A wedding is a church sacrament, a marriage made before God. It is carried out according to the charters of the church, and only spouses with an official marriage certificate and not having blood relationship can join such a union. The couple should take the decision to get married deliberately, since there will be no turning back, and the debunking procedure does not exist. If the husband and wife decide to leave and document the divorce, they can only get permission from the archbishop to conduct a second ceremony.


What it is?
The whole essence of the sacrament is that the couple before God and their loved ones swear eternal fidelity to each other, after which their union becomes sacred and blessed, children can appear and be brought up in it.
If young people do not have enough stamp in the passport, and they decided to go through this rite, you need to properly prepare and clarify all the nuances. And there are many of them: for example, how to prepare for the procedure, what to take with you, how long the wedding lasts, and much more. Consider all the subtleties in our article.


Wedding Requirements
In the Orthodox Church, only a baptized couple can go through the wedding ceremony. If one of the young people was unbaptized before marriage, this procedure can be carried out in advance. The main thing is to foresee and discuss everything with the priest.
The main condition is a marriage concluded on the territory of the Russian Federation. The certificate issued at the registry office is required to be presented in many churches, therefore it is also necessary to worry about its presence. Also, before the procedure, you need to go through confession and communion.In cases where one of the spouses is much older than the other, the bishop must approve the union.


As for the prohibitions, you cannot marry both half-and-blood relatives. According to the church calendar, it is forbidden to conduct a ritual on certain days of the week. This is about Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Also, the wedding is not held at Christmas time, during fasting, before serious church festivals.
Required Attributes
Young people on wedding day will need wedding rings of silver or gold, wedding icons, a towel and church candles. As for the icons, they can be purchased independently or received as a gift from parents. Most often the faces of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary are used. It is with these icons that the clergyman blesses the couple during the ceremony.

Candles during the action will be in the hands of the spouses. In order not to get burned with hot wax, you can use scarves or napkins. Consecrated candles are usually sold at the temple store. After the sacrament, you can take them home to light there in front of the icons.

Towel is a white cloth, mainly made of linen or cotton. Its edges are decorated with embroidery. This product can be made independently or purchased at a store.

And one more important point: each spouse during the ceremony should have a cross on his neck.


How is it done?
The wedding ceremony includes various stages:
- blessing;
- betrothal;
- marriage.
What is it, and how do they differ, we will discuss in more detail.
In order to receive a blessing, the married should wait for the holy father in a specially designated place - a narthex. The spouse should be located on the right side, and the spouse, respectively, on the left, and be deployed to the altar. The priest brings to the pair 2 lighted candles, representing chastity and purity. Having blessed the young three times, he gives them candles, after which he crosses and allows them to go to the temple.


During betrothal, the importance and responsibility of marriage is revealed to spouses and their guests. Everyone should feel the significance of this action. After the betrothal, the young must put on wedding rings on each other's fingers three times.


And then in the face of the Lord and all those present, the marriage itself is concluded. Spouses must agree to enter into a holy union. With burning candles, they kneel before the lectern on which the gospel, the crowns, and the crucifix are located. Everyone makes an oath, which refers to the inviolability of marriage. After reading the necessary prayers, the clergyman crowns the newlyweds with a crown.

After that, the couple bow their heads under the crowns. Next, you should taste the wine served in a special bowl, after which the procession takes place around the lectern. Two hearts merge together, husband and wife wish many years of a happy life together, after which all those present can express congratulations.
This rite lasts from 40 to 60 minutes, it depends on the clergyman and the haste of his speech. Usually the wedding is held between 11 and 13 hours of the day. It is not forbidden for guests to congratulate the newlyweds and give them flowers and gifts. The main thing is not to forget that the event takes place in the temple, and you need to behave appropriately.


Preparation
Before you bind yourself and your soul mate with the sacred bonds of marriage, you need to conduct a series of preparatory activities. Familiarity with the representatives of the clergy in the proposed church, as well as the choice of a priest who will have to conduct the ritual, will not be superfluous. You can ask him questions of interest, clarify the subtleties and nuances of the rite.
Recording for a specific date and a specific time is made in advance. It should be borne in mind that there may be a lot of couples who want to get married, or maybe not at all, therefore it is better to clarify in the church when to sign up. This is usually done either 2 months or 2 weeks before the ceremony.
The wedding attire must be selected, initially specifying with the priest what standards he must meet. You should also take care of the attributes. The list of things can also be clarified in the temple.

Church Conduct
Before the wedding, the newlyweds must remind their guests that the ceremony will go on in the church, and this imposes a certain framework on the behavior of its participants. For example, the calling appearance is not welcome. Loudly making noise and talking during the procedure is also prohibited.
The newlyweds must prepare and know by heart the marriage vows that will need to be said during the wedding. In this they will show their respect.
Lipstick, especially bright, on the face of the bride during the ceremony is unacceptable. Lips will need to be thoroughly wiped. All women present should be in the temple, covering their heads with a scarf or scarf, it is also recommended to cover their shoulders. The lower part of the clothes should cover the knees. You can not attend the wedding in overly explicit clothing and with defiant makeup.

Photo and video
In most churches, recording the sacrament on a video camera or photographing is not prohibited, however, in order not to get into an uncomfortable situation, it is better to discuss this point in advance with the priest. The basic condition is usually that the operator should behave quietly and not interfere with the ceremony. It is best to turn off the flash, a loud-clicking shutter can also cause inconvenience, it is recommended to turn it off. Do not interfere with the clergyman and get up in inconvenient for him and young places with the desire to make more interesting shots, camera angles for shooting, and so will be plenty.
The church is a sacred place, so the main photo session with guests is best done after leaving the ceremony. Here it will already be possible to spend the necessary time without particularly limiting oneself in the perspectives and arrangement of those present.

What can not be done after the rite?
Often, people who marry believe that weddings in the church can impose any unnecessarily severe restrictions on them. This is not at all true, because in her requirements there is nothing that we could not afford, in terms of morality.
The sacrament of marriage is not a burden or burden, but the conclusion of a marriage before God and the blessing received from above. The main thing that is required after its implementation is to never lose the desire to live a lifetime with your beloved spouse.

Signs
They say that hearing a bell ring after the wedding procedure is a good sign. Some newlyweds make arrangements with clergymen, and their exit from the temple is accompanied by a bell ringing. This service may be refused, in which case you should try to agree on a payment. After all, it is solemn and beautiful when the bells tell heaven about the creation of a new family!
Details about the sacrament of wedding see in the video below.