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Christian Wedding Rituals

God has always considered marriage to be one of the most significant unions between people and believed to be made in heaven. Christian marriages are the most simple and elegant wedding ceremonies among all the other religions. White is the prevailing color in Christian marriages as it stands for chastity and purity.

Christian weddings are supposed to be held in the midst of all. Even the Bible describes a marriage as ordained by God and an occasion for joy. Different sects in Christianity have different views on marriage. They prescribe different conditions for couples to get married or not. They have different rules for when a person should get married and what must the motivation be. 

Like other Indian religious weddings, Indian Christian wedding too is a great occasion. It is spread for many days. The wedding parties should be ready in time, for the ceremony by properly dressing.

Traditionally the bride is dressed in a white gown with a veil and a bunch of white flowers, while the groom is attired in conservative suit. The white wedding dress has a two-fold significance. It is a symbol of the wife's purity in heart and life, and in reverence to God. It's also a picture of the righteousness of Christ.

The most honoured guests of the ceremony are the parents, the grandparents and the guardians of the couple. The candles are lit and the band plays the welcome music, while all the relatives and guests are arriving and being seated. Songs and music forms an integral part of Christian marriages. Christian wedding songs are played when the ceremony of marriage is in process. Classic piano or violin is used to form a soothing atmosphere.

Seating of the Family on Opposite Sides of the Church

Family and friends of the bride and groom are seated on opposite sides of the church. In a traditional Christian ceremony, the bride’s family sits on the left side of the church, the groom’s family on the right.

Welcoming the Bride

The ceremony of welcoming the bride is conducted on the day of a Christian wedding. Groom sends a car to pick up the bride and waits for her outside the church. Following the tradition, when the bride arrives, the Best Man welcomes her with a kiss on either cheek and hands her a bouquet of flowers. Following this ritual, the couple walks down the aisle slowly and gracefully accompanied by the wedding procession. Inside the church, the couple walks up to the place where the priest stands for the wedding mass. The priest then welcomes them and offers his best wishes.

Joining Right Hands

In a wedding, as the bride and groom face one another to say their vows, they join right hands and publicly commit everything they are, and everything they possess, in a covenant relationship. They leave their families, forsake all others, and become one with their spouse.

Homily

Then the procession of reading psalms from the Holy Bible is done by the priest and the priest then delivers a sermon called Homily, which emphasizes the sanctity of the wedlock.

Nuptials

The priest asks the couple some customary questions which both of them have to answer in compliance. The priest then seeks their consent for the marriage.

Promise

The bride and the groom then make the Solemn Promise to each other, saying that they will
stay together forever in good and bad times.

Exchanging of the Rings

It is traditional for a couple to exchange wedding rings after they say their vows. Since these rings are symbols of the marriage, the words said during a ring exchange should reflect the couple's hopes for their marriage. Therefore, when the couple wears a wedding ring, they demonstrate their submission to God's authority over their marriage.

A ring was used as a seal of authority. When pressed into hot wax, the impression of the ring left an official seal on legal documents.

When the couple exchanges wedding rings, it symbolizes the giving of all their resources—their wealth, possessions, talents, and emotions—to the other in marriage.

Pronouncement of Husband and Wife

The priest then pronounces that the bride and groom are now husband and wife and the ceremony comes to an end. This moment establishes the exact beginning of their covenant. The two are now one in the eyes of God. The couple chants a thanksgiving prayer to the God. The priest gives the final blessing to the couple and the invitees shower their blessings on the newlywed couple.

Presentation of the Couple

When the priest introduces the couple to the wedding guests, he is drawing attention to their new identity and the name change brought about through the marriage. Similarly, in the blood covenant, the two parties would exchange some part of their names.

The registration 

The couple and the priest sign the church register, which is a documentary evidence of the church wedding, on the given date and time. A copy of the signed document is forwarded to the Registrar of Marriages.

The departure

 The bride and the groom walk out of the church, followed by the guests.

The Reception

This is a celebration party of the wedding. The guests drink and dance on the music of a live band. The wedding cake is then cut by the couple and a love bite is exchanged. The cake is then distributed amongst the guests.

Dance

The wedding couple then enters the dance floor, followed by the parents and all the guests couples. The delicious dinner is then served and the bride and groom say bye to all.