involved in a Christianmarriage. When a Christian marriage takes place, the bride and groom attend classeswith the minister or vicar before the wedding, This ensures they fullyunderstand the true meaning of a Christian marriage, what commitment meansand what the purpose of Christian marriage is. Although it is not a law theBanns are read in a parish church three weeks before the wedding takesplace.
This allows anyone who has any objections to the wedding on legalgrounds to say something. Many Christian couples want to get married in a Christian church because itis ‘Gods house’. Other Christians believe God is everywhere and God wouldstill bless marriage everywhere. Jesus said “where ever two or three aregathered together in my name I am in the mist of them”. However Jesus saidto peter “you are the rock on which I build my church” suggesting that thechurch was the house of God and is the place to marry. The priest, vicar or minister is seen as Gods representative on Earth.
Theyform a link between the couple and God. As the vicar forms the link inmarriage it becomes a three way partnership. The bride wears a white dress which symbolises virginity and purity. If abride is not a virgin, or has been married before the bride might wearcream or ivory. However some still wear white because they want marriage asa pure and new start.
The bride also wears a veil which acts as a barrierbut when they marry it is lifted they can now kiss and have sex. On the day of the wedding the bride’s father gives her away which is asymbolic action as it states that his role of caring for his daughter isover and he is handing the responsibility over to her future husband. “Anda man shall leave his father and mother and become one with his wife”The best man assisting the groom has no symbolic role. In the olden timesif the groom didn’t turn up for the wedding the best man would have tomarry the bride. Each line of the vows makes a promise that you will keep through outmarried life.
The vows and promises are made before God and shouldn’t bebroken. The weddings ring is symbolic; it consists of an unbroken circlewhich has no beginning and no end, never ending love just like Gods love. The ring is made of precious metal showing how precious it is. The music issymbolic because the wedding music is in praise of a God allowing weddingto happen. Then they sign a register for legal reasons. The bride and groom are thenmarried in a three way partnership with God.
