Is it possible to get married without marriage registration. Without official registration. What is a wedding from a legal point of view

Often, young people are interested in the question: is it possible to get married without registering at the registry office. Perhaps the future spouses decided to carry out a kind of legalization of their relationship, but at the same time they don’t really want to go to the registry office due to various reasons. Is this allowed church wedding without marriage in the registry office? In order to correctly answer this question, let us turn to Russian history.

A little about the wedding and registration of marriage

Until 1917, that is, at the time when Russia was a monarchical state, there was no separation of the branches of power into ecclesiastical and secular. Consequently, there were no registry offices that would register marriages. All the functions of the current registry offices, including marriage registration, were performed at that time by churches and temples. In addition to the wedding, which at that time was considered a full-fledged marriage and did not require any more confirmation (and there was nowhere else to get a marriage document), the churches kept records of born and deceased citizens of tsarist Russia.

With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, general persecution of the church began, the institution of religion was abolished, going to temples became semi-forbidden and not recommended, weddings were condemned. In order to monitor the status of citizens and their relations, it was decided to create registry offices, which partially took over the functions of churches. There is no need to say that at that time there were no trips to the cathedral, and even more so, the wedding without registering the marriage was canceled.

Since 1992, Russia, now federal, happily and successfully reunited church and secular authorities, which gave new stage development for the whole country as a whole and for each citizen in particular. Some newlyweds who decide to register their relationship visit both the registry office and the church, while others decide only to get married.

Thus, at present, we can say that getting married without registering a marriage is not prohibited, but there are still several nuances of this procedure.

The nuances of the wedding

Indeed, it is possible to get married without painting; this is not prohibited by Russian legislation. However, there are two points that you should first of all pay attention to when registering a relationship:

1. Church opinion. Since traditional Russian Orthodoxy considers submission to the state and legality to be one of its fundamental principles (remember the meaning of the word "Orthodoxy" - "I glorify the right", that is, the law, the state), the following situation can happen: young people decide to get married, but do not want to register their marriage in the registry office. It is possible, there is no ban on the wedding procedure without registration. However, since it is generally believed that only legal spouses(that is, persons who have a marriage certificate in their hands), the priest may also refuse to lead to the wedding hall persons who, from the point of view of the state, are not husband and wife. You may also come across priests who, on the contrary, honor the word of God more than Family code RF, and therefore they will agree to carry out the wedding procedure without any documents and without registration in the registry office.
2. State opinion. From the point of view of modern Russian legislation, the wedding has no legal force. A certificate, if it is given to you at all, that you got married (or went through the wedding procedure), definitely does not oblige you to anything and does not entail the emergence of any rights and obligations. Therefore, if young people decide to get married in a church without subsequent registration with the registry office, they will remain nobody to each other from the point of view of official legislation.

Where and how can you get married?

The answer to this question is extremely simple: you can get married in any branch of the Russian Orthodox Church. If you do not want to register your relationship through the registry office, you will have to convince the priest that your desire to get married is sincere and comes from the heart, and is not a simple fashion requirement. If you have a certificate of marriage registration in your hands, then just show it to your ass along with your passports, there should be no extra questions, you will be allowed to get married. However, a responsible and competent clergyman must conduct an instructive conversation and reveal the truth of the feelings of future married people. In addition, at the wedding, young people should read some prayers, for example, about childbearing. Unfortunately, in the modern church, many old traditions have faded into the background and are not observed by anyone, so the wedding procedure will depend on the particular church you choose.

Do not forget that the wedding ritual is paid. In order to get married, you need to pay from 1000 rubles, as well as incur some expenses for candles and other church paraphernalia.

It is also necessary to prepare for worship in front of many icons, for kissing the hands of the priest and other procedures for which a person who is far from the church may not be ready. You need to familiarize yourself with Orthodox customs and proper behavior at the wedding so that the church ceremony takes place at the proper level. Of course, for believers and church-going Russians, this problem will not arise.

Is there a wedding cancellation?

Our life is extremely unstable, and quite rarely marriage lasts for a long time. It may turn out that you will part with your spouse once and for all and will have far from the most positive feelings for each other. In this case, the question becomes reasonable: is it possible to get divorced? Currently, there is no such ceremony in the Russian Orthodox Church, that is, if a divorced and already married spouse decides to get married or marry and get married again, but with another person, then the church will simply perform the wedding again without registration in the registry office, which, as already indicated, does not oblige you to anything.

Finally

To get married or not - this question is for each couple, married, just close people or cohabitants living in civil marriage decides for himself individually. There are no positive or, conversely, negative aspects in the wedding procedure, and it would be most correct to say that it is purely formal, symbolic. However, if you and your soulmate decide to get married in a church, make sure that your feeling is sincere, real and sincere. That is when your marriage will be blessed by the Lord.

Attention! In connection with latest changes law, the information in this article may be out of date. However, each situation is individual.

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Every year more and more modern couples want to register their marriage not only in civil order, but also in the church. This is due to the revival of ancient traditions, which in Lately is gaining strength. More and more young people are turning to God, so the wedding ceremony is becoming so significant for future family life.

Recently, however, newlyweds are increasingly wanting to get married without registering at the registry office. For many, a stamp in a passport is just a formality that young people do not take seriously and see no reason to put at all. But the church wedding ceremony - this is the sacred marriage to which they aspire. The question arises: why then register your marriage officially, if you can just get married?

When is marriage possible?

In the Orthodox Church, there is a strict ban on a wedding between two people who do not have a marriage registration certificate. The main reason is that the church does not keep records of marriages, so it becomes impossible to verify information about the marital status of the newlyweds.

The Orthodox Church knows cases of couples asking to perform a wedding ceremony without an official painting.

This is due to the inability to register marriage V government bodies due to consanguinity, same-sex relationship or when one of the spouses is already in another marriage. Also, in the old days, the wedding ceremony was not performed without the newlyweds receiving parental blessing. Therefore, the couple turns to the ministers of the church in order for them to legalize such a non-standard union of lovers from the point of view of public morality. However, such cases are excluded from the point of view of the Orthodox Church and are not subject to discussion.

A man and a woman who are officially married can get married. At the same time, none of them should be married to someone else. In the event that one of the partners is in a spiritual union with another person, you must first be debunked. Although, it is worth noting that not every couple can be given permission to debunk. You can only get married up to three times in your entire life.

According to the canons of the Orthodox Church, a wedding is not possible between people of different faiths. Both partners in without fail must be Orthodox Christians and must be baptized. Atheists and Gentiles cannot marry. Church marriage is not possible between blood relatives, as well as cousins ​​and second cousins and sisters. In the same way, spiritual relatives are not crowned, for example, a man and a woman who baptized a child together, witnesses at another wedding.

Exceptions for weddings

However, there are also very rare exceptions when it is still possible to conduct a sacred wedding ceremony without registering a marriage in a registry office. Firstly, if the priest knows the couple well and is fully confident in their strong feelings for each other, he can take responsibility before God and conduct the ceremony.

They can also get married when there are special, extreme conditions that threaten the life of one of the spouses. This could be a life-threatening operation or serving a death sentence. dangerous work. In this case, the possibility of holding the ceremony is decided in individually. If the highest ranks of the church give their permission, then the wedding ceremony can be carried out without a marriage certificate. For all other cases, permission from the diocesan bishop must be obtained.

Preparing for the wedding ceremony

The wedding ceremony begins long before the day of the ceremony. Having decided on the church, the newlyweds come to talk with the priest. This is necessary in order to resolve all organizational issues, as well as get answers to exciting questions newlyweds about marriage and family relationships in terms of spirituality.

First of all, the priest must ask some mandatory questions, which the bride and groom must answer as honestly as possible. The Holy Father will naturally ask about the availability of an official marriage document, about when the newlyweds are going to legalize their relationship. If he receives an answer that they want to get married, but do not want to register their marriage in the registry office, he may regard this as an irresponsible attitude towards family and marriage.

If the couple is going to get married on the day of the wedding, you need to inform the priest. The newlyweds will be asked whether they chose to marry of their own free will. If the priest from the conversation understands that one of the newlyweds came under duress, he may even refuse the Church Sacrament. For example, if one of the spouses is baptized, but does not believe in God and agrees to a sacred union only in order to please his soulmate, then this can be regarded as coercion.

Will there be children?

Often a church representative asks a couple questions about their future family life: do they plan young children, will they raise them according to the word of God, how do they treat betrayal, divorce. May be asked to talk about previous marriage(if there was one), what the relationship was like, why it didn’t work out, what caused the divorce.

All this is necessary for the priest to be convinced of the seriousness and awareness of the decision of the lovers to enter into spiritual marriage and willingness to take responsibility for such an act.

Often people confuse a wedding in the Orthodox Church with a similar ceremony among Catholics or, even more so, with a pagan one. For example, they decide to get married in the hope that after that God will protect the family from troubles and misfortunes.

In this case, the priest will show the pagan overtones of such an understanding and explain the ceremony from the point of view of Christianity.

The conversation with the priest, as a rule, is unlimited in time, so the couple can clarify all the incomprehensible points for themselves. Often, newlyweds are interested in how the Sacrament will take place, how long the wedding lasts, what outfits can be worn, the possibility of video and photography of the process. The main thing is not to be shy and not afraid to ask, so that in the future everything will be very clear.

After the newlyweds have agreed on the day and time of the wedding ceremony, clarified all the points of interest, you need to prepare everything necessary items: marriage certificate (can be brought on the wedding day), towel, candles, wedding rings bride and groom, as well as two icons (the Virgin and the Savior).

What is impossible and what is possible

A few days before the wedding, the newlyweds should fast, take communion and confess before the holy father. It is advisable to refrain from intimacy at least three days before the ceremony. Thus, spouses are cleansed before entering into sacred church marriage.

The wedding ceremony consists of two parts: the betrothal and the actual wedding. They used to be held in different days- the newlyweds got engaged in advance. Today it is one inseparable rite.

At the end of the ceremony, the spouses are issued a certificate of church marriage.

Having made the decision to get married, newlyweds or spouses with experience should take such a serious step with all responsibility. After all, lovers make an oath to each other in the face of God that they will love, care for and never betray each other in word or deed. The rite signifies the willingness of the family to devote themselves to the service of the Lord, as well as the desire to live according to church laws and educate the younger generation in spirituality and faith in God.

Often you can hear a burning question from the bride and groom: "Is it possible to get married without registering at the registry office?" You can immediately answer: no. This is the short answer. But there are rare exceptions. What will be discussed in some sections of this article. We will rely only on church laws, the advice of priests, we will describe the experience of those who have been married for decades. To understand why people are asking such a pressing question, let's go back to the recent past, that is, to the early 1900s, to Tsarist Russia.

Journey to the beginning of the twentieth century

Let's remember history. Maybe someone's great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers told what Russia was like before 1917. If you haven't heard it, be sure to read it. This is interesting.

Before the October Revolution, young people did not ask themselves whether it was possible to get married without registration, because there was no separation. All couples got married within church walls. At the same time, the newlyweds became complete family not only before God, but also before the state.

Before the advent of the Soviet Union, almost all people were believers. None of the spouses thought about whether to get married or not. It was mandatory for everyone. There were no registry offices at that time. But from 1917-1918, special bodies began to appear that register a citizen. The church faded into the background among people, or it did not exist at all.

After 80 years, the persecution of the Church ended, people began to restore churches and monasteries. Some people have faith in God. or the future husband and wife want to consecrate the marriage. It was then that they began to ask: is it possible to get married without registering in the registry office? At first, the unmarried were married. But after a while they were obliged to show Why?

Getting married is a big responsibility.

Not every couple acted in good conscience by consecrating their marriage. Parting after the wedding became more frequent. As many priests say, this is due to the fact that people did not feel responsible not only for each other, but also before God. After all, when young people come to the registry office, they understand that legally now they are husband and wife, a real family, responsibility appears. And people can be in the Church for the first time, they don’t see God, they can perceive the wedding as a meaningless rite. And it's scary. Is it possible to get married without a registry office in this case? Of course no. Before God, you will have to bear an answer for such a grave sin as the dissolution of a marriage.

It cannot be considered a disadvantage that they will not get married without a stamp in the passport. On the contrary, this is how they lead a negligent couple away from sin. Currently, in many parishes, priests are holding talks with couples who have decided to go to the altar. There they will answer whether you can get married without registering at the registry office or not. This mainly applies to those whom the priest sees for the first time. He knows his confessors, and if the young people understand what they are deciding on, then he may not have special conversations with them.

Registration and wedding on the same day

At present, one can often see how a bride in white chic dress goes to the temple arm in arm with the groom. Their parents, relatives and friends are with them. All dressed up, cheerful. It is immediately clear that the young people just signed. Anyone can guess, even a non-church person, that they agree on the ceremony in advance, choose a date. If the bride only goes to the temple with a brand new marriage certificate, then it is possible to get married without registration? No. The point, most likely, is that the priest knows his parishioners, and they informed him in advance that they had submitted an application to the registry office. And if the priest does not know the couple? Nothing prevents you from canceling if the young people do not sign on that day.

Is everyone getting married?

You can not go against church canons. Do not crown those who are relatives of the fourth degree inclusive. For example:

• relatives, cousins, and sister and children of second cousins ​​of an aunt or uncle;
• uncle with niece;
• children from one parent half brothers and sisters).

Far from complete list. There are also prohibitions on weddings between godfathers (those who have a common godson), as well as between godparents and godchildren and their children. They do not marry for the fourth time.

The Church does not bless the marriage of couples with an age difference of more than 15 years, because in modern society such marriages are fragile and can break up at any time. Is it possible to get married without registration in the registry office? This question may disappear by itself, of course, the priest will answer - no. But any couple can go to the registry office on the condition that there are no legal obstacles (no divorce, for example, or age less than 18 years old), here no one will ask who belongs to whom and who is how old.

Who gets an exception?

As mentioned above, you can ask to get married in the temple, but you just need to present a marriage certificate and make sure that you are in no way relatives: neither in the flesh nor in the spirit. But can you get married without registering at the registry office?

Maybe life is very a difficult situation, for example, one of the lovers is seriously ill. But both love each other. The priest can talk to them about the wedding, confess. As a rule, such serious questions may be decided by the ruling bishop. Who is this? Usually a bishop. In the secular sense, "the church governor of the region." Only he can give permission and answer whether it is possible to get married without registering in the registry office for this couple.

It must be understood that spiritual responsibility rests not only on the spouses, but also on the priest. After all, the wedding ceremony, however, like baptism, is a very serious event.

Marriage is trendy these days

Modern Russians, having signed in the registry office, are in a hurry to get married. But not all couples immediately go to the temple. You can see both newlyweds and elderly spouses under the sacred crowns. The latter, most likely, understood the meaning of the wedding due to some life circumstances. But for them, the rite of the wedding is changing. They no longer pray for childbearing, for example. But the young people will have to stay with the responsible priest for a public discussion. Maybe the priest will advise to postpone the wedding until better times. What is the reason? They are not prepared spiritually, and maybe they haven’t signed yet.

How can you get married without if it is an even greater responsibility than painting? What can be an excuse against the registry office? After all, there are practically no prohibitions there, the state duty for a stamp in the passport is not so high as not to go there. For a wedding in some churches they take many times more, and somewhere as a material donation.

And we've been married for a long time

If there are no canonical obstacles, then elderly spouses will be married. It is only important to bring a marriage certificate if the priest does not know you. As mentioned earlier, the wedding ceremony will be shorter than for the young.

Those who are in a civil marriage, or rather in prodigal cohabitation, will not be allowed to get married. You can not call each other husband and wife, even if the couple has lived together for 10 years. First register the relationship, and then boldly go down the aisle. Thus, we will answer whether it is possible to get married without registration in the registry office.

Is there a "debunking"?

Unfortunately, modern life is instability. Rare marriages are saved forever. Even those who got married at one time cannot be insured against divorce. Why is this happening? People have forgotten how to love, endure and forgive. By the way, it is at confession to a priest that a husband and wife can tell what they did wrong: they looked at a beautiful girl, called their husband names, were offended at each other, and so on. If the spouses want to get rid of sins and accept each other, then divorce will not follow.

Now let's talk about divorce. Before marriage, the head is spinning: is it possible to get married without a painting? During a divorce, they ask themselves: will we be debunked in the church? There is no such ritual.

For the rite to be effective

It is important during the wedding to pray to God for the consecration of your family. It is advisable to listen carefully to what the priest asks the Lord and repeat to yourself. What is important is not the movements, details, the correctness of the bows, but the sincere prayers of both spouses.

We talked about whether it would be possible to get married without registering at the registry office. Clarified a lot of things. Any nuances can only be resolved with a priest, ask questions, ask for advice and blessings.

The wedding ritual for a believing Christian couple is a very responsible, but at the same time, quite natural process. Especially if the bride and groom grew up in families where Orthodox traditions revered from birth. But people come to God in different ages. And not everyone is familiar with the rules in the big deal of getting married in heaven. How to choose best time for a wedding? When the church can categorically refuse in the conduct of the ceremony, or vice versa, recommends the ceremony As soon as possible?

Orthodox wedding calendar in the church: a good Monday for a church wedding and a "forbidden" Saturday

Before deciding which day it is best for newlyweds to get married in a church, it is worth note other equally important things:

1. Temple. Its history, location, recommendations and reviews.
2. Priest. Many newlyweds, following the traditions of their family, choose their abbot long before marriage. But if it didn’t work out, then give preference to the priest, based on the recommendations and personal impressions of communication.

May is considered the most unfavorable month for a wedding. Traditionally, this time was the most difficult for work in the garden and in the field. And autumn stocks were very scarce after winter, which made festive table quite poor. IN modern world when similar prejudice is considered a relic past, May remains among the leaders of the most beautiful months year: renewed nature, fresh greens and blooming gardens create the perfect backdrop for the celebration. And the church does not interfere with the wedding in May at all.

Concerning special days Weeks, then Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and even Monday are considered the most successful for a wedding. But on Saturday, such a ceremony can be held only in case of a special agreement with the priest. This day of the week is considered the day of commemoration of the dead, and the church asks the newlyweds to refrain from church weddings. Couples are still not allowed to get married on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.

The best time of the year for wedding ceremony people define the first Sunday after Easter

On the day of Red Hill, priests spend a large number of weddings for everyone. In addition, any weddings on holidays, associated with the Virgin Mary, especially Pokrov Holy Mother of God, are considered the key to a successful marriage and happiness in the family.

Priests do not crown newlyweds during fasts, on days of continuous weeks and on the eve of big Orthodox holidays. And each church has its own patronal temple holidays, which do not fall into the general church calendar and which are not suitable for church marriages.

Orthodox church calendar of weddings - the lifesaver of the bride and groom

And this means that the consultation of a particular priest in a particular church is extremely necessary. He'll be happy to help you choose. right day to get married.

Is it possible to get married without registering marriage in the registry office?

For truly believing couples, a wedding, as a process, is much more significant than a registered state marriage. Many come to church and ask to perform the ceremony without first signing at the registry office. Like, no value they have no marriage certificate, but only God's blessing. But do people get married in church without a “stamp in their passport”?

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From point of view Orthodox rules whether there was a state registration of marriage before or after the ceremony - it does not matter. The rules of the church do not prohibit getting married first, and then signing. But documented to check if anyone from the pair is hiding valid marriage with another person, the clergyman can not.

The priest will agree to marry without painting only the couple that he knows well from birth, trusts their feelings and is ready to take responsibility for family life newlyweds

Such friendly relations between the priest and the bride and groom is a rarity. That's why they ask first register relations in the registry office so that civil servants can prevent possible bigamy. And after receiving a marriage certificate, a wedding ceremony is held.

Should the wedding be before or after the wedding? How late can you get married

The most common case when the wedding ceremony takes place on the wedding day. In the morning, the couple goes to the Wedding Palace, goes through the registration procedure there, receives a certificate in their hands and hurries to the church to get married. And although this saves a lot of time and money for the newlyweds, their emotional burden in wedding day is doubled. After all, you have to be nervous about church sacrament Same.

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Sep 25, 2018 at 3:35 AM PDT

It happens that newlyweds prefer to get married in a secluded setting without prying eyes and pathos. On the wedding day, this is unlikely to be done, since all attention is riveted to the bride and groom everywhere. But often a couple is simply not sure whether it is possible to undergo a wedding ceremony after the wedding. Priests to the question “How many days, months or years after the wedding can I come to church for a wedding?” The answer is very simple: if newlyweds ready to legalize their marriage before God, they can do it at any time after official registration with the registry office.

Wedding in the church for already married couples - a ceremony after checking feelings by everyday life

Priests are increasingly encouraging the desire of young people to get married only a few years after the official wedding. In this case, the husband and wife approach church marriage in a more balanced and confident manner.

The past years only strengthen their love and loyalty to each other.

For church rules, in fact, it does not matter how many years the couple lives together in the status of husband and wife - if they come even in a year, even in 10 years. And the ceremony itself, carried out after several years of marriage, is absolutely no different in significance from the ceremony that would be held on the wedding day.

How to get married in a church for people of age? Rite for the "newlyweds" in retirement

If speak about age restrictions, it used to be argued that women who have reached 60 year old age and men after 70 years old. The priests explained this by the fact that one of the main goals of marriage is the birth and upbringing of children. And women and men after a certain age are no longer able to perform this function to the full (although older stories are also known). But now the church has become more loyal to people of age who have decided to register their marriage in heaven. IN wedding prayer the priest simply omits the words about the children and performs the ceremony.

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Reasons preventing the wedding: when is it possible and not? Is there a church marriage after 3 civil marriages?

The Orthodox Church in the wedding process tries to observe a lot of important and necessary procedures. For example, without confession and communion, it is almost impossible for a couple to go through a wedding ceremony. And although the church is loyal to those who turn to her for help and advice, a wedding, as a confirmation of marriage in heaven, is not allowed for everyone. A couple may be denied if:

• Both the groom and the bride turned out to be priests.
• One of the couple is in another undissolved marriage (civil or church).
• Young are relatives (up to the 3rd generation inclusive).
• Belonging of one of the couple to another faith or to atheistic teaching.
• The husband or wife has already had 3 or more marriages.

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It is also not allowed to undergo a wedding ceremony for unbaptized people.

In addition, if all ages are submissive to love, then such things will not work with church marriage. And if too young partners are interested in the question of how old they can get married in a church, then the couple is underage for sure can forget about the wedding sacrament.

A lot of young ladies are worried about the ban on weddings during menstruation. After all, it often happens to hear that you can’t even just go to church and touch the icons on those very notorious critical days. But to great joy, many priests are already accepting the explanations of their colleagues, who call for more humbleness towards the sinfulness of the female lunar cycle.

And no matter how guilty Eve was in the past, modern women more and more often the road to the temple is open on any day of the month

Advanced priests claim that modern hygiene products they simply will not allow sinful blood to get on the church floor when menstruation occurs on the wedding day. But anyway, it's better clarify the loyalty of your priest. And in case of refusal to transfer the sacrament to another day.

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It is also unlikely that a Catholic and Orthodox will get married. For such purposes, special permission is required both from one side and the other. And it is given extremely rarely, although does not involve a change of faith for a Catholic. There were cases when a wedding in the Orthodox Church was allowed, but only on the condition that children born in such a marriage accept the Orthodox faith. But to get married Orthodox in catholic church forbidden.

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Is it possible to get married a second time?

Couples go to church to get married with the firm intention of living their "happily ever after" with their partner, confident in their feelings and attitude towards each other. But life is unpredictable. Divorces happen even more often than we would like. What does the church say in the case when feelings have faded, the marriage is dissolved and the choice ex-husband and wives fell on other people? Is it possible to repeat the wedding ceremony?

A wedding is a very responsible and serious step. The first mention of the wedding ceremony dates back to the 1st century AD. e. This sacrament became canonically fixed by the 4th century AD.

The meaning of the wedding

A wedding unites a man and a woman once and for all, merges their souls and forms a "small church". The whole subsequent fate of loving hearts is blessed, becomes fertile ground for the birth and raising of children.

The ceremony is performed only once (there are rare exceptions), so this step should be deliberate and voluntary.

Before performing the rite itself, it is required to pass careful preparation consisting of the following items:

• attending special premarital classes;
• reading prayers;
• food restriction;
• confession;
• participation in the Eucharist.

There are several prohibitions for performing a wedding ceremony. In particular, the ceremony cannot be performed between relatives up to the IV degree: cousins, second cousins, half-brothers and sisters, godfathers, godparents and godchildren. You can not get married more than 3 times, not baptized, representatives of different faiths and without parental blessing. The unbaptized cannot be taken as witnesses.

The church does not approve of the wedding of spouses if the age difference between them is more than 15 years. Such marriages are considered weak and can quickly break up.

It is not necessary to get married immediately after the official ceremony. This procedure can be carried out both in adulthood and in old age. For the last category of persons, the rite will be somewhat reduced, since they no longer need to pray for childbearing.

For young couples, after the conversation, the priest may recommend postponing the wedding ceremony if he feels that they are not spiritually ready for this step yet.

You can perform a wedding ceremony only with full confidence in your soulmate. If this ceremony is really important for the young, then you should not rush to carry it out. After some time has passed life together it will be possible to sensibly evaluate the fortress marital relations and even then decide on the need for a wedding. On the other hand, the church advises not to postpone the wedding for too long. long term after the official ceremony at the registry office.

The attitude of the church towards civil marriage

Young couples who have officially registered their union with the registry office have taken an important step that shows the seriousness of their intentions. This cannot be said about people who live in a civil marriage, not supported by any official documents.

The Church respects state laws and perceives life in an unregistered marriage as a sin. Such couples do not have the right to become godparents, because their life is riddled with lack of spirituality and debauchery, which means that they will not be able to carry out the proper spiritual and moral development of the godson. Also, people living in an unregistered marriage are forbidden to take communion before they repent of their life guidelines and reconsider them.

The sequence of official marriage and wedding is strictly fixed today: first the registry office, then the wedding. There are exceptions, but they are very rare, unless there are good reasons.

All the excuses of the young that official marriage- this is a formality, leads the clergyman to the idea that the decision to get married is taken very lightly by the young. Another argument that the young, according to them, love each other very much, but have not yet saved up money for the wedding, also does not inspire confidence in the decision of the couple to conduct the ceremony. In this case, the priest will definitely ask about what funds then the young people are going to raise children, equip their home, if they cannot even save 350 rubles for an official ceremony in a non-ceremonial atmosphere.

There are exceptions to the rules for performing a wedding ceremony after an official ceremony. But this is a serious matter, since it is considered not only by a specific clergyman, but also by the diocesan bishop on an individual basis. Only he can give such permission for a wedding without documents from the registry office.

There are three groups of reasons why exceptions are made in holding a wedding ceremony before the official one.

1. Both events will be held on the same day. If you show the priest a receipt from the registry office with the date and time of registration, he may allow you to get married first, and then receive an official marriage certificate from a state body.
2. If there are reasons that threaten the health and life of one of the future spouses. Serious operations, service in "hot spots" are considered such reasons.
3. Church obedience and many years of regular presence at the services of both newlyweds. In this case, the rector can be convinced of the sincere attitude of the couple and take responsibility for their spiritual union.

Despite the fact that the church honors state laws, it is believed that without a wedding ceremony following official ceremony, the union cannot be called complete.

Is registration required?

At the beginning of the 20th century, more precisely, before the revolution, there was no separation between the state and the church, so the union, fastened within the walls Orthodox church had legal force. In the days of the USSR, the conduct of church rites was taboo. Today, you can get married only after the official certification of the new union in the registry office.

Clergy observe state laws and consider their observance to be one of the virtues. A wedding without an official document does not indicate the seriousness of the intentions of both spouses, since this ceremony can be perceived by them simply as an observance family tradition or as a step, where one spouse is confident in his decision, and the second still doubts.

The document on marriage, from the position of the church, excludes the situation of polyandry of spouses, the creation of a union between close relatives. A wedding ceremony is a sacrament that cannot be dissolved, like a marriage registered in a registry office.

Couples who long time lived in an unregistered marriage, cannot hope to have a wedding bypassing the standard rules. On the contrary, they will have to go through another series church procedures(repentance, communion) so that they are allowed to get married.

The church recognizes only the union registered in the registry office as official. Joint children, household and living without documentary evidence is regarded as fornication - one of the deadly sins.

The Church does not approve of life in a civil marriage, believing that in this case the spouses are not responsible for each other, have no obligations, do not trust each other and love insincerely, and love is the basis of Christianity. In addition, the unwillingness to formalize relations is regarded by the church as a disregard for church postulates and secular laws.

If, nevertheless, there are good reasons forcing the spouses to enter into a spiritual marriage before the official one, you need to sincerely talk with the local clergyman, and if he considers these arguments sufficient, the wedding ceremony can be performed.

What is necessary?

In order for a couple to get married, it is necessary to go through quite long haul. First, the couple should come to church for a conversation. This procedure will allow you to clarify all issues of an organizational nature, as well as find out the answers to questions about family relationships from a religious point of view.

As part of the conversation, a number of obligatory questions are asked about whether the young people have an official document from the registry office or whether they are just about to tie the knot. If a couple only wants to get married, but does not want to put a stamp in their passport, then the clergyman may regard this as irresponsible to create new family. If the young people want to get married on the same day as registration, then the representative of the church will bless them for the sacred Sacrament.

The newlyweds will have to sincerely answer whether they both want to get married and whether they do it under duress. If it turns out from the conversation that one of the spouses does not want to get married, but came to the temple only because of the desire of the other half, the sacrament will be refused.

The rector may ask the young a number of personal questions:

• whether they plan to have children;
• whether they will be raised and educated according to the word of God;
• how they perceive divorce, betrayal;
• what was their relationship in a previous marriage (if any) and why the union broke up.

Of course, all these questions are asked by the priest not out of idle curiosity, he must be sure of the conscious decision of the newlyweds to conduct a wedding ceremony. In turn, young people can also prepare questions for the representative of the church to clarify certain points. This is usually associated with questions about the content of the rite, the amount of time it will take to conduct it, what to wear, whether it is possible to photograph and film the rite.

After setting the date and time of the wedding, you need to prepare all the attributes:

• official certificate from the registry office;
• rings;
• candles;
• crosses;
• large white towel;
• icons of the Savior and the Mother of God;
• towel.

Shortly before the wedding ceremony, young people must fast, confess and take communion in order to enter into a spiritual marriage, cleansed of all evil. The day before the sacrament, you can not eat, smoke, drink strong drinks, have sexual relations.

The image of the bride at the wedding ceremony should be modest. Long White dress simple cut, scarf or veil, comfortable shoes, lack of cosmetics.

The wedding itself is divided into 2 stages: betrothal and ceremony. Previously, these stages were held on different days, but today they have become parts of one ceremony. First, the newlyweds take their places. On a special dish, the priest brings wedding rings. The priest lights the prepared candles and stands in front of the newlyweds.