All cultures and faiths have different traditions for their wedding ceremonies. If you’re from one culture or faith, you may worry about attending a wedding ceremony for a different culture or faith since you don’t know what to expect. A Christian wedding ceremony is one example of how a couple’s faith can shape a ceremony. There are three different branches of Christian denominations with various wedding traditions that you can learn about below.
Catholic Wedding Mass
Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity. There are roughly 1.3 billion Catholics in the world, so there’s a good chance you may attend a Catholic wedding mass at some point in your life. At such wedding ceremonies, you can expect the priest to greet everyone and offer an opening prayer. You’ll probably sing a hymn and then sit for several Bible readings. One reading will come from the Old Testament, one from Psalms, and one from the New Testament. You may sing the Psalm instead of hearing someone read it. The couple will exchange vows and rings as they would at any other wedding ceremony before they share the Eucharist or holy communion. Unless you are a member of the Catholic church, you cannot receive communion, but you can go forward for a blessing.
Protestant Wedding Ceremony
While there are three different branches of Christianity, Protestantism breaks into many other denominations, such as Anglican and Baptist. There is no uniformity to a Protestant wedding ceremony because of these various denominations and traditions. If you know what denomination the couple is, you can do more specific research on wedding ceremonies within that tradition. If you aren’t sure, you can expect Bible readings and Christian songs during the ceremony. Some ceremonies may include the officiant, who is likely some type of ordained minister, giving a brief sermon related to the Bible readings the couple chose, while others may not. The officiant will probably stress that marriage is a union that God created, and some couples may perform a unification ritual, such as lighting a unity candle, to further demonstrate that union.
Eastern Orthodox Wedding Ceremony
If you’re planning to attend an Eastern Orthodox wedding, you’ll need a comfortable pair of shoes. No one sits during one of these weddings, including the guests. While standing, you’ll witness the processional of the wedding party and priest. The priest will bless the rings before asking the couple to exchange rings three times, which represents the Trinity. Next, members of the wedding party will hand the couple candles, which they’ll hold throughout the ceremony. The same attendants will then place garlands or crowns on the couple’s heads, which will also happen three times to symbolize the Trinity. The happy couple will drink wine from the same cup, listen to a Bible reading, and dance around the altar. You’ll throw rice on them as they leave the church at the end of the ceremony.
A Christian wedding ceremony is a joyous occasion, and knowing what to expect during the event can make it more fun for you to attend. You don’t have to share the faith of the couple to celebrate this special day with them.
