Is it possible to get married without registering a marriage. Is the wedding considered legal if there is no official marriage

Is it possible to get married without registering at the registry office - one of the most common questions that come to our website.

In order to get married, it is necessary to first register the marriage in the registry office: this is due to the fact that if before the revolution the wedding was a marriage recognized by the state, then today the Church does not have the opportunity to check whether the marriage is the only one. There were cases when people who were already married came to get married without a stamp in their passport. Therefore, in order to avoid such problems, for the wedding, you must first register the marriage at the registry office.

WITHOUT REGISTRATION IN THE REGISTRY OFFICE

Priest Dionisy Svechnikov

Is it necessary to register a marriage in the registry office before the wedding?

According to the modern rules of the Russian Orthodox Church, yes. The Orthodox Church recognizes (registered in the registry office) the starting point of creating a family. Like the early Christian Church, the Orthodox Church does not abolish or violate state laws, and calls on its faithful children register marriage at the registry office thereby showing their civic obedience. Modern life in many ways resembles that ancient era.

Therefore, you should not be surprised if, having come to the temple in order to sign up for a wedding or agree with a priest on the date and time of the wedding, you are suddenly asked to present a marriage registration certificate. But you can register a marriage in the registry office on the very day. This must be reported when registering for the wedding. As a rule, most couples do just that.

Sometimes you have to hear from people something like this: “We want to get married, but we don’t want to sign in the registry office, for us the wedding is more important than the stamp in the passport.” Of course, a wedding for Orthodox Christians should be more important than civil registration. It would be strange if it turned out the other way around. But at the same time I want to ask a counter question to these people: “If a stamp in your passport means nothing to you, then why are you so opposed to its appearance in your passport?” Is it possible that the fact that a stamp appears in the passport will change the relationship between the spouses or somehow the grace received in the sacrament of the wedding will be abolished. No!

The current rules of the Russian Orthodox Church do not allow people to be married before their marriage is registered with the authorities registry office. This is done in order to make sure the seriousness of the intentions of the spouses. Registration of marriage by the state implies a certain amount of responsibility and seriousness of people in relation to their own intention to enter into a church marriage. It is impossible to talk about any responsibility in relation to marriage that people living in a "civil marriage" have. She just doesn't exist. Of course, a wedding without registration at the registry office is possible in exceptional cases with the blessing of the diocesan bishop. But the desire to "live with each other" and the conscious refusal of state registration of marriage can in no way be such a reason. People living in a "civil marriage" also cannot become godparents. According to church canons, people who openly lead an immoral life cannot become recipients of the baptismal font. It is the duty of godparents to educate their godchildren in the Orthodox faith. Just as in the case of their own children born in a "civil marriage", "spouses" will not be able to give proper spiritual education to their godchildren. And, of course, it is worth saying that, according to the canons, people living in prodigal cohabitation cannot be admitted to communion until the moment they stop sinning and repent.

Many couples expressing a desire to “live together” should understand that state legal regulation of their relationship can only begin after their marriage is registered with the registry office. This is an important aspect of family life. After all, the state, sanctioning a specific marriage, assumes the obligation to protect the formed family, the personal and property rights of its members. Registration enables the participants in family relations to exercise the rights and demand the fulfillment of obligations that arise for them in connection with the establishment of marital relations, as well as to protect the personal and property rights and interests of spouses. All this cannot be achieved in a "civil marriage". Not a single court will stand up for the protection of the rights and freedoms prescribed in the Family Code and violated in “civil marriage”. From the point of view of legal law, "civil marriage" is not a marriage. Accordingly, the state represented by the court cannot guarantee the observance of the rights and obligations of family members in a non-existent marriage.

It would be foolish to believe that family life in a "civil marriage" proceeds cloudlessly, in pink tones., and the "spouses" never meet problems and hardships on the path of life. Sorrows visit people living both in legal and married marriages. Sometimes they both get divorced. Therefore, the absence of marriage registration cannot in any positive way affect the lives of people living in a “civil marriage”, and does not relieve them of troubles and sorrows. But if in the case of a registered marriage it is possible to demand through judicial or other instances the observance of the rights of spouses, then in a “civil marriage” this is not possible. And since there is no such possibility, then the “spouses” will have to be left alone with their problems, which, of course, will only increase problems.

And sometimes this question also looks like this: “We love each other very much, but now we don’t have money for a wedding, we can get married, and then have a wedding.” I would like to ask a counter question: “Why should a husband and wife play a wedding?”. After all, having married, the bride and groom will become husband and wife. What is a wedding without a bride and groom? This is at least illogical. And besides, if there is no money for a wedding, then most likely there is no money for living together. But marriage undoubtedly involves the joint residence of the spouses. Without this, marriage is unthinkable.

Well, if the issue of cohabitation of future spouses is resolved, then the wedding can be played not as magnificently and pompously as we would like, having got married and registered on the same day. It would be very useful for young people asking such questions to ask their parents and grandparents how weddings were played in the post-war years, when there was no money even just to set the table. And this did not stop people who sincerely love each other. After all, the most important thing in this matter is not what kind of car the young people will come to the wedding, which dress from which of the French fashion designers will be on the bride and in which of the famous restaurants in the city the banquet part of the celebration will take place, but what meaning the bride and groom invest in concept " wedding».

If a wedding is only the listed attributes, and there is no spirituality, then there is nothing to say. All this will happen on the wedding day, but tomorrow will come when the husband is no longer a prince on a white horse, but an ordinary young man in shorts and slippers, sitting in an armchair and watching football on TV, and the wife is no longer a beautiful princess in a chic dress, and an ordinary girl in a dressing gown, preparing dinner in the kitchen. The wedding day will be remembered for them, maybe for the rest of their lives. But this will only be a memory of luxury, which has not become a vivid spiritual experience that laid the foundation for their spiritual unity.

If, first of all, the Christian understanding of marriage is invested in the concept of "wedding", then neither the absence of a limousine, nor the modest outfits of the young, nor a modest festive table will interfere with such a wedding. For such newlyweds, the main thing is the joint appearance before God at the sacrament of the wedding, when the Lord Himself crowns them into “one flesh”. Therefore, I would like to conclude that you should not “reinvent the wheel”, but do the same as our ancestors did - get married and play a wedding on the same day.
Answers to questions from readers:

Is it possible to sign at the registry office first, and a year later? Svetlana

Dear Svetlana! No, civil registration must precede . The church, as a rule, crowns after registration, because lately there have been a lot of cases of deceit: you can sign one, and get married on the other, and no one bears any responsibility.

Z hello! Please tell me, my husband and I, due to circumstances, divorced 2 years ago. But we live together and love each other. Can we get married or do we need to re-register the marriage at the registry office first? Thank you.

Hello Vera! You can only get married after you register your marriage again.

Sincerely, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

Hello! The fact is that we want to get married, but we don’t want to officially sign in the registry office ... will they allow us to hold a wedding ceremony without marriage certificates? Thank you. Natalia

Hello, Natalia! A wedding is a blessing of marriage by the Church. But if the marriage is not registered, then the relationship is fornication, that is, a sin, and the Church cannot bless these relationships. Therefore, it is impossible to get married without registering a marriage in the registry office. Register your marriage and then get married. And may the Lord help you create a strong and happy family!

Sincerely, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

I live in a civil marriage. We live together for several years. We do not want to register a marriage in the registry office. We want first before God. Is it possible to get married without a stamp in your passport? And where to find the temple where we will be married? We really want!

Hello Julia! A civil marriage is a marriage registered in the registry office. A stamp in your passport is not an empty formality, but a testimony before the law and before the people around you about the depth of your feelings and the seriousness of your relationship. The Church can bless such a marriage. Sinful, that is, frivolous and shallow relationships, the Church cannot bless. Therefore, first you need to register your relationship, and then you can get married.

Sincerely, Priest Alexander Ilyashenko

A wedding is a sacred sacrament that is performed in the church by its minister. It means the spiritual merging of the young before God. Thus, the couple receives a heavenly blessing on their union and family life. Today, some newlyweds want to choose only a wedding without registration in the registry office. The portal site offers to get acquainted with what the church and legislation say about this.

Wedding without registration

A hundred years ago, marriage, consecrated by the church, had all legal rights and was completely legal. This rule no longer applies today. This is what the Orthodox Church and lawyers answer to the question of whether it is possible to get married without visiting the registry office and officially registering the marriage there.

Orthodox canons

According to them, the church respects state laws and acts in accordance with them. Therefore, in this case, a wedding without registration is impossible. This is done in order to:

the spouses themselves realized the seriousness of their intentions;
avoid concluding an alliance between blood relatives, polygamy and other unethical moments.

The rite can only be passed by a man and a woman who are officially married. Moreover, they should not be married to someone else. If one of the spouses has already entered into a church union before, then he or she must definitely go through the ceremony of debunking the marriage.

Also, the sacrament is impossible for people of different faiths. Both spouses must be baptized and Orthodox. The church does not crown spiritual relatives, for example, the godparents of one child.

An exception, how to get married in a church without registering a marriage, may be the personal friendship of the priest conducting the ceremony and the couple. If he is confident in the union, its legitimacy and purity, then he can take responsibility before God for conducting the sacrament of the wedding.

Position of the legislation

From a legal point of view, a wedding without registration of marriage in the registry office and a certificate of it have no legal force. This procedure, for the most part, is necessary for the spouses themselves for spiritual enrichment and strengthening of their union. Therefore, only registration in the registry office can give spouses the rights of the family, enshrined in the legislative acts of our country.

Thus, the absence of a stamp in the passport can become the main obstacle to marriage in the church.

wedding before marriage

From the point of view of the Orthodox tradition, a wedding before the wedding is unacceptable. For this ritual, the days are clearly defined when it can be performed and when it cannot, in accordance with the church calendar. Usually, the wedding ceremony is held either on the day of the official marriage after registration at the registry office before the main banquet, or on any other day after the wedding.

At the same time, it is important not to forget what is needed for the wedding and how the sacrament itself goes. Consider some of the requirements of the church for the wedding dress of the newlyweds. So, the bride's dress should be no higher than the knee and should not be bright. If her shoulders and arms are open, then it is necessary to provide an accessory that will cover her shoulders, as well as gloves to the elbow. A bridal veil is a must. The groom must be dressed in a strict suit of dark color and be without a headdress.

To decide whether to get married or not, the newlyweds must decide on their own even before the wedding, when the celebration itself is planned, because you can go through the ceremony only after the official marriage.

Are witnesses required for church weddings?

According to Orthodox customs, a wedding without witnesses is impossible. They become spiritual guides for a young family and help them get through the hardships of life.

How to choose witnesses?

The wedding rules in the Orthodox Church set their own requirements for the choice of witnesses.

A married couple who have been married for a long time and are respected by the newlyweds.
Close friends of the couple.
Relatives on the part of the bride or groom.

In addition, they must be baptized and Orthodox.

The Church forbids choosing a divorced couple as witnesses, as well as those living in a civil marriage.

Wedding today is a church sacrament, which is impossible without official registration of marriage in the registry office. Therefore, the Wedding.ws portal recommends that you respect the old traditions of marriage so that your union is harmonious and blessed by heaven.

Is it possible to get married without registration in the registry office? Among the questions related to the sacrament of marriage, this one occurs surprisingly often. Some newlyweds want the church ceremony to take place before the civil one. Others completely neglect the "stamp in the passport", considering the spiritual union stronger and more important than the worldly one. Still others are guided by some of their own considerations ... One way or another, a lot of people want to do without the "blessing" of the state. Is this permissible, or in the temple will you certainly be required to provide documentary evidence of marriage?

official opinion of the church

First, let's talk about how things should ideally be. According to the canons of the Russian Orthodox Church, a wedding without registration in the registry office is not allowed. This is due to a number of reasons.

Let formally the state and religious organizations in our country be considered as acting separately from each other, The Church recognizes the power of secular laws and expects the same from parishioners: “Let every soul be submissive to the higher authorities; for there is no authority except from God, but the existing authorities are established by God. In other words, since the law requires that marriage be registered in a state institution, so be it. By the way, contrary to popular belief, the Church fully recognizes the legitimacy of such a union, considering only cohabitation without formalizing the relationship as sinful.
The notorious "stamp" in the passport is evidence of the seriousness of the intentions of the young. It is no secret that today many people carelessly treat church sacraments, not understanding and not trying to realize the importance of a wedding. I want to keep up with fashion; impress friends; stand hand in hand in front of the altar among flickering lights, fragrant smoke and solemn singing ... The fact that at this moment the couple before God swears fidelity to each other and undertakes to go through life together often fades into the background. Registration also acts as a kind of sieve, allowing you to weed out the most frivolous-minded.
There are also cases of outright deception: for example, a man is married to one woman, but without a twinge of conscience marries another. It turns out that the priest, although out of ignorance, blesses sinful cohabitation. True, there is little sense in such a wedding, because unscrupulous spouses are trying to deceive not the priest, but God. However, those who want to cheat are not translated.

Therefore, on the issue of “wedding or registry office”, the Church is firmly set: official registration must precede the sacrament.

There are no rules without exceptions

This is how things stand in terms of tradition. But if you ask around with friends or rummage through forums on the Internet, you can easily find examples of couples who managed to get married without a “formal piece of paper”. What is it - an allowance on the part of the priest, a violation of the foundations or a normal practice? In what cases is a strict rule allowed to be circumvented?

Some couples try to schedule civil registration and church wedding on the same day. It is easy to arrange this: it is enough to show the priest an invitation card from the registry office indicating your names and the date of the wedding. You will surely get along.
With all the firmness of church canons, there is such a thing as economy, when the priest - if he deems it necessary - deviates from the accepted rules by personal decision. For example, you and your future spouse are parishioners of his church, the priest knows you well and understands the seriousness of your relationship. By his act, he, as it were, takes responsibility for the young family and its future.
Weddings without a mandatory visit to the registry office are allowed for young people in exceptional circumstances. Let's say one of the future spouses is going to have a serious operation with a risk to his life. Or a trip to a "hot spot". Or an urgent and long business trip to another country. If people, before some kind of life test, want to hastily connect with sacred bonds, the local Diocesan Administration can give permission to marry them without concluding a civil act.

To finally dot the i's, talk to the priest of the church where you are going to perform the sacrament; clearly explain the reasons why you do not want to register the relationship officially and ask if it is possible to get married without painting in the registry office. If your arguments seem worthy of respect to the priest, get ready for the wedding. If not, you will have to reconcile yourself and apply. Starting married life with deceit is a bad idea.

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 were honored from birth. But people come to God at different ages. And not everyone is familiar with the rules in the big deal of getting married in heaven. How to choose the 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:

Temple. Its history, location, recommendations and reviews.
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 the festive table completely poor. In the modern world, when such prejudice is considered a relic of the past, May remains among the leaders of the most beautiful months of the year: renewed nature, fresh greenery and blooming gardens will create a wonderful background for the celebration. And the church does not interfere with the wedding in May at all.

As for the special days of the week, 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 most successful time of the year for the wedding ceremony people determine the first Sunday after Easter

On the day of Krasnaya Gorka, priests hold a large number of weddings for everyone. In addition, any weddings on holidays, associated with the Virgin Mary, especially the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, 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 major 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 the point of view of Orthodox rules, whether there was a state registration of marriage before or after the ceremony is not important. The rules of the church do not prohibit getting married first, and then signing. But a clergyman cannot document whether any of the couple is hiding a real marriage to another person.
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 the family life of the newlyweds

Such friendly relations between the priest and the bride and groom are very rare. 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 on the wedding day doubles. After all, you have to be nervous about the sacrament of the Church, too.
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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 doesn’t matter how many years a couple has been living together in the status of husband and wife - if they come even after a year, even after 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 we talk 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, the road to the temple is more and more often open to modern women on any day of the month.

Advanced priests argue that modern hygiene products 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 it is forbidden to get married in the Orthodox Church in the Catholic Church.
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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 faded, the marriage was dissolved and the choice of the former husband and wife fell on other people? Is it possible to repeat the wedding ceremony?

We live in the age of nanotechnology and genetic engineering, but there are traditions that have existed for centuries, no matter what. So, spouses who sincerely love each other and wish to educate their children in spirituality get married in an Orthodox church. They believe that the sacrament of the wedding ceremony will strengthen their family union and help them overcome life's difficulties.

Since we live in a secular society, the church has requirements for a married man and woman. They concern, first of all, the presence of registration of an officially concluded marriage. Are there any exceptions to this rule? Is it possible to have a wedding without marriage registration? Where and how does the wedding take place, what is necessary for the sacrament?

How does the church feel about actual marriage without registration?

Actual marriage, that is, cohabitation without formalization of relations, is condemned by representatives of Orthodoxy and is considered a sin. There are religious restrictions for such partners, for example, they cannot be godparents and are not allowed to take communion.

Even if you have lived all your life in an actual marriage and have joint children, the priest will refuse to conduct the sacrament of the wedding until you formalize the relationship. The church accepts only secular marriage, which is concluded in the registry office.

Is it possible to get married without registration?

The Orthodox Church does not allow the ceremony to be performed without a stamp on the registration of a secular union. The reasons for such a categorical refusal are connected not only with religious and spiritual canons, but pursue quite prosaic goals. In this, church prohibitions have similarities with legal restrictions on marriage.

Recently, the wedding has become a fashionable trend among newlyweds, who often do not think about the moral side of this act. Young people are attracted by the beauty of the rite, but they do not think that the wedding imposes great obligations on loved ones to each other - to be together in sorrow and joy, to be faithful, to help and appreciate their loved one.

The requirement of the church to have a stamp in the passport screens out frivolous parishioners who do not fully understand the secret meaning of the rite. Sometimes it happens that not very honest and conscious citizens want to resort to the sacrament of the wedding in order to deceive their partner. For example, a man offers a girl to get married, but does not tell her that he is already in a registered marriage with another woman. Of course, such an act will remain on his conscience, but these attempts are also suppressed by representatives of the church.

If one of the applicants for the sacrament was previously married to another person, he needs to. Re-marriage with a living spouse is a great sin.

Remember that the annulment of the wedding occurs only under strictly defined circumstances, for example, in case of alcohol, drug addiction of the spouse, treason or death. If the spouses simply did not want to live together, the church will refuse to dethrone, as this is not enough reason to break off relations.

Sample request to cancel a wedding:

In general, the Orthodox Church is categorically against divorce. Before going to cement relations with a church union, the priest will have a conversation with those who have applied and find out the seriousness of their intentions. If he realizes that the young people are not yet ready to get married, he will offer to postpone the ceremony and rethink his desire.

Are there exceptions to the rules?

There are exceptions to any rule. When there is a strong desire to get married without being in a registered marriage, you can submit a corresponding petition to the chief bishop of your region. If you can convince him of your intentions and understanding of the essence of the religious rite, he can take responsibility and agree to marry people who are not officially married.

It must be said that such cases are extremely rare. In modern society, the grounds for refusing to register a marriage are the same as those accepted in the church:

the presence of a valid marriage;
close relationship;
minority;
disability, etc.

When there are no such reasons, a man and a woman can freely register a relationship with the registry office, and only after that get married. Those who wish to get married without marriage can be met by priests who know this family and its life circumstances well and who are confident in the sincerity of the feelings and intentions of their parishioners. In this case, the minister of the church takes responsibility for the departure from the religious canons.

Another case is a business trip, which can end badly. This applies to military personnel and other citizens whose work is associated with a significant risk to life. It happens that one of the applicants is mortally ill, and the partners decide to seal their relationship with Orthodox bonds before he leaves.

All existing circumstances are subject to detailed consideration and decision making on an individual basis. Due to the urgency and complexity of the situation, the church can marry people who are not officially married.

Where and how can you get married?

Spouses can get married in any temple or church they like. This decision remains solely with the newlyweds; in this case, the church does not have any territorial division. Some churches accept an electronic wedding request, this is more common abroad:

The first stage is a conversation with the priest, who will talk about the spiritual aspects of an important step for the spouses. He will talk about the need to observe spirituality in the family, the moral values of a husband and wife, about loyalty and love. In addition, it is necessary to discuss the organization of the wedding, especially if you want to invite guests to the sacrament.