the Kingdom of God. The second prayer (with the bowing of the heads of the newlyweds) - the same petitions are sealed in the name of the Holy Trinity and the priestly blessing.
• The chaste kiss of those who are getting married is evidence of holy and pure love for each other.
• Now the newlyweds are brought to the royal doors, where the groom kisses the icon of the Savior, and the bride - the image of the Mother of God; then they change places and are again applied to the icons. Here the priest gives them a cross for kissing and hands them two icons: the groom - the image of the Savior, the bride - the image of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Pseudo-church superstitions associated with the wedding

• younger brothers/sisters should not marry earlier than older ones;
• you can not get married while pregnant;
• you can not get married and get married in a leap year;
• a fallen ring or an extinguished wedding candle - portend all sorts of troubles, a difficult life in marriage or the early death of one of the spouses;
• the one of the spouses who is the first to step on the spread towel will dominate the family all his life;
• the one whose candle after the sacrament turns out to be shorter will die earlier;
• you can’t get married in May, “then you’ll toil all your life.”

How can you get divorced?

• Dissolution of a God-blessed Marriage is a great sin, therefore such a thing as "debunking" does not exist. It is impossible to bless sin, the Savior Himself commanded: what God has joined together, let no man separate ().
• If the first marriage actually broke up, then the innocent party may be given a blessing for the second marriage, in extreme cases, for the third, but no more. A blessing can only be given by a diocesan, but not by a priest.

Inga Mayakovskaya

Reading time: 7 minutes

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A wedding is an important event in the life of every Christian family. It is rare that couples get married on their wedding day (in order to "kill two birds with one stone") - in most cases, couples still approach this issue deliberately, realizing the importance of this ceremony and experiencing a sincere and mutual desire to become a full-fledged, according to church canons, family .

How does this ceremony take place, and what do you need to know about it?

How to prepare for the sacrament of the wedding correctly?

A wedding is not a wedding, where they walk for 3 days, fall on their faces in a salad and beat them to each other according to tradition. A wedding is a sacrament through which a couple receives a blessing from the Lord in order to live together in sorrow and joy all their lives, be faithful to each other “to the grave”, give birth and raise children.

Without a wedding, marriage is considered “inferior” by the Church. And, of course, it must be appropriate. And this is not about organizational issues that are resolved in 1 day, but about spiritual preparation.

A couple who takes their wedding seriously will definitely take into account the requirements that some newlyweds forget about in pursuit of fashionable wedding photos. But spiritual preparation is an important part of the wedding, as the beginning of a new life for a couple - from a clean (in every sense) slate.

The preparation includes a 3-day fast, during which you need to prepare for the ceremony prayerfully, as well as refrain from intimate relationships, animal food, bad thoughts, etc. In the morning before the wedding, the husband and wife confess and take communion together.

Video: Wedding. Step-by-step instruction

Betrothal - how is the wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church?

Betrothal is a kind of "introductory" part of the sacrament that precedes the wedding. It symbolizes the completion of a church marriage in the face of the Lord and the strengthening of the mutual promises of a man and a woman.

1. Betrothal is not in vain performed immediately after the Divine Liturgy - the couple is shown the importance of the sacrament of marriage and the spiritual awe with which they should enter into marriage.
2. Betrothal in the temple symbolizes the husband's acceptance of his wife from the Lord himself : the priest introduces the couple into the temple, and from that moment their life together, new and pure, begins in the face of God.
3. The beginning of the rite is censing : the priest 3 times blesses the husband and wife in turn with the words "In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." In response to the blessing, everyone overshadows himself with the sign of the cross (note - he is baptized), after which the priest passes them already lit candles. This is a symbol of love, fiery and pure, which a husband and wife should now have for each other. In addition, candles are a symbol of the chastity of a man and a woman, as well as God's grace.
4. cruciform incense symbolizes the presence next to the couple of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
5. Next comes a prayer for the betrothed and for their salvation (souls) , about the blessing for the birth of children, about the fulfillment of those requests of the couple to God that relate to their salvation, about the blessing of the couple for every good deed. After that, all those present, including the husband and wife, should bow their heads before God in anticipation of a blessing, while the priest reads a prayer.
6. After praying to Jesus Christ, betrothal follows : the priest puts on the ring to the groom, "betrothing the servant of God ..." and 3 times overshadowing him with a cross. Then he puts on the ring to the bride, "betrothing the servant of God ..." and autumnal her with the sign of the cross three times. It is important to note that the rings (which the groom should give!) Symbolize an eternal and inseparable union at the wedding. The rings lie, until the moment they are put on, on the right side of the holy throne, which symbolizes the power of sanctification before the face of the Lord and his blessing.
7. Now the bride and groom must exchange rings three times (note - in the word of the Holy Trinity): the groom puts his ring on the bride as a symbol of his love and willingness to help his wife until the end of his days. The bride puts her ring on the groom as a symbol of her love and willingness to accept his help until the end of her days.
8. Next - the priest's prayer for the blessing and betrothal of this couple by the Lord , and sending them a guardian angel that will guide them in their new and pure Christian life. The ceremony of betrothal ends here.

Video: Russian wedding in the Orthodox Church. wedding ceremony

The sacrament of the wedding - how is the ceremony?

The second part of the sacrament of marriage begins with the exit of the bride and groom to the middle of the temple with candles in their hands, as with the spiritual light of the sacrament. In front of them is a priest with a censer, which symbolizes the importance of following the path of the commandments and offering their good deeds as incense to the Lord.

The choir greets the couple with the singing of Psalm 127.

• Next, the couple stands on a white towel spread out in front of the lectern : both in the face of God and the Church confirm their free will, as well as the absence in their past (note - from each side!) of promises of marriage with another person. The priest asks these traditional questions to the bride and groom, in turn.
• Confirmation of a voluntary and unshakable desire to marry secures a natural marriage , which is now considered a prisoner. Only after this does the sacrament of the wedding begin.
• The wedding rite begins with the proclamation of the couple's participation in the Kingdom of God and three lengthy prayers - to Jesus Christ and to the Triune God. After that, the priest marks (in turn) the bride and groom with a cruciform crown, “crowning the servant of God ...”, and then “crowning the servant of God ...”. The groom must kiss the image of the Savior on his crown, the bride - the image of the Mother of God that adorns her crown.
• Now for the bride and groom in crowns comes the most important minute of the wedding when with the words “Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor!” the priest, as a link between people and God, blesses the couple three times, reading a prayer three times.
• Blessing of marriage by the Church symbolizes the eternity of the new Christian union, its indissolubility.
• This is followed by the reading of the Epistle to the Ephesians by St. apostle paul , and then the Gospel of John about the blessing and sanctification of the marriage union. Then the priest pronounces a petition for those who are married and a prayer for peace in the new family, honesty of marriage, purity of cohabitation and life together according to the commandments until old age.
• After "And vouchsafe us, Master ..." everyone reads the prayer "Our Father" (it should be learned in advance if you didn’t know it by heart until the moment of preparation for the wedding). This prayer on the lips of a married couple symbolizes the determination to fulfill the will of the Lord on earth through their family, to be devoted and obedient to the Lord. As a sign of which, the husband and wife bow their heads under the crowns.
• They bring a "chalice of communication" with Cahors , and the priest blesses her and gives her as a sign of joy, offering to drink wine three times, first to the head of the new family, and then to his wife. They drink wine in 3 tiny sips as a sign of inseparable existence from now on.
• Now the priest must join the right hands of the married, cover them with stole (note - a long ribbon around the priest's neck) and put your palm on top, as a symbol of the husband receiving his wife from the Church itself, which in Christ united these two forever.
• The couple is traditionally circled three times around the lectern : on the first circle they sing “Isaiah, rejoice ...”, on the second - the troparion “Holy Martyr”, and on the third Christ is glorified. This walk symbolizes the eternal procession that from this day begins for the couple - hand in hand, with a common cross (life burdens) for two.
• Crowns are removed from spouses and the priest greets the new Christian family with solemn words. Then he reads two petition prayers, during which the husband and wife bow their heads, and after the end they seal pure mutual love with a chaste kiss.
• Now, according to tradition, married spouses are led to the royal gates : here the head of the family must kiss the icon of the Savior, and his wife - the image of the Mother of God, after which they change places and are again applied to the Images (only vice versa). Here they kiss the cross, which the priest brings, and receive 2 icons from the minister of the Church, which can now be kept as a family heirloom and the main amulets of the family, and passed on to the next generations.

Candles after the wedding are kept in the icon case, at home. And after the death of the last spouse, these candles (according to the Russian old custom) are placed in the coffin for him, both.

The task of the witnesses at the wedding ceremony in the church - what do the guarantors do?

Witnesses must be believers and baptized - a friend of the groom and a girlfriend of the bride, who after the wedding will become the spiritual mentors of this couple and its prayer guardians.

Witness task:

1. Hold the crowns over the heads of those who are getting married.
2. Give them wedding rings.
3. Lay a towel in front of the lectern.

However, if the witnesses do not know their duties, this is not a problem. The priest will tell the guarantors about them, preferably in advance, so that there are no “overlays” during the wedding.

It is important to remember that a church marriage cannot be dissolved - the Church does not give divorces. The exception is the death of a spouse or his loss of reason.

And finally - a couple of words about the wedding meal

A wedding, as mentioned above, is not a wedding. And the Church warns against the possible obscene and irreverent behavior of all those present at the wedding after the sacrament.

Decent Christians dine modestly after the wedding, and do not dance in restaurants. Moreover, at a modest marriage feast there should not be any indecency and intemperance.

Many couples seek not only to legitimize their relationship in the registry office, but also to go through the sacrament of the wedding in the church. But does everyone understand how serious and responsible this step is? Indeed, after the ceremony, the souls of the spouses will forever be together, even in heaven.

What is the sacrament of marriage?

The sacrament of marriage is a sacred rite. Its meaning lies in the fact that two people bare their souls before themselves, each other and before God and enter into a marriage, which recognized not only on earth but also in heaven.

What is the difference between a wedding and a wedding: the first is the conclusion of a legal marriage, declared before society. And the second is people's desire for unity, to the creation of conditions in marriage, where love and faith will only grow stronger.

The wedding usually takes place in a church, but if desired, an exit ceremony can also be organized, although there will not be much solemnity in it, as in a temple

How to start preparing for the wedding: first of all you need go for permission to the priest. The priest will explain the essence of the wedding, which is a tradition of the Orthodox. You should not go through a ritual just to get beautiful photos or because "it's necessary."

Basic rules for those who decide to get married:

• husband and wife must be baptized;
• a man and a woman must be married, registered in the registry office;
• before the ritual, you need to go to confession and take the sacrament.

What you need to know for those who, for whatever reason, decided to undergo a wedding ceremony abroad:

• a wedding held in another country will be recognized as legal in the homeland;
• a Christian wedding can only be held in a Christian country;
• for a wedding abroad, you will need a baptismal certificate, a birth and marriage certificate (depending on the country, the list of documents may vary);
• documents for consideration are submitted in a month, not less.

A wedding is only an external ritual, without sincere love and understanding of what this ceremony is for, it will not have true meaning. First, you need to honestly admit to yourself whether there is willingness to share with a spouse or wife all the joys and sorrows, life's difficulties. Wedding couples receive great support from God, but efforts to maintain and strengthen relations must take themselves.

Sep 23, 2018 at 4:25 AM PDT

Often people wonder if an unmarried marriage is fornication - if a man and a woman love each other, are faithful in their relationship and have registered them in the registry office, then they have the right to turn to the wedding when they consider it necessary.

The whole truth is that a righteous life in an unmarried marriage cannot be considered wrong or sinful, and is recognized by the church.

There is a misconception that marriage can be broken. The bishops meet the requests of spouses who have separated and are already in relationships with other people so that they do not fall into even greater sin.

Therefore, to the question of how many times you can get married, the answer is unequivocal - one, - things are incompatible. If, nevertheless, such a need arose, how to get married a second time? Need to submit. This can only be done by the highest priest - the diocesan bishop. He looks at the situation and allows to give chance for a new marriage. The answer may be negative if a person has violated the vow of allegiance given before the Lord.

How is the wedding and what is needed for this

• the back, shoulders and chest should be closed, if the dress is open, then you should take care of the wedding cape;
• the dress should not be too tight and short;
• it is better to choose shoes with a small heel, since the wedding lasts about an hour;
• the head must certainly be covered with a scarf or veil;

It is important to note that guests must also be dressed in accordance with the rules. Revealing clothes and pants are not allowed on women

Before the wedding ceremony in the church, the priest appoints newlyweds a post A: It may take several days or a week. At this time, you need to give up attending parties, meat food and intimate relationships. it is desirable to fill it with reading spiritual books, prayers and attending services in the temple.

‒ there are some days of the year when it is forbidden:

• all the main 4 posts;
• the gap between Christmas and Christmas time;
• Easter and cheese weeks;
• eve of great holidays;
• the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the Beheading of John the Baptist, as well as the eve of fasting days - Tuesday and Thursday.

Orthodox and Catholic Church close to each other, but still there are several differences, including in the wedding ceremony:

• it is required to visit the church 3 months before the wedding for a kind of teaching about marriage according to Catholic rules;
• children born in wedlock must be brought up in the Catholic faith;
• special permission is required if people of different faiths (Jewish, Muslim or with an atheist) get married;
• in the Catholic Church, you can get married on any day, even during Lent.

How to get married in a Protestant church - the sacrament is very similar to the rite of a Catholic church. Both the preparation and the process itself are almost identical to each other. The main difference is that at the beginning of the process, the bride enters the church alone or with her father, and the guests and the groom are already waiting for her.

There is an interesting rule: alcohol is prohibited at Protestant weddings. In extreme cases, you can allow light wine or champagne, but no more

After the introductory prayer, the priest asks the young people whether they really agree to marry, and also asks the parents if they bless their children.

In a Protestant church, you can right in the church: instrumental music, Christian songs sound, guests bring donations to the church, and also take communion.

You can’t get married in a monastery - as stated in the charter of the Orthodox Church. After all, people who live in this place renounced everything worldly, and neither weddings nor baptisms are held in the monastery.

Signs and superstitions associated with the wedding

The wedding has always been of great importance for people, since earlier it was considered the official conclusion of marriage. But now only those couples who have registered relationships in the registry office can go through this ceremony. Despite this, they still respect various superstitions.

Wedding dress tips:

• if a girl puts on a wedding dress before the Sacrament, then it may not take place;
• before the road to the church attach pins to the clothes of the bride and groom to protect yourself from the evil eye;
• if during the ceremony the bride drops her handkerchief, it means to be her widow.

Signs related to the road to the wedding:

• when the bride leaves for church, parents need to wash the floor in the house (except for the threshold) so that the wedding is not upset;
• before leaving for the church, it is supposed to put a lock under the threshold of the house, when the young people cross it, close the lock with a key, and throw the key away as far as possible (the lock is kept for a lifetime);
• you need to go to church one way, and back - the other;
• newlyweds going to the wedding, no one should cross the path.

Parents of the young should not be present at the wedding, they are replaced by godparents. And the mother and father stay at home to bless, and then meet the married couple

You also need to pay attention to wedding candles, which have great power:

• whose candle burns more during the Sacrament, that of the spouses will be the first to die;
• wedding candles should be kept for life, they can also help during difficult childbirth;
• if there is a strong crackle from the candles during the wedding, it means that the life of the couple will be restless.

wedding candles

During the wedding, the spouses swear before God that they will be faithful to each other all their lives - this is an extremely responsible decision. It is necessary to agree to the sacrament of the church only when loving people are truly confident in their feelings. You can not treat this ceremony as a fashion - otherwise nothing good will come of it. It is better to first live for some time in an ordinary marriage and establish yourself in the seriousness of your intentions.

For clarity, watch a beautiful wedding video:

As husband and wife, so the bride and groom in the church. Ever since the times of Ancient Russia, any young couple had to be bound by marriage in the temple. The young assumed responsibility before the Lord and the Church, vowing to keep the union sent from above all their lives. Today, this is an optional procedure. Young people who know what is needed for themselves decide on the need for this sacrament.

First of all, for this you need to be sincere with your partner and with yourself. In no case should you get married just because it is a component and also because of the current fashion for this procedure!

wedding in a church?

This is necessary for God's blessing of the marriage. Spouses initiated into the sacrament of the wedding receive God's grace, which helps them build a single union of thoughts and love. But perhaps the most important goal for which a church wedding is needed is the spiritual fusion of the soul and body of two loving hearts and, of course, instilling Christian morality in future or existing children. In addition, the wedding involves the hope of two loving people for each other and, of course, for the Lord.

Many people who do not quite understand why a church wedding is needed mistakenly believe that this is an indispensable guarantee of family well-being and happiness, as well as complete deliverance from worldly hardships. It's not like that at all! A wedding does not give any family benefits and indulgences. It is believed that married souls must independently pass all the trials prepared for them by fate and resolve all controversial issues. Remember, a wedding is a certificate of your matured feelings! People who have decided on this sacrament should be aware of the full responsibility for their boat of love.

What do you need to know?

1. Those who are getting married should be well aware of what is expected once and for a lifetime.

2. It is believed that the new life that comes after the wedding involves complete cleansing from sins and the inner renewal of the human soul, therefore, before the sacrament, both commune and confess during the liturgy.

3. The young fast for three days before the sacrament. It is advisable not to have sex (and masturbation) during fasting, to think only about the spiritual.

4. The bride must have a special dress for the wedding (special tailoring, not exposing the back, shoulders and arms to the elbows). In addition, it should not be bright, red and dark. The bride cannot hide her face, as she is open before God and her beloved. The groom's outfit is the same as at the wedding.

5. There is a special wedding calendar. It calculates the days on which, according to church rules, the sacraments of weddings are held. There are also days on which this should not be done in any case.

6. The time spent on this procedure usually does not exceed forty minutes. This should be kept in mind by all who are going to invite friends and relatives to the sacrament.

The rector of the Church of the Martyr Lucy of Syracuse in Blagoveshchensk answers the most frequently asked questions about the meaning and meaning of the wedding Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko.

—Batiushka, why is a wedding necessary for marriage, a church blessing? What is the point of marriage?

- A wedding is a sacrament of union, merging, merging of two souls into one whole at a sacred level. This is obedience to God and the literal fulfillment of one of His first commandments, which sounded in Paradise. The Sacrament of the Wedding is an invocation of God's blessing on the family, an invitation to Him to be a part of this family, or rather, that the family become a part of the Lord. It is not for nothing that the family in this respect is called a small church, where the head of the family is like a priest, symbolizing Christ, and the wife is like the Church, betrothed to the Savior. And this small church also has its own mystical life, its own divine services - in the form of the sacrifice of spouses, the birth and upbringing of children, the spiritual ascent to Heaven. There is nothing similar in other forms of creating a family. Therefore, for believers, a wedding is an important step.

– If there is no desire and intention to live exactly the church life, in Christ, regularly attend services, and so on, but inside there is an understanding that you need to get married, what should you do?

– Well, with what do you need to start your path to God? For someone, perhaps, it will begin with the sacrament of the Wedding. Personally, I personally felt the power of the sacrament on my family. My wife and I first signed. And there was a feeling that nothing special happened. As if we had concluded some kind of property deal in the registry office. As if they signed an agreement that they do not mind living together. Something empty and colorless. But when we were crowned by our confessor in one small rural church, and our relatives and close friends were praying around us, we were somehow mystically reborn. They began to feel a spiritual connection on a non-verbal level, it was not there - and suddenly it appeared. It is noteworthy that our friend recorded the sacrament on a video camera. When we looked at these frames, we saw that at some point they suddenly became very similar to each other. We saw what we had not noticed before, what was hidden from our eyes. Therefore, I am simply sure that the Wedding gave a powerful impetus to our further churching.

- How to explain to the bride or groom why to get married?

– If a man loves his wife very much and considers himself a Christian, then he must trust the Church. A wedding is the peak that a family can reach. This is the highest, new level of being of spouses in the system of Heavenly coordinates. Moreover, in my life experience I was convinced that God helps to solve seemingly insoluble problems, conflicts, troubles. Christ carries the crowned marriage in his arms (not without our striving and diligence, of course). The main thing is to let Him into your family. After all, during family conflicts we call on various advisers (friends, girlfriends, colleagues, psychologists) as arbitrators. And in the sacrament it is proposed to make the Heavenly King Himself such a good helper. That is the essence of marriage. Who would refuse such an honor?

- Marriage is a serious step, for life. Maybe you should first register a marriage at the registry office and live together, and then get married, to be sure?

- Here it would be appropriate to recall a tradition that, unfortunately, is a thing of the past: the tradition of performing the rite of betrothal at a certain time before the sacrament of the Wedding. Today, the priest does it in the temple at the same time - he got engaged and immediately got married. This was justified in the Soviet era, when every celebration of divine services and sacraments was dangerous. Today, nothing prevents us from betrothing spouses registered in the registry office, for example, six months, a year before the wedding. Thus, the newlyweds would go through a probationary period before the Sacrament, testing their relationship for seriousness, because today, unfortunately, we have to deal with such a phenomenon when once-married spouses besiege local diocesan administrations with an urgent request to “dethrone” them. But they are unaware that the Sacraments do not have retroactive effect - you cannot be baptized, confess, take communion, get married. And if there were no serious reasons, then both spouses will answer to God for the fact that they failed to save the family, in which they promised to Him. And between the engagement and the wedding - there will be a period to think hard and make a final decision.