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74-415: A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage . Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures , ethnicities , races , religions , denominations , countries , social classes , and sexual orientations . Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vows by a couple; a presentation of a gift (e.g., an offering, rings, a symbolic item, flowers, money, or

148-524: A church , synagogue , mosque , or other place of worship. A civil wedding is a ceremony presided over by a local civil authority , such as an elected or appointed judge, Justice of the peace or the mayor of a locality. Civil wedding ceremonies may use references to God or a deity (except in U.K law where readings and music are also restricted), but generally no references to a particular religion or denomination . Civil weddings allow partners of different faiths to marry without one partner converting to

222-542: A marriage license from a local government authority and can be married by Christian or other clergy authorized by law to do so. Since the beginning of the 21st century, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry civilly in many countries, and some Christian churches in those countries allow religious marriages of same-sex couples, though some forbid it. See the article Same-sex marriage . Hindu ceremonies are usually conducted totally or at least partially in Sanskrit ,

296-462: A wedding march . For more than a century, the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin (1850), often called "Here Comes The Bride", has been the most popular processional, and is traditionally played on a pipe organ . Some couples may consider traditional wedding marches clichéd and choose a more modern piece of music or an alternative such as Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel . Since

370-427: A " care cloth " or "nuptial veil" ( velatio nuptialis ) "signifying a marriage yoke joining the bride and groom together" may be held over the kneeling couple during the nuptial blessing given by the priest. Pre-marital counseling may be recommended or required for an engaged couple. In some Christian countries or denominations, a betrothal rite , as well as the reading of banns of marriage may also be required before

444-449: A "feel" for ceremony and be professional, knowledgeable, educated, creative, imaginative, inspired, well presented, idealistic, and well practised. The civil celebrant should be a person inspired to improve lives at a deep and lasting level. For this reason they must be carefully chosen. The ideal is that they be educated in the humanities and trained to expertly co-create, creatively write and perform ceremonies. The funeral ritual, too,

518-449: A binding union between themselves for a year and a day. The original handfasting was a trial marriage. A Highland or Scottish wedding has the groom, with some or all of the groom's men wear a kilt . The bride may wear a sash or other tartan clothing. The Scottish basket sword is used for any Saber Arch . A collective or mass wedding is a single ceremony where numerous couples are married simultaneously. A microwedding or minimony

592-399: A ceremony may become part of a liturgy . Wedding music Music is often played at wedding celebrations, including during the ceremony and at festivities before or after the event. The music can be performed live by instrumentalists or vocalists or may use pre-recorded songs, depending on the format of the event, traditions associated with the prevailing culture and the wishes of

666-400: A ceremony. To reinforce the psychological and cultural power of ceremony it should be enacted, as far as possible, in a beautiful interior and exterior place. Beauty is the essential core of ceremony, having always been part of "raising the spirit" and embedding the good in the memory. Ceremonies, as they always had been, are historically the bridge between the visual and performing arts and

740-406: A church building", as holy matrimony is a sacrament; sacraments normatively occur in the presence of Christ in the house of God, and "members of the faith community [should be] present to witness the event and provide support and encouragement for those celebrating the sacrament." Bishops never grant permission "to those requesting to be married in a garden, on the beach, or some other place outside of

814-417: A civil ceremony. Johann Pachelbel 's Canon in D is an alternative processional. Other alternatives include various contemporary melodies, such as Bob Marley's One Love , which is sometimes performed by a steel drum band. The music used in modern weddings is usually left completely up to the bride and groom, and it is becoming increasingly popular for couples to add their own twist to the song they walk down

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888-547: A declining influence of the Catholic Church. Since 2015, Irish humanists have conducted more weddings than the Church of Ireland . There are many ways to categorize weddings, such as by the size or cultural traditions. A wedding may fall into several categories, such as a destination microwedding, or a civil elopement. A white wedding is a term for a traditional formal or semi-formal Western wedding. This term refers to

962-414: A dress); and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure or celebrant . Special wedding garments are often worn, and the ceremony is sometimes followed by a wedding reception . Music, poetry, prayers, or readings from religious texts or literature are also commonly incorporated into the ceremony, as well as superstitious customs . Some cultures have adopted the traditional Western custom of

1036-419: A fiancé with a sibling or cousin who is also engaged, or four close friends in which both couples within the friendship are engaged might plan a double wedding where both couples legally marry. Elopement is the act of getting married, often unexpectedly, without inviting guests to the wedding. In some cases, a small group of family or friends may be present, while in others, the engaged couple may marry without

1110-587: A groom and his mother. In some countries there are restrictions on where a wedding may take place, for example before the Marriage Act 1994 , marriages in England and Wales could only take place in authorized religious buildings or civil register offices , but the Act extended the options available to allow weddings in other "approved premises". Cretney identified a wide range of venues which sought approval after

1184-501: A person if they had a good relationship with him or her. Most Christian churches give some form of blessing to a marriage, which is seen as a sacred institution in some sense, although terminology and associated theological meanings vary widely from one denomination to another (e.g., "holy matrimony", "sacrament of marriage", "holy ordinance of marriage", or "holy union"). A celebration of Holy Matrimony typically includes mutual vows or solemn promises of lifelong love and fidelity by

1258-461: A popular one being Felix Mendelssohn 's Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream (1842). The piece achieved popularity after it was played during the wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal to Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858. Another popular choice is Widor's Toccata from Symphony for Organ No. 5 (1880). After the ceremony, there is often a celebratory dance, or reception, where there may be musical entertainment such as

1332-538: A society is directly linked to the practice of ceremonies and rites of passage . In addition, Messenger makes the following statements: To be powerful and effective, such ceremonies, in the view of all the scholars in the field, had to have impact. This occurred when the ceremony was framed by the visual and performing arts. Great care had to be taken in creating and choosing the poetry, prose, stories, personal journeys, myths, silences, dance, music and song, shared meditations, choreography and symbolism which comprised

1406-455: A wedding is also viewed as a legal contract particularly in Islamic jurisprudences. However, most Muslim cultures separate both the institutions of the mosque and marriage; no religious official is necessary, but very often an Imam presides and performs the ceremony, he may deliver a short sermon. Celebrations may differ from country to country depending on their culture but the main ceremony

1480-487: A yellow thread applied with turmeric is knotted around the bride's neck 3 times at marriage. The first knot represents her obedience and respect to her husband, the second one to his parents and the third represents her respect to God. Several other rituals may precede or follow these afore-mentioned rites. Then the bride formally departs from her blood-relatives to join the groom's family. A traditional Jewish wedding usually follows this format: In more observant communities,

1554-404: Is a public, traditional and symbolic means of expressing our beliefs, thoughts and feelings about the death of someone loved. Rich in history and rife with symbolism, the funeral ceremony helps us acknowledge the reality of the death, gives testimony to the life of the deceased, encourages the expression of grief in a way consistent with the culture's values, provides support to mourners, allows for

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1628-425: Is defined by the small number of friends and family members present. The number of guests is usually understood to be no more than 10 or 15 people including family members, although some sources will use this label for a small wedding with up to 50 guests. Compared to an elopement or a civil wedding with no guests, a microwedding is planned and announced in advance and may incorporate whatever traditions and activities

1702-501: Is followed by a Walima (the marriage banquet). In Islam, polygyny is allowed with certain religious restrictions. Despite that, an overwhelming majority of Muslims traditionally practice monogamy . It is forbidden in Islam for parents or anyone else: to force, coerce, or trick either man or woman into a marriage that is contrary to the individual will of any one of the couples. It is also necessary for all marriages to commence with

1776-425: Is hosted, often in a vacation-like setting, at a location to which most of the invited guests must travel and often stay for several days. This type of ceremony could be held on a beach, in a metropolitan resort, a hotel, a banquet hall, a mountain, or at the home of a geographically distant friend or relative. During the recession of 2009, destination weddings continued to see growth compared to traditional weddings, as

1850-429: Is irreplaceable and sacred . In ritual we participate in something deep and significant. They are moments which move our heart And touch our spirit. Lionel Murphy also knew that the superficial, the unaware, were not the right persons to bring this about. The civil celebrant needs to have a rich skill-set and knowledge base. Murphy is on the record as asserting that the civil celebrant needed to have

1924-405: Is often followed by a wedding reception or wedding breakfast , in which the rituals may include speeches from a groom, best man, father of a bride and possibly a bride, the newlyweds' first dance as a couple, and the cutting of an elegant wedding cake . In recent years traditions have changed to include a father-daughter dance for a bride and her father, and sometimes also a mother-son dance for

1998-464: Is rarely, if ever, found in weddings of other low-church Protestant denominations (e.g., Baptists ). A Quaker wedding ceremony in a Friends meeting is similar to any other meeting for worship , and therefore often very different from the experience expected by non-Friends. In some Western countries, a separate and secular civil wedding ceremony is required for recognition by the state, while in other Western countries, couples must merely obtain

2072-471: Is the only legally recognized form of marriage (most countries in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and The Pacific). In this case civil weddings are typically either a mandatory prerequisite for any religious ceremony or religious weddings have no legal significance at all. See Civil marriage . Not to be confused with an elopement, a destination wedding is one in which a wedding

2146-399: Is usually performed at that time, setting the mood for the ceremony while not being too distracting for the guests. Popular prelude music includes Air on the G string and Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Johann Sebastian Bach . Music can be used to announce the arrival of the participants of the wedding (such as a bride's processional ), and in many western cultures, this takes the form of

2220-723: The Mahāgīta corpus. A bwe song called "Aura of Immeasurable Auspiciousness" ( Burmese : အတိုင်းမသိမင်္ဂလာသြဘာဘွဲ့ , Ataing Mathi Mingala Awba Bwe ) is used as a wedding processional song in traditional Burmese weddings . The style of Mahāgīta songs has also been adapted in more modern compositions, such as "Auspicious Song" ( Burmese : မင်္ဂလာတေး , Mingala Tei ) composed by Twante Thein Tan , and " Akadaw Pei " ( Burmese : အခါတော်ပေး ) by Waing Lamin Aung, both of which are commonly played at traditional Burmese weddings. In Egyptian culture ,

2294-680: The Eastern Orthodox Church , it is one of the Mysteries and is seen as an ordination and a martyrdom. The Christian wedding ceremony of Saint Thomas Christians , an ethnoreligious group of Christians in India, incorporates elements from local Indian traditions. Protestant weddings may be elaborate (as with Lutheranism and Anglicanism) or simple (as with Baptists). For example, in the United Methodist Church ,

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2368-464: The Holy Bible and reflect the church's teachings about the spiritual significance of marriage, as well as its purpose and obligations. The wedding service often includes the reception of Holy Communion , especially in the context of Mass (as with Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism). In some traditional weddings of Western Christianity (especially Catholicism, Lutheranism and Anglicanism),

2442-461: The Quran , in a married Muslim couple, both husband and wife act as each other's protector and comforter and therefore only meant "for each other". All Muslim marriages have to be declared publicly and are never to be undertaken in secret. For many Muslims, it is the ceremony that counts as the actual wedding alongside a confirmation of that wedding in a registry office according to fiqh . In Islam

2516-454: The Vedas and subsidiary texts while the couple is seated before the fire. The most important step is saptapadi or saat phere , wherein the bride and the groom, hand-in-hand, encircle the sacred fire seven times, each circle representing a matrimonial vow. Then the groom marks the bride's hair parting with vermilion ( sindoor ) and puts a gold necklace ( mangalsutra ) around her neck. Or

2590-549: The civil celebrant program entrusted appropriately selected individuals to provide non-church people with ceremonies of substance and dignity. This initiative to a great extent has now been followed by New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and some states of the US. According to Dally Messenger III secular ceremonies are "roadmap" influences which lead to an acceptable, ethical and dignified life. Ceremonies contribute to

2664-510: The white wedding , in which a bride wears a white wedding dress and veil . This tradition was popularized through the marriage of Queen Victoria . Some say Queen Victoria's choice of a white gown may have simply been a sign of extravagance, but may have also been influenced by the values she held which emphasized sexual purity . The use of a wedding ring has long been part of religious weddings in Indian sub-continent, Europe and America, but

2738-411: The zaffa ( Egyptian Arabic : زفـّـة / ALA-LC : zaffah ), or wedding march , is a musical procession of bendir drums , bagpipes , horns , belly dancers and men carrying flaming swords. This is an ancient Egyptian tradition that predates Islam . Interfaith marriage ceremonies have benefited by the efforts of several modern composers, many of whom have written processional marches to honor

2812-685: The 19th century, first recorded in the 13th century in the Book of Aneirin , a custom known as a 'Neithior' or 'Neithor' was observed by the Welsh , it consisted of a great feast being held the following Sunday after the Wedding at the bride's parental home, the guests would pay for the meals and entertainments so that the new couple could afford a new home. While many wedding traditions and rituals have origins in religions and are still performed by religious leaders, some marriage traditions are cultural and predate

2886-575: The Service of Christian Marriage (Rite I) includes the elements found in a typical Sunday service, such as hymns, prayers, and readings from the Bible, as well as other elements unique to a wedding, including taking marriage vows and an optional exchange of wedding rings , as well as a special benediction for the couple. Holy Communion may be part of the wedding service in liturgical Protestant churches (e.g., Lutheran , Anglican , or Methodist ), but

2960-588: The United States of America, a groom's wedding band has not appeared until the early 20th century, while in Europe it has been part of the tradition since the ancient Romans, as witnessed by the jurist Gaius . The exit from the wedding ceremony is also called the "send off" and often includes traditional practices; for instance, in Ethiopian weddings, newlyweds and the rest of the wedding party bow and kiss

3034-486: The aisle to. Many brides and grooms use songs that hold special value for them. In the United States, approximately 2 million people get married each year, and close to 70 million people attend a wedding and spend more than $ 100 on a gift. In the United Kingdom, according to a survey, the average minimum amount spent on a wedding gift is £24.70, and the average maximum amount spent is £111.46. Eighty-five percent of people said that they were more likely to spend more money on

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3108-602: The aisle, either before or after the marriage service. An example of such use is reported in the 1878 wedding of Nora Robinson and Alexander Kirkman Finlay . The " Bridal Chorus " from Lohengrin by Richard Wagner , commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride", is often used as the processional. Wagner is said to have been anti-Semitic , and as a result, the Bridal Chorus is normally not used at Jewish weddings. UK law forbids music with any religious connotations to be used in

3182-429: The altar. Both religious and civil ceremonies share the powerful psychological, social and cultural influences which all ceremony seeks to attain. The style of music played, words used, other components and the structure vary. As Edward Schillebeeckx writes about the marriage ceremony , there are a number of ancient traditional elements in both church and civil ceremonies in the western world. Key ceremonies date from

3256-460: The best of intentions. At traditional Chinese weddings , the tea ceremony is the equivalent of an exchange of vows at a Western wedding ceremony. This ritual is still practiced widely among rural Chinese; however, young people in larger cities, as well as in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, tend to practice a combination of Western style of marriage together with the tea ceremony. When

3330-414: The bride gifts such as jewelry or a red envelope . The tea ceremony is an official ritual to introduce the newlyweds to each other's family, and a way for newlyweds to show respect and appreciation to their parents. The newlyweds kneel in front of their parents, serving tea to both sides of parents, as well as elder close relatives. Parents give their words of blessing and gifts to the newlyweds. Prior to

3404-426: The bride leaves her home with the groom to his house, a "Good Luck Woman" will hold a red umbrella over her head, meaning, "Raise the bark, spread the leaves." This "Good Luck Woman" should be someone who is blessed with a good marriage, healthy children, and husband and living parents. Other relatives will scatter rice, red beans, and green beans in front of her. The red umbrella protects the bride from evil spirits, and

3478-412: The church" and a dispensation is only granted "in extraordinary circumstances (for example, if a bride or groom is ill or disabled and unable to come to the church)." Marriage in the church, for Christians, is seen as contributing to the fruit of the newlywed couple regularly attending church each Lord's Day and raising children in the faith. Wedding ceremonies typically contain prayers and readings from

3552-411: The color of the wedding dress, which became popular after Queen Victoria wore a pure white gown when she married Prince Albert and many were quick to copy her choice. At the time, the color white symbolized both extravagance and virginal purity to many and had become the color for use by young women being formally presented to the royal court. White weddings often take place in a place of worship, such as

3626-406: The consent or knowledge of parents or others. While the couple may or may not be widely known to be engaged prior to the elopement, the wedding itself is generally a surprise to those who are later informed of its occurrence. A handfasting is an old pagan custom, dating back to the time of the ancient Celts . A handfasting was originally more like an engagement period, where two people would declare

3700-584: The country since the 1980s. These have been legally recognized since 2005, and became more numerous than church weddings in 2018. Humanist wedding ceremonies are carried out in a variety of countries like the U.S., Canada and recently Brazil, having legal status in only a few of these countries. Humanist celebrants are able to perform valid civil marriages and civil partnerships in the Republic of Ireland. Secular weddings are becoming more popular in Ireland due to

3774-427: The couple being married. There are many different styles of music that can be played during the entrance and ceremony. While some elements of the ceremony may be personalized for a specific couple, the order of service will most of the time follow a similar pattern. A prelude often precedes the wedding. During the prelude, guests arrive to the gathering place while ambiance music is being played. Calm and light music

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3848-563: The couple will celebrate for seven more days, called the Sheva Brachot (seven blessings) during which the seven wedding blessings are recited at every large gathering during this time. A wedding is typically a happy time for families to celebrate. In the Middle East , there are colorful, cultural variations from place to place. Two male witnesses who are the members of the family in most cases are required for Nikah. According to

3922-480: The couple, and may include some sort of pledge by the community to support the couple's relationship. A church wedding is a ceremony held in a church and presided over by a Christian pastor . Traditionally, Christian weddings occur in a church, as Christian marriage ideally begins where one started his or her faith journey. (Christians receive the sacrament of baptism in church in the presence of their congregation .) Catholic Christian weddings must "take place in

3996-457: The elders' knees. In most of the Western world , as well as in countries such as India and Malaysia , the send off often includes the practice of throwing rice (a symbol of prosperity and fertility) or other seeds at the newlyweds. Despite popular belief, using uncooked rice for this purpose is not harmful to birds. In several cultures, people toss shoes instead of rice. The wedding ceremony

4070-484: The embracing of faith and beliefs about life and death, and offers continuity and hope for the living. Naming Ceremonies existed in human culture long before Christianity or any of the major religions came on the scene. Every community has a ceremony to welcome a new child into the world, to give that child recognition, and to celebrate the birth of new life. Other, society-wide ceremonies may mark annual or seasonal or recurrent events such as: Other ceremonies underscore

4144-451: The family wants to maintain, such as a wedding cake, photographs, or religious ceremonies. Although the cost per guest may be higher, the overall cost of a microwedding is usually significantly less than a large wedding. Ceremony The word may be of Etruscan origin, via the Latin caerimonia . According to Dally Messenger and Alain de Botton , in most Western countries

4218-431: The guests. Most guests witness only this short ceremony and then socialize, have food, and leave. The religious part (if applicable) comes hours later, witnessed by close friends and relatives. In cases where a religious ceremony is present, a Brahmin (Hindu priest) arranges a sacred yajna (fire-sacrifice), and the sacred fire ( Agni ) is considered the prime witness ( sākshī ) of the marriage. He chants mantras from

4292-531: The implementation of this legal change, including hotels , stately homes , football grounds , beaches , and former warships . Related outdoor locations could also be approved for weddings after the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 were adopted. Music played at Western weddings includes a processional song (e.g., the Wedding March ) for walking down

4366-402: The importance of non-regular special occasions, such as: In some Asian cultures, ceremonies also play an important social role, for example the tea ceremony . Ceremonies may have a physical display or theatrical component: dance , a procession , the laying on of hands. A declaratory verbal pronouncement may explain or cap the occasion, for instance: Both physical and verbal components of

4440-515: The language of the Hindu scriptures . The wedding celebrations may last for several days and they can be extremely diverse, depending upon the region, denomination, and community. Mehendi ceremony is a traditional ritual in Hindu weddings, where Henna application takes place on the bride's hands and legs, before the wedding. On the wedding day, the bride and the bridegroom garland each other in front of

4514-412: The necessary messages which enable the individual to stay human. They communicate acceptance, love, a sense of identity, esteem, shared values and beliefs and shared memorable events. Every ritual contains tender and sacred moments. And in those moments of sensitivity We are taken out of the normal flow of life, And out of our routines. We are then in an event that

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4588-513: The origin of the tradition is unclear. One possibility is the Roman belief in the Vena amoris , which was believed to be a blood vessel that ran from the fourth finger (ring finger) directly to the heart. Thus, when a couple wore rings on this finger, their hearts were connected. Historian Vicki Howard points out that the belief in the "ancient" quality of the practice is most likely a modern invention. In

4662-441: The other partner's religion. They can be either elaborate or simple. Many civil wedding ceremonies take place in local town or city halls, courthouses in judges' chambers, in attorneys offices, in the mayor's office, or in the governor's office. The relevance of civil weddings varies greatly from country to country. Some countries do not provide any form of civil wedding at all (Israel and many Islamic countries), while in others it

4736-469: The people. Murphy and his followers, and international practitioners such as David Oldfield of Washington DC understand that ceremonies are core expressions of the culture. Done well, they can assist in major decision-making , bring emotional security , strengthen bonds between people , and communicate a sense of contentment . To quote David Oldfield: Rituals and ceremonies are an essential and basic means for human beings to give themselves and others

4810-466: The pre-Christian Roman and Greek times, and their practices have continued through the centuries. For example, from pre-Christian Roman times in the marriage ceremony, we inherit best men and bridesmaids , processions, signing of the contract, exchange of rings and the wedding cake . Writer and philosopher de Botton maintains atheists should appropriate many of the useful insights, artistic treasures and symbolism inspired by religion. He argues that

4884-511: The prevalent religions in those regions. Non-religious people will often want to have a wedding that is secular (not religious) in content. In order to meet this demand, secular ceremonies carried out by humanist celebrants first developed in the 19th century. Humanists UK members pioneered humanist weddings in the 1890s, and its weddings continue to be popular with couples across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, Humanist Society Scotland (HSS) has carried out secular ceremonies in

4958-460: The religious traditions of both the bride and the groom. Included in this group are John Serry Sr. (1968). During the service there may be a few hymns , especially in liturgical settings. The exiting of the bridal party is also called the wedding recessional . At the end of the service, in Western traditions, the bride and groom march back up the aisle to a lively recessional tune,

5032-403: The rice and beans are to attract the attention of the gold chicken. The newlyweds kneel in front of parents presenting tea. A Good Luck Woman making the tea says auspicious phrases to bless the newlyweds and their families. The newlyweds also present tea to each other, raising the tea cups high to show respect before presenting the tea to each other. The attendants receiving the tea usually give

5106-604: The secular world can also learn from the religions the importance of community and continuity. Messenger agrees, and points out that the success of civil celebrants in Australia has been partly due to their espousing of these principles, both in theory and practice, since 1973. The main impetus to the development of quality civil ceremonies in the Western world was the foresight of the Australian statesman, senator and high court judge, Lionel Murphy . In 1973 in Australia,

5180-460: The televised wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, there has been an upsurge in popularity of Jeremiah Clarke 's " Prince of Denmark's March " for use as processional music; the piece was formerly (and incorrectly) attributed to Henry Purcell as Trumpet Voluntary . At Jewish weddings , the entrance of the groom is accompanied by the tune ''Baruch Haba'' . Traditional Burmese weddings incorporate songs from

5254-535: The typically smaller size results in lower costs. Destination weddings are prohibited in certain denominations of Christianity, such as the Catholic Church , which teach that Christian marriages should take place in the presence of God at church , where Christians began their journey of faith in the sacrament of baptism . A double wedding is a double ceremony where two affianced couples rendezvous for two simultaneous or consecutive weddings. Typically,

5328-408: The unseen ingredients of psychological stability, a sense of identity, reassurances of life's purposes, and the personal sense of self-worth. Murphy considered that personal genuine ceremonies were central to a civilised, stable and happy society. Here he echoed the conviction of the mythologist Joseph Campbell who had maintained the strongly asserted generality that the level of civilised behaviour in

5402-430: The values and ideals articulated in both church and civil ceremonies are generally similar. The difference is in what Messenger calls the "supernatural infrastructure" or de Botton the "implausible supernatural element". Most religions claim some extra advantage conferred by the deity, e.g., Roman Catholics believe that through the words of consecration in the mass ceremony, God himself becomes actually present on

5476-473: The wedding date. In the Roman Catholic Church , Holy Matrimony is considered to be one of the seven sacraments , in this case, one that the spouses bestow upon each other in front of a priest and members of the community as witnesses. As with all sacraments, it is seen as having been instituted by Jesus himself (see Gospel of Matthew 19:1–2, Catechism of the Catholic Church §1614–1615). In

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