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Christian Marriage Ceremony
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Christian Weddings are usually conducted in a Church with much joy and celebrations.
Just as in weddings conducted around the world, rituals and traditions of a Christian
wedding too can be divided in terms of pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding rituals.
Participation of friends and family members of the bride and the bridegroom helps
to add joy to the wedding celebrations. Though the basic set of rituals of a Christian
wedding generally remains the same, regional variations can be observed as communities
tend to be influenced by the tradition of land they may be living in.
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Pre-Marriage Ceremony
a) Wedding Party Pictures
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This should begin at least 90 minutes prior to the start of the wedding and be finished
at least 45 minutes before the ceremony.
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b) Wedding Dress
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Traditionally, a Christian bride wears a white gown in western style and the groom
wears a suit. The bride's head is covered with a white veil and a crown - a tiara
or a bunch of white flowers, and she holds a flower bouquet in her hand. Though
the Indian bride too might wear white, she might be clad in a saree with a small
veil covering her face.
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c) Prelude
Any musical preludes or solos should take place at least 5 minutes prior to the
start of the ceremony.
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d) Lighting of the Candles
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Sometimes the candles or candelabras are lit before the guests arrive. Other times
the ushers light them as part of the prelude, or as part of the wedding ceremony.
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Marriage Ceremony
a) Engagement
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The fanfare of the Christian marriage begins with the engagement party. Engagement
parties usually given by the bride's family often precede the Christian marriages.
The "bridal shower", an informal party is organized by the bride's family or friends
and consists of only women. Similarly, the groom enjoys the bachelor party or the
stage party, which is hosted by him, the ushers or a friend. It takes place just
before the wedding.
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b) Welcoming the Bride
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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.
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c) The Wedding Mass
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When everyone has taken place, the priest begins the wedding mass with hymns and
selected reading from the bible. The priest then delivers the homily, with an emphasis
on the sanctity of marriage. The next most important ritual is the blessings and
the exchange of wedding rings and marriage vows by the couple. The wedding rings
are first blessed by the priest in a belief that it will instill in the bearers
an everlasting love and an earnest faith. A Christian Wedding ceremony comes to
an end with the final blessings of the priest. Then towards the end, the guests
shower their blessings on the newly wed couple. Finally, the newly wed couple signs
the register and walks down the aisle arm in arm.
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Post-Marriage Ceremony
a) The departure
The bride and the groom walk out of the church, followed by the guests.
b) Reception
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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.
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c) Dance
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The wedding couple then enter 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.
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d) Bouquet
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At the gate, the bride throws her bouquet behind her and it is believed that the
girl who picks it up,will get married soon.
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