Who can be a witness at the wedding? Witnesses at the wedding and their responsibilities: a list. Is it possible to get married without witnesses and guests?

From this article you will find out who can be witnesses when the newlyweds are married.

Witnesses at the wedding of the bride and groom in the church. Who are they? We learn more about them.

Who can be a witness at the wedding?

Witnesses during the wedding of the newlyweds can be friends of the bride and groom, but there are requirements for them. A man and a woman should be:

• Baptized
• Unmarried or husband and wife in a legitimate marriage

The charter of the Orthodox Church is forbidden to take a man and a woman to the wedding if they are:

• Were already in marriage and divorced
• A man and a woman living together in a civil marriage

Can spouses be witnesses at the wedding?

Spouses of a traditional type of marriage (man and woman) living in a legitimate marriage may be witnesses at the wedding of the newlyweds. It is not allowed to take a couple living in a civil marriage to the church.

Witnesses at the wedding and their responsibilities: List

Previously, in tsarist Russia, the duties of the Church included the registration of a young couple and a wedding. Then the witnesses had to sign in the church book of registration. In addition, now and earlier, witnesses hold crows over the heads of the newlyweds, accompany them when traveling around analoy. Witnesses will have to hold the crows in time for a long time, so if one hand is tired, it can be changed with the other hand.

The church is recommended for witnesses when wedding to take no longer a young couple who has experience in their family life. They will be mentors for a young family, show with their example how to live, support spiritually.

So, the duties of witnesses include:

• Serve the rings
• Spread the rushnik in front of anal
• When wedding, hold the crown over the heads of the newlyweds, the witness holds the crown of the bride, the witness - the groom
• In further family life - to be always an example of a young couple, to support them spiritually in difficult moments

Is it possible and how best to get married without witnesses and guests, secretly?

If the newlyweds did not find witnesses corresponding to the church charter, they can get married without witnesses. In this case, no one holds the crowns over their heads, and they are put on their heads.

A girl and a guy can secretly get married, if they are believers, attend worship, and their parents are atheists.

But if young people want to get married secretly without witnesses and guests, then the priest needs to understand the reason for such a decision. If a secret wedding is chosen due to disagreement of parents, kinship or prodigal cohabitation, then the priest may refuse to conduct the rite.

Who should keep the crowns when wedding, can the father keep the crown for the wedding?

According to the charter of the Orthodox Church, the parents of the bride and groom cannot be witnesses during the wedding, and hence the crowns, the bride and groom, they cannot hold.

The role of parents in the ceremony of the wedding is reduced to the blessing of children for marriage by icons at home. After blessing, the bride kisses the icon of the Virgin, and the groom - the icon of the Savior.

So, now we know what are the responsibilities of witnesses during the wedding of the newlyweds in the church.

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