HOLY MATRIMONY

In this sacrament of the Orthodox Church a man and woman solemnly vow before God, the priest and the congregation to love and be true to each other for life.  Their conjugal union is blessed by Christ through the Church.  God’s grace is imparted to them to live together in His love, sharing all and mutually fulfilling and perfecting each other.

THE WEDDING RINGS

The rings are the symbol of betrothal from the most ancient times.  They are blessed by the priest and then placed on the hands of the Bridal pair with a blessing in the name of the Holy Trinity.  The exchanging of the rings signifies the joining of the Bridal pair as “one”

THE CANDLES

The candles symbolise the spiritual willingness of the couple to receive Christ, the True Light, who will bless them through the Sacrament. The bridal pair hold the lit candles to symbolise the purity of their lives, which shine with the light of virtue.

THE CLOTH

The bridal pair are led, by the priest, upon a piece of new white material which is spread on the floor before the marriage altar as a symbol of the new path upon which they are entering together.

THE CROWNS

The crowning is the climax of the wedding ceremony.  The crowns are signs of the glory and honour with which God crowns the bridal pair during the Sacrament.  They become the king and queen of their own little kingdom, the family home, which they will rule with wisdom, justice and integrity.  The crowns also represent crowns of martyrdom since every true marriage involves immeasurable self-sacrifice on both sides.

THE COMMON CUP

Wine and water are drunk by the Bridal pair from a common cup to denote the joys and sorrows which they will mutually share in their life together.

It impresses on them that through such harmony in a marriage their joys will be doubled and their sorrows halved because they will be shared.

Wine is used in the Sacrament of Marriage because, as the gospel reading recalls, Christ blessed the marriage in Cana in Galilee with His presence.  There He performed His first public miracle - the conversion of water into wine.

THE CEREMONIAL WALK

 The priest leads the Bride and Groom thrice around the marriage altar on which are placed the Gospel and Cross.  The husband and wife are taking their first steps as a married couple.  The priest leads them in a way with Christ, through the Gospel and Cross, in the centre.

The circle typifies eternity and signifies to the husband and wife their oath to eternally preserve their marriage bond. The triple circling is in honour of the Holy Trinity, which is invoked to bear witness to their oath.

YOUR PRESENCE

 In attending this wedding ceremony we ask you not only to witness the  marriage of two people but also to add your prayers to theirs that God may bless their life together. 

Psalm 127:1 states, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain; unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." This verse emphasizes the importance of divine involvement in human efforts for them to be successful.