Christian Wedding Ceremony
Christian wedding ceremony has many elements. However it is not necessary to incorporate all of them in your wedding. You can design elements and also order of them personally. However it should reflect worship, joy, celebration, respect, community, dignity and love.
Before one and half hour of wedding, you should start taking photographs of wedding party and it should finish 45 minutes before wedding. Wedding party should be dressed, ready and waiting 15 minutes before wedding. At least 5 minutes before the start of wedding ceremony, musical preludes should take place. Candles are lit before the arrival of guests.
At the start of wedding ceremony, processional music begins with seating of honored guests like groom's grandmother, bride's grandmother, groom's parent and bride's mother. Usually minister and groom enter from right side of stage. Flower girl and ring bearer also enter.
Bride and her father enter. As they enter, minister announces that all rise for the bride. After call to worship and opening prayer, congregation is asked to sit. Wedding party moves to stage while flower girl and ring bearer are seated with their parents. Now minister transfer the charge to bride and groom. Minister reminds them their duties and roles in marriage. Also he prepares them for wedding vows which they take shortly.
At this moment, bride and groom face each other. They take wedding vows and exchange rings. Then couple lit candles and after that closing prayer is performed. Minister says, (name of groom) may now kiss the bride. Then he introduced the couple to congregation as husband and wife.
Wedding party leaves platform. Bride and groom are first to leave the platform. Ushers then dismiss the remaining crowd either at once or one row at a time.