Marriage in the Eastern Orthodox Church is a holy mystery (sacrament) in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which a priest officiates a marriage between a man and a woman. In the Byzantine Rite liturgy for Matrimony the couple is crowned.
Marriage in the Eastern Orthodox Church is a holy mystery (sacrament) in the Eastern Orthodox Church in which a priest officiates a marriage between a man and a woman. In the Byzantine Rite liturgy for Matrimony the couple is crowned.
There are a handful of different steps that come into play for a marriage ceremony in the Eastern Orthodox denomination, although the main two pieces include the betrothal (engagement) and the crowning (marriage). [1]
Weddings in the Orthodox tradition have a sponsor present, known as a Koumbaro. [2] [3]
The couple will exchange rings first, as a voluntary pledge to enter into eventual marriage.
Prayer of Betrothal
The priest will bless the bride and groom three times each. The rings are placed on the ring finger of the right hand. The priest will mention the Prodigal Son in his prayer.
The Psalm
The priest will recite Psalm 128.
The second stage (crowning) is the more official part of the wedding.
The liturgy of the Mystery of Crowning involves the placement of crowns on both heads of the couple in a lengthy ceremony, which is preceded by a betrothal ceremony. [4]
Candles
The bride and groom are both given candles.
The Joining of Hands
After some more prayers by the priest, the priest will join the right hands of both the bride and groom. He will recite "O' Sovereign Lord, stretch forth Your hand from Your holy dwelling place and join together Your servant (Groom) and Your handmaiden (Bride), for by You is a wife joined to her husband. Join them together in oneness of mind; crown them with wedlock into one flesh; grant to them the fruit of the womb and the gain of well-favored children."
The Crowning
After a blessing, the priest will crown the couple. He will say three times, the priest says, “The servant of God (GROOM) is crowned for the handmaiden of God (BRIDE) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The brief hymn, “Lord our God, crown them with glory and honor” is sung. The couple will exchange the crowns three times. If the bride wears a veil, the crown is simply placed atop her veil.
Scripture Readings
There are two readings from the New Testament. The first is from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians (5:20-33), where the priest exhorts married couples “to be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” The second reading is from the Gospel of John (2:1-11).
Common Cup
After a recitation of the Lord's Prayer, the couple will drink from a common cup, three times each. Traditional practice involves wine, although some may opt to replace it with grape juice.
The Procession
The priest, holding the Book of the Gospels, will lead the couple around the table three times, singing three hymns.
Final Blessing, Removal of Crowns
The priest removes the crowns, saying “Accept their crowns in Your kingdom unsoiled and undefiled, and preserve them without offense to the ages of ages.” He tells them to “Go forth in peace”.
A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by a couple; a presentation of a gift ; and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or celebrant. Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception. Music, poetry, prayers, or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony, as well as superstitious customs.
A white wedding is a traditional formal or semi-formal wedding originating in Great Britain.
An engagement or betrothal is the period of time between the declaration of acceptance of a marriage proposal and the marriage itself. During this period, a couple is said to be fiancés, 'betrothed', 'intended', 'affianced', 'engaged to be married', or simply 'engaged'. Future brides and grooms may be called fiancée (feminine) or fiancé (masculine), 'the betrothed', a 'wife-to-be' or 'husband-to-be', respectively. The duration of the courtship varies vastly, and is largely dependent on cultural norms or upon the agreement of the parties involved.
A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent in different forms in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The practice of veiling is especially associated with women and sacred objects, though in some cultures, it is men, rather than women, who are expected to wear a veil. Besides its enduring religious significance, veiling continues to play a role in some modern secular contexts, such as wedding customs.
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A chuppah is a canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held up by attendants to the ceremony. A chuppah symbolizes the home that the couple will build together.
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A Jewish wedding is a wedding ceremony that follows Jewish laws and traditions. While wedding ceremonies vary, common features of a Jewish wedding include a ketubah that is signed by two witnesses, a chuppah or huppah, a ring owned by the groom that is given to the bride under the canopy, and the breaking of a glass.
The Alexandrian rites are a collection of ritual families and uses of Christian liturgy employed by three Oriental Orthodox churches, and by three Eastern Catholic Churches.
Marriage in Pakistan pertains to wedding traditions established and adhered by Pakistani men and women. Despite their local and regional variations, marriages in Pakistan generally follow Islamic marital jurisprudence. Marriages are not only seen as a union between a husband and a wife, but also an alliance between their respective families. These traditions extend to other countries around in the world where Overseas Pakistani communities exist.
A Zoroastrian wedding is a religious ceremony in Zoroastrianism in which two individuals, a man and a woman, are united. In Zoroastrianism, marriage within the community is encouraged, and is greatly favored in religious texts. The following information will detail ceremony procedures and traditional processes for a Zoroastrian wedding.
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Traditional marriage customs in the Philippines and Filipino wedding practices pertain to the characteristics of marriage and wedding traditions established and adhered by them Filipino men and women in the Philippines after a period of adoption courtship and engagement. These traditions extend to other countries around the world where Filipino communities exist. Kasalan is the Filipino word for "wedding", while its root word – kasal – means "marriage". The present-day character of marriages and weddings in the Philippines were primarily influenced by the permutation of Christian, both Catholic and Protestant, Hindu, Islam, Chinese, Spanish, and American models.
Shinto weddings, Shinzen kekkon, Shinzenkekkon, began in Japan during the early 20th century, popularized after the marriage of Crown Prince Yoshihito and his bride, Princess Kujo Sadako. The ceremony relies heavily on Shinto themes of purification, and involves ceremonial sake drinking of three cups three times, the nan-nan-san-ku-do. Shinto weddings are in decline. Fewer Japanese people get married, and those who do often choose Western-style chapel ceremonies.
The Mystery of Crowning is a ritual component of the sacrament of marriage in Eastern Christianity. Variations of the crowning ceremony exist in multiple liturgical rites, including the Byzantine, Coptic, West Syriac, and East Syriac Rites of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. The crowning ceremony typically features a crown being placed upon the head of both the bride and bridegroom, crowning them as the queen and king of a new family.
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