Any wedding takes a minimum of 20 hours of preparation, and in difficult cases can easily take up to 30 hours. We have already contracted 48 Melkite marriages since 1992, but this number does not represent the official statistics of our Melkite people who got married since the foundation of the Melkite parish in
FIRST PART: THE BETROTHAL CEREMONY
The priest stands before the Holy Door of the Sanctuary and on the altar are placed the Holy Gospel, the Cross, two candlesticks, two crowns and a glass of wine.
The bridal party makes the procession into the church, while the Choir chants the Hirmos of Pentecost in the 4th Tone:
Choir: Hail O Queen, glory of virgins and mothers: for your praise is beyond the eloquence of the most cultured tongues, and the wonderful manner in which you gave birth to Christ throws every intelligence into amazement. Wherefore, we the faithful magnify you with one accord.
The priest stands before the Holy Doors, and the bridal couple approach with the two witnesses, the bridegroom on the right and the bride on the left, and on each side of them the best man, and the maid of honour, all holding lighted candles. The priest then places the two rings on the right side of the table, and begins the service thus:
Priest: Blessed is our God, at all times, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
THE BLESSING AND EXCHANGE OF RINGS
Priest: O Lord our God, who wedded together from the nations the pure and
Choir: Amen.
Priest: The servant of God (Name) is betrothed to the handmaid of God (Name), + in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: The handmaid of God (Name) is betrothed to the servant of God (Name) + in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Amen.
SECOND PART: THE CROWNING CEREMONY
Choir: Glory be to You, O our God, glory be to You.
This refrain is repeated after each verse of Psalm 127:
Priest: Happy all those who fear the Lord and follow in his paths.
You will eat what your hands have worked for, happiness and prosperity will be yours.
Our wife: a fruitful vine on the inner walls of your house. Your sons: round your table like shoots round an olive tree.
Such are the blessings that fall on the man who fears the Lord.
The priest here begins the Exchange of Consent:
Priest: (Name of Groom) do you freely and willingly come to take the handmaid (Name of Bride) here present, for your lawful wife, according to the rite of the Holy Catholic Church?
Groom: I do.
Priest: And do you, (Name of Bride) freely and willingly come to take the servant (Name of Groom) here present, for your lawful husband, according to the rite of the Holy Catholic Church?
Bride: I do.
The priest makes the sign of the Cross with the Gospel Book as in the beginning of the Divine Liturgy:
Priest: Blessed is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For peace from on high and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For peace in the whole world, the well-being of the holy churches of God and the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For this holy place and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For our Archbishop (Name), the reverend priests, the deacons in Christ, and for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For the servant of God (Name) and the handmaid of God (Name) who are now being joined together in the partnership of marriage, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: That this marriage may be blessed like the marriage at Cana in
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: That this couple may be granted for their own good both purity and the fruit of the womb, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: That they may rejoice at the sight of their sons and daughters, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: That they may be overwhelmed with joy at the sight of their many children, and that their life may be without stain, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: That they, and all those present here, may be granted whatever they ask which is good for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For their deliverance and our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger and need, let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Help us, save us, have mercy on us and protect us, O God, by your grace.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Let us remember our all-holy, spotless, most highly blessed and glorious Lady the Mother of God and ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints and commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ God.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
Priest: For all glory, honour and worship, are your due, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: Blessed are You, O Lord our God, who are the Maker of every pure and mystical marriage, and the Lawgiver of that of the flesh, the Guardian of purity, and Provider of good things beneficial for our life. It is You, O Master, who in the beginning made man and set him as King over Creation and said, "It is not good for man to be alone on earth, let us make for him a helpmate like himself". You took one of his ribs and formed woman, and when Adam saw her he said, "This at last is bone from my bones, and flesh from my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken from man." This is why a man leaves his father and mother and join himself to his wife, and they become one body, and those whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder.
Now also, O Master, Lord our God, send down your heavenly grace upon these your servants (Names), and grant that this your handmaid (Name), may in all things be subject to her husband and this your servant (Name) may be the head of his wife, so that they may live according to your will. Bless them, O Lord our God, as you blessed Abraham and Sarah. Bless them, O Lord our God, as you blessed Joachim and Ann. Bless them, O Lord our God, as you blessed Zachary and Elizabeth. Remember them, O Lord our God, as you remembered your Forty Holy Martyrs, upon whom you sent crowns from heaven. Be mindful, O Lord our God, of their parents who raised them, for the prayer of parents strengthens the foundations of homes. Remember O Lord our God, your servants the best man and maid (or matron) of honour, who share this celebration with us. Be mindful, O Lord our God, of your servant (Name) and your handmaid (Name) and bless them. Grant them the fruit of the womb, healthy children, harmony of soul and body. Exalt them as Cedars of Lebanon, and protect them as a fruitful vine. Grant them the seed of offspring and provide them with sufficient goods, so that they may abound in every deed that is good and acceptable to you. Let them see their children's children like olive branches around their table. And after they have pleased you, may you illuminate them as the stars of heaven. By You, O our Lord, to whom belongs glory, power, honour, and worship, and also to your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: O holy God, who created man out of dust and fashioned a woman out of his rib and joined her to him as a helpmate like himself, it so pleased your majesty that man should not be alone on the earth. O Master, extend your hand from your holy dwelling place and unite your servant (Name) and your handmaid (Name) (Here they join their hands, the groom's left to the bride's right). For by you woman is united to man. Join them in chastity, crown them with glory, wed them into one flesh, grant them the fruit of the womb and the procreation of good children who will lead blameless lives. For yours is the domination and yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for ever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
THE CROWNING
The priest begins the crowning ceremony with the groom, then the bride, and then the groom. Each time, the priest exchanges the crowns in the form of a cross.
Priest: The servant of God (Name) is crowned to the handmaid of God (Name), + in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: The handmaid of God (Name) is crowned to the servant of God (Name), + in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: The servant of God (Name) is crowned to the handmaid of God (Name), + in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Choir: Amen.
The following hymn in the seventh tone is chanted 3X by the priest and people:
O Lord our God, crown them with glory and honour, and grant them dominion over the works of your hands.
THE EPISTLE
Priest: Let us be attentive.
Reader: You put crowns of pure gold on their heads.
They asked for life, and you gave it to them, length of days for ever and ever.
Priest: Wisdom.
Reader: A reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians.
Priest: Let us be attentive.
Reader: BRETHREN:
Always give thanks for all things to God who is our Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard the Lord, since as Christ is the head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body - and we are its living parts. For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church. To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.
Priest: Peace to you, reader.
THE GOSPEL
Choir: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Priest: (Incensing) Wisdom. Let us stand and listen to the holy Gospel. Peace to all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest: The holy Gospel according to
Choir: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You!
Priest: Let us be attentive.
At that time, there was a wedding at Cana in
Choir: Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You!
Priest: And make us worthy, Master, to dare with confidence and without condemnation to call You Father, O God of heaven and to say:
People: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Priest: Fore thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Peace to you all.
Choir: And to your spirit.
Priest: Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
Choir: To You, O Lord.
THE BLESSING OF WINE
The priest blesses the glass of wine with the following prayer:
Priest: Almighty God and Maker of all things, who arranged the universe in an orderly way and adorned all your creation with dignity: Bless now, with a spiritual blessing, this common cup which you give to those who are now joined together in the partnership of marriage.
For blessed is your name and glorified is your kingdom, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Then the priest offers the common cup, first to the groom and then to the bride; likewise, to the best-man and the maid of honour, while the Choir chants the following kinonikon:
Choir: I will take the chalice of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord.
PROCESSION
Now, led by the priest, they make a procession around the alter three times, while the choir chants the following hymns:
Choir: (Fifth Tone) Rejoice, O Isaiah, for the Virgin has conceived in her womb, and has given birth to a Son, Emmanuel, both God and man. His name is Orient, magnifying Him, we praise the Virgin.
Seventh Tone: O holy martyrs, who fought well and were crowned, intercede with the Lord, to have mercy on our souls. Glory to You, O Christ God, glory of the apostles and delight of the martyrs, who preached the consubstantial Trinity.
THIRD PART: PRAYER FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE CROWNS
The priest then removes the crown from the head of the bridegroom, saying:
Priest: May God exalt you, O Bride-groom, like Abraham, and bless you like Isaac, and multiply you like Jacob. Walk in peace and be faithful to the commandments of God.
He removes the crown from the head of the bride, saying:
Priest: And you, O Bride, may God exalt you like Sarah, and gladden you like Rebecca and multiply you like Rachel. Rejoice in your husband and keep the precepts of the law, for in this is God pleased.
Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.
Choir: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: O Lord our God, you blessed the crown of the year, and allowed these crowns to be placed on the heads of those who were joined together by the law of marriage, and imparted to them as it were a reward of purity, because chaste are they whom you have joined together in a lawful marriage; also, in the removal of these crowns, bless + those who were joined to each other and protect their indissoluble union, so that they may always give thanks to your all-holy name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
DISMISSAL
Priest: And now, o Lord, these your servants having come together in a perfect union and consummated the service of marriage just as in Cana of Galilee, they put off its symbols, and for that we give glory to you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever.
Choir: Amen.
Priest: Glory to You, O Christ God, our hope, Glory to You! May Christ our true God who through his presence at Cana in Galilee proclaimed marriage worthy of special honour, have mercy on us and save us, through the prayer of his all-pure Mother of his holy and glorious Apostles who are worthy of all praise, of the holy-crowned kings and saints equal to the Apostles, Constantine and Helen, of the holy and great martyr, Procopius, and of all the saints, for He is good and loves mankind. Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us.
Choir: Amen.
The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew, Chapter 19: 3-7:
The Pharisees came up to Jesus and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”
Jesus answered, “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder”.
The First Letter of
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love , I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.
When I was a child, I spoke like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
The Letter of
You are God’s chosen race, his saints: he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with one another, forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home in you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.