Rules of wedding in the Orthodox Church

Wedding is the mystery of two loving hearts in the face of God. Orthodox wedding, although it does not have legal force, imposes on a married couple of obligations to keep the hearth and resist all the temptations that are found to man on his life path. During the rite of wedding, the newlyweds receive from the father blessing for a long lucky family life and the birth of children.

The main wedding conditions in the Orthodox Church

1. Before contacting the father, the couple must register their relationship in the registry office. Only after that, according to the law, young people can be applied to the church.
2. Baptism. Obviously, future spouses should be baptized. If it happened that one of the spouses is not baptized, then you first need to pass baptism rite. If one of the young Catholic or Protestant, then you can get permission to wedding. This question must be discussed in advance with your father. Sometimes it is necessary to apply with a letter to Metropolitan for approval, as well as to give a clergy to bring up future children in the spirit of Orthodox Christianity. But the wedding with representatives of non-Christian religions (for example, Buddhism or Muslim) in the Orthodox Church is not conducted.
3. The Orthodox Church does not bless the marriages between the blood and spiritual relatives. Through blood relatives are people whose relationship is traced to the third knee. As for spiritual kinship, the godparents and the godfather may not be married (and on the contrary), as well as the godparents of one child. The situation is better individually to explain to the father: in some cases, the priests give permission to be married.
4. The rite is carried out if the bride and groom reached the resulting age: for him - 18 years, for her - 16 years.
5. Wedding is allowed to pairs that enter the first, second or third marriage. It is prohibited for the fourth time of the Church. Before you enter into a new marriage, a spouse or spouse should get permission to terminate the previous union, lit by the church, and the blessing for the creation of a new family.
6. The witnesses (guarantors) choose necessarily baptized Orthodox Christians. Traditionally, married men were invited to the guarantors who could give instructions to a young couple. Now this tradition is not always fulfilled, so a disadvantaged guy and a girl can also be witnesses.

Choosing a temple and acquaintance with the father

The temple of the young choose themselves at the order of the soul. To do this, visit several churches, feel their energy - find the most comfortable place for yourself.

Get acquainted with the father who will make a rite. Sorry with him all the important details: the date of the wedding, how to prepare in a solemn day and what to bring with you to the temple. If your name is different when baptism differs from what is recorded in official documents - do not forget to warn about it: During the sacrament, the father must call you as you baptized before God.

If you want to make memorable photos, ask the priest, whether this does not contradict the rules of the temple. If you are allowed to take pictures, then take care of the choice of a professional photographer who can make good memorable pictures in the conditions of complex illumination of the temple.

You should know that the rite of wedding can only make a legitimate Orthodox priest. The priest himself should be married. Monks cannot take a rite over young.

The cost of the rite of wedding can differ significantly. For example, in the capital and major cities, the cost is likely to be higher than in small towns. In some temples, a fixed amount of donation from the young, in the other, this question is left to the discretion of the pair. However, it will have to spend more if you want a church choir during a rite or ringing bells. Also, the rite will cost more, if one of the spouses is not crowded for the first time. If the fixed cost is too high for your family, tell me about this father - most likely, he will go to meet you.

When to hold the rite of wedding

Do not hurry to marry marriage day. Firstly, you and your guests will be physically difficult to withstand two ceremonies at once. Secondly, you need to think good enough. Some pairs are postponing wedding for the period after the birth of a child or spend it in a couple of years of living together. Choose a wedding date on your own desire, but taking into account the fact that in some days marriages are not sanctified:

• Christmas post (November 28 - January 6);
• Great post;
• Petrov post (the date is movable and depends on the date of Easter);
• Assumption post (14 - 27);
• Holy Week (7 days after Easter);
• Saint (January 7 - 19);
• Pancake week;
• on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays;
• the day to the Great and Temple Holidays.

Having determined the independently estimated wedding date, consult with a father: if he gives his consent, sign up for a wedding on the selected day (most often you need to be recorded in at least a few weeks). Be sure to put up with the father, whether you want an individual wedding or allow wedding to simultaneously with other pairs. The girl must be considered that the date does not coincide with the days of menstruation - in this female period, the sacrament is also in disabilities.

What to prepare for the wedding ceremony

1. During the ceremony, you will need two consecrated icons: the Savior and the Mother of God. If there are such icons in your parents' house, they can transfer them to a young couple. If there is no relics in the family - you will need to purchase them. On the day of the wedding, the icons in the temple traditionally bring parents, but if parents will not be present on the wedding - then the young themselves.
2. Of course, the rings are needed for the wedding in the church - an ancient symbol of an inseparable union of loving hearts. Previously, during the rite, a man was put on the finger of the golden ring, and the woman was silver. This was a special meaning: the husband is under the auspices of the Sun, and the woman is the moon. Modern couples that do not want to adhere to such a tradition, acquire the same gold rings, possibly with inserts from precious stones. Rings need to give in advance to your father: he will hold them with imposing them to the throne.
3. White towels. On white cloth - a symbol of a long lucky road - standing young during a wedding. The second towel is associated with newlyweds during the rite.
4. The native crosses on the spouses must be necessarily, as well as on witnesses and guests (if they belong to the Orthodox Church).
5. Church wedding candles. Candles you can buy in a bench at the temple.
6. Take a pair of white nasal scarves with you, they will come in handy to keep candles. So you will not be distracted if hot wax drops to your hand. Two more white scarves will need witnesses, in order to keep the wints over the heads of the couple.

Choosing clothes for wedding

First of all, the bride must be dressed in the dress - Whatever your familiar clothing form, trousers or business suit will be inappropriate during the wedding. The dress should close the back, the shoulders of the girl and her knees. To cover your hands, you can think out the outfit with long gloves or shawl. The wedding dress should be light (white, beige, gentle pink or pale blue). Avoid the appearance in the temple in a dark outfit or dress too bright colors. The makeup of the bride should be modest and natural. Remember that kissing the cross and the icon during the rite with the detached lips is unable.

The bride (like a woman always) can be in the temple only with a covered head. The hat to prefer the light veins, because during the rite on the head of the young people wear a crown (church crown) - you should feel comfortable. By the way, sometimes (it depends on the temple) the crown is not put on, but holds over the heads of the couple throughout the ceremony. Keep the crown - the task of witnesses.

There are no restrictions in the choice of shoes - this is just your taste. However, think about what you have to stand for a long time in one place and the legs are very tired, if you are wearing uncomfortable shoes or shoes on too high heels.

Men's clothing color can be both dark and light. The main thing is that it is not everyday and unsportsmanship. The best suit is suitable for the groom. The head of the newlywed, as with any visit to the church, should be uncovered.

Spiritual preparation for the mystery of wedding

To the rite of wedding need to be prepared in advance. And above all, it is spiritual training - prayer and repentance. The priest will tell you how many days you need to adhere to the post (most often it is 3-4 days) and what prayers read before the wedding. Para is also needed to go to confession and coming around the Holy Masters to clear their soul before entering the marriage union. It is advisable to do all this not on the day of wedding, but a little earlier - without a rush and fuss. Before the wedding can not have anything, drink alcohol and smoke. It is also worth abandoning sex.

Unfortunately, some newlyweds perceive wedding just like a beautiful rite. It is not worth treating the sacrament of family creation: if there is no sincere faith in your soul, it is better to abandon the wedding.

Obdrawage

Wedding always starts with a hoop rite. The engagement means that the Lord himself reports in the hands of the bride. The father starts young in the temple - this is a sign that from now on before the face of the higher strength they represent a single whole family. Every couple is held to protect them from the demons of tempters, seeking to destroy alliances between people. Then a couple bless and give them lit wedding candles that should burn in the hands of young throughout the rite. Last minute candles are a symbol of pure love that the couple should now keep all their lives.

The father utters a number of prayers, among which the first prayer about the bride and groom. She is read on behalf of all relatives and friends present in the temple.

On the ring finger of the bride and groom, the priest puts the wedding rings. It is believed that through the rings that were on the Holy Throne, the divine blessings and patronage conducive to young people. Then the pair is changing rings: the groom puts on his bride's finger his ring, showing that he is ready to help and protect her all his life, and the bride - showing eternal loyalty and willingness to take support of her husband. The exchange of rings is performed three times and accompanied by prayers. So the first stage of the rite is completed - the engagement and the mystery of the wedding begins.

How the wedding happens

Wedding symbolizes that young from now on become king and queen for each other. Wedding begins when the bride and the bride follow the priest go to the middle of the temple. At the same time, both future spouse keep burning wedding candles. Thus, the couple agrees throughout his life to follow all commandments of the Lord.

Young becomes not detachable on the floor of the Pushnik and again confirm that their desire to create family mutual, voluntary and sincere, and also that none of the young people gave promises to create a family to a third party. It is the expression of consent that in the Orthodox Church is the main basis of marriage, after which he can be lit by the church.

Only now can happen to the wedding. The priest assumes prayers about the blessing of marriage, family joy, the purity of the souls of spouses, as well as the birth of children and grandchildren. Batyushka takes the crown and baptizes them alternately. At the same time, a man is applied to the image of the Savior, and a woman is to the image of the Blessed Virgin. The words of the clergyman "Lord, God, Gover and honor themselves!" - These are the most solemn words of the whole sacrament: it is at this moment that the blessing of the married couple occurs.

After the perpetration of the prayer, the priest gives a young bowl. Red wine, which, according to tradition, should be hurting newlyweds - this is the symbol of the miracle, which the Lord created. The first three small throat makes the head of the family - a man, and behind him and a woman. The bowl symbolizes the constant sincere communion of spouses among themselves, means joy and fun. Then the Holy Father connects the hands of her husband and wife, and on top of puts his hand - this is a sign that a man gets a woman to his wife from the hands of the church itself.

Three times the spouses will drive around the aalo - now they become husband and wife. The father gives the instruction of a young family, and then guests can congratulate a pair.

Wedding in the Orthodox Church: Video