How long does a church wedding last and how does the ceremony take place?

What is a wedding

The wedding ceremony has a specific purpose: you take an oath of fidelity before God and all the guests present, receive a blessing for your sacred union, as well as for the birth and upbringing of children.

If you want to not only register your relationship in the registry office, but also get married, you need to know some points: what are the requirements for those who want to get married in a church, how this ceremony takes place, how long it lasts, what needs to be done in advance and how to behave in the temple.

Let's deal with all the points in order.

Event cost

Many newlyweds, of course, are interested in the question of the price of the wedding. But there are no prices for such a sacred ritual in the temple, because sacred rituals are not bought or sold. Therefore, the only thing you can do is to make a voluntary donation to the needs, as a sign of gratitude to the church for the blessing.

Basic requirements for those getting married

Those wishing to get married must certainly be baptized in the Orthodox Church. If one or both spouses are not baptized, this can be done before the wedding - the main thing is to agree on everything in advance;
The marriage must be registered in accordance with the law of the Russian Federation - before the ceremony, you must enter into a civil marriage at the registry office. Also check to see if you need to bring a marriage certificate with you, as many churches require it;
Before the ritual, you must confess and take communion.
If there is a significant difference in the age of the newlyweds, you must first obtain special permission from the bishop;
Same-sex marriages, marriages between step-relatives, half-brothers and half-siblings are prohibited.
According to the instructions of the church calendar, weddings are not held on certain days of the week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), as well as on the eve of great church holidays and temple days. They don’t get married on Christmastide or fasting.

How long does it take?

On average, a wedding lasts from 40 minutes to an hour, but there are exceptions. The exact duration depends on the church and the priest who reads the prayers. Some people do it slowly, without missing a single word, while others can read a little faster.
In some cases, for example, when there are a large number of people wishing to get married on a particular day, it is allowed to skip certain parts of the church text. If you decide to get married in a church that is popular and has a large influx of people, then the ceremony can last 20 minutes. Such churches usually practice weddings of several couples at the same time.
But many do not like this option, because the sacrament is carried out in a hurry. Advice! If you want to be the only couple getting married at the moment, then you should go to some village.
There are usually not many people there, and the ceremony can last up to two hours. You can chat with people who have already gotten married in the church of your choice. They will tell you approximately how long the wedding will last.

How the ritual is performed

The wedding ceremony is divided into several important stages. I'll tell you about each in detail.

Blessing. Before entering the temple, the newlyweds wait for the priest in the vestibule: the groom stands on the right, and the bride on the left, both facing the altar. The priest approaches them, holding two burning candles in his hands as a symbol of purity and chastity. Then he blesses the bride and groom three times, hands them candles and blesses them with cross-shaped incense.
Betrothal - this part of the ritual aims to convey to the young and those present the full importance of the sacrament of marriage, to awaken in their hearts deep respect and awe for this event. It is after the blessing that the priest and the newlyweds go to the temple itself, where the clergyman engages them, after which they put wedding rings on each other three times.
A marriage according to religious canons, during which the bride and groom confirm their voluntary and inviolable intention to enter into a marital union. On the lectern (special table) lie the Gospel, crucifix and crowns. The bride and groom, with lit candles in their hands, kneel in front of this table and swear an oath to the inviolability of their union. The priest reads prayers, after which he baptizes the bride and groom with a crown. Then the young bow their heads under the crowns, drink wine from a special cup, and follow the priest around the lectern. This is followed by the ritual union of two hearts, and the wedding ceremony ends with wishes for many years of family life to the newlyweds and congratulations from the relatives and guests present.

How does the procedure work?

The wedding consists of several stages. The first is betrothal , this is a kind of introductory part that begins immediately after the completion of the morning Divine Liturgy. The groom stands on the right side of the clergyman, and the bride, respectively, on the left. The beginning of this ritual is censing; the newlyweds are blessed three times, starting with the man, and then they are given lit wedding candles.

Burning candles symbolize fiery and pure love, as well as chastity and God's Grace.

Then, the priest turns to God and says a prayer, which consists of several petitions. On behalf of the church, he prays for the young and asks the Almighty for perfect love for the newlyweds.

Next, a very important moment comes: the priest goes up to the altar, where the wedding rings are on the throne, which are placed there even before the ceremony begins. Then he descends and blesses the spouses with them three times: first the groom, and only then the bride. Afterwards, the bishop himself puts on the symbols of love for the couple and changes them three times, for the glory of the Holy Trinity. Later, he again reads a prayer for the newlyweds. This is where the engagement itself actually ends.

The second stage of the Sacrament begins with the priest leading the lovers into the central part of the temple, they walk with lighted candles, and witnesses, if any, walk behind them.

The sacred ceremony may well take place without witnesses, just notify the church minister in advance about your decision.

The newlyweds stand in front of a spread white towel or towel, which, in turn, symbolizes spiritual purity. And the priest asks, first the man, then the girl, about their consent to marry. The question sounds like this: “Do you have a good and spontaneous will to call yourself a groom/bride and a strong thought, to take as your wife/husband this bride/groom that you see here in front of you?” After both agree, the newlyweds step on the canvas, and the bishop begins the Sacrament of Wedding itself and reads three prayers.

Next, the couple puts crowns on their heads, which are slightly different from each other. On the male image of the Savior, and on the female - the Mother of God, the priest takes turns blessing the lovers with them. And after this it is believed that the marriage in heaven has come true.

Such crowns are a symbol of victory and are placed on those getting married for two reasons. Firstly, it is a sign of renunciation of sinful passions, and secondly, a reminder of the heavenly glory that is given to every Christian.

Later, several more prayers are read, and then the young people are allowed to drink Cahors three times from one cup. The head of the family begins this ritual, and his wife continues.

They drink wine in small sips, which means henceforth inseparable existence.

Then, the priest connects the right hands of the spouses, and places his palm on top and thus circles the couple three times around the central lectern, during which the choir sings. Such walking in a circle means the eternity of the marriage union hand in hand with a common cross.

If there are witnesses, they will accompany you while walking.

Then the crowns are removed from the husband and wife and two prayers are read. At the end of the ceremony, the couple seal the marriage with a kiss.

After this ceremony, the couple is led to the royal doors and blessed, the man with the icon of the Savior, and the girl with the icon of the Mother of God, which they must kiss. The young people also kiss the crucifix. Next, the church minister turns to God and with this the wedding process comes to an end .

In total, the entire Sacrament takes approximately 40 minutes, maximum an hour.

Preparing for the ritual

I highly recommend that you first get acquainted with the clergy of the temple and decide on the priest who will perform the ceremony of the sacrament of the wedding. Discuss all the details of the ceremony with him in advance, ask questions that concern you, and inquire about the possibility of photography.

You should sign up for the wedding ceremony in advance, discussing the date and specific time with the priest. In different churches and parishes the number of people wishing to get married is different, so in some places this needs to be done 2 months, and in others 2-3 weeks before the desired date.

Prepare your wedding dress: find out what church norms require for the color and cut of the dress.

Find and purchase in advance the attributes necessary for the wedding ceremony: icons, wedding candles, towel, wedding rings, etc. Also discuss the entire list of necessary accessories with the clergyman in advance.

What to do before the ceremony

The very first thing you need to know is whether you will be married at all, because there are some reasons why the priest may refuse you the Sacrament. So, these are:

if you are blood or spiritual relatives ;
adherents of another faith, atheists or unbaptized ;
if they are very young and you are not yet 18 or, on the contrary, are too mature , a woman is over 60, and a man is over 70;
Age is considered on an individual basis and rules are often violated. For example, if a couple has been married for a long time, then the church will bless them at any age.
Orthodox Christians can get married no more than three times; if you want to do it a fourth time, you will most likely be refused. The same applies to civil marriages registered in the registry office. three divorces behind you , then your chances are low;
Such a Sacrament is prohibited for people who have taken a vow of celibacy , clergy and the incompetent;
if you are not officially married , then you may also be denied the ceremony.

If none of these points apply to you, then the next step will be choosing a date and temple, as well as meeting and interviewing the priest who will conduct the ritual.

Advice. To decide on the wedding day, it is better to turn to a special calendar, because it is not held every day.

Lovers who decide to enter into a union before God must undergo spiritual preparation, namely, a few days before the ceremony, begin the Sacrament of repentance and holy communion. Refrain from intimacy and fast, giving up meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, alcohol and cigarettes.

How to behave in church

There are unspoken canons of behavior in the temple that should not be violated. You should not behave provocatively. Laughter and talking during the ceremony are inappropriate.

Young people need to learn in advance the marriage vows and the words that should be spoken during the ceremony. This will show respect for the clergyman and for God.

The bride must wipe off her lipstick before the service begins. Women should enter the church with their heads covered; skirts and dresses should be below the knee. Excessively bright makeup is also inappropriate.

How to prepare for the ceremony

If you have an idea of how long a church wedding lasts, you have the opportunity to make sure that you spend this time comfortably. After all, how offensive it will be, instead of thinking about God and each other, to think about a chafed heel or struggle with dizziness from weakness!

If you plan to receive communion before the wedding, you will have to go to church on an empty stomach. Ask your relatives to grab a bottle of drinking yogurt, a thermos of coffee and 2-3 fruits to have a snack in the interval between the service and the wedding and not have an empty stomach growl during the sacrament.
When looking for witnesses, consider their physical fitness. It will be difficult for a fragile girl, inferior in height to the bride, to hold the crown over her head! The role and responsibilities of witnesses at a wedding - by the way, what are they?
Take care of your shoes too. If the newlywed plans to attend the wedding in heels, she should change into comfortable pumps at the entrance to the temple.

And finally: when making arrangements for the wedding, do not hesitate to ask the priest any questions that concern you. He will tell you the exact time of the ceremony, teach you how to behave and what to prepare for.

Author of the article: Svetlana Rozhenko

How is the ceremony carried out in the church?

The wedding is carried out in two stages: the betrothal and the wedding ceremony itself.

During the betrothal, the priest blesses the newlyweds and places blessed rings on their fingers as a sign that the bride and groom are confident in their intentions and firm in their promises. The priest prays for them, asks for their love, firm faith and unanimity.

After the engagement, the wedding ceremony begins. The priest asks the bride and groom whether they are marrying of their own free will and whether they are bound by any promises. After this, crowns are put on them, and the clergyman begins to read prayers, then baptizes them with the crown, and the young people receive communion with wine from the chalice.

Recommendations

Before getting married, you should definitely clarify whether the main characters of the sacrament - the young people and the witnesses - have been baptized. If not, then you should correct the situation and go through the sacrament of baptism.

Check with the priest whether the witnesses will hold crowns over the heads of the newlyweds or whether they are allowed to wear them. If crowns are worn, then the bride must take care of her hair. You should choose a modest hairstyle, without heavy backcombing and decorations, so that the crown can be easily put on and does not spoil the hairstyle.

Don't forget to give the rings to the clergyman in advance so that he has the opportunity to consecrate them.

Important! Be sure to take your marriage certificate. Without him, the ceremony will not take place.

Remember that one of the main stages of preparation for a wedding is morning communion and confession. Therefore, young people should not eat or drink from 12 o’clock at night. You should also not smoke or drink alcohol.

Make sure you wear comfortable shoes. The ceremony may take a long time, and the bride will hardly be comfortable standing in high heels for an hour.

The witness will have to hold the crown over the bride's head for an hour, or maybe more. It is therefore important that there is not a big difference in the height of the women and that the witness is not too fragile.

How long does a wedding last?

The sequence of actions of the priest is determined by the rite, and it will not be possible to shorten the process. The minister is obliged to read all the required prayers and give a parting speech to the young people.

As a result, the duration of the wedding is from 40 to 60 minutes. Sometimes there are exceptions.

For example, a modern priest may miss some details and read the text faster than a more orthodox priest. The speed is also affected by the general filling of the day with rituals with other couples.

Sometimes a wedding ceremony in an Orthodox church takes place in 20 minutes if the chosen temple is very popular.

Those whose combination is planned for 2021 have time to prepare and choose a parish. If you want to get maximum attention from the priest, it is better to choose rural, well-equipped churches.

There a more detailed explanation will be given about the importance and features of family life and all rituals will be performed without haste.

What should not be done after the wedding of spouses?

The requirements after the wedding do not differ from the requirements of general morality. There is no need to perceive a wedding as a duty or imposition of morality. A wedding is a marriage before God , so after the wedding you need to maintain the desire to live your whole life hand in hand with your other half.

Do not forget that the wedding ceremony is a delicate process and to understand the full picture of what is happening, you can watch the video of the wedding sacrament .

31 May 2021, 21:21

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