Christian Wedding Planner in Los Angeles & San Francisco
A Christian wedding brings an expression of worship, joy, celebration, respect, and love. The bible states no specific order of service to follow by, so it allows for you to express your creativity. The most important aspect of a Christian wedding is to give each guest an impression that you as a couple have made a covenant with each other before God. Christians believe that marriage is a gift from God.
Wedding Party Pictures
The wedding party should be dressed and ready for the time of pre-wedding ceremony pictures. The people in the wedding ceremony processional are usually asked to take photos ahead of time. This occurs about an hour or hour and a half before the wedding ceremony begins. Also if needed, candles that are placed in the church are lit during the end of the time of pictures.
The Wedding Ceremony
When the wedding ceremony is about to begin, seating of the bride and groom’s family members takes place. First the groom’s grandmother is seated and then along with the bride’s grandmother. After, both of the groom’s parents are seated. Last but not least the bride’s mother is seated. Once they are all seated the wedding ceremony will start and the members in the processional will enter.
The Christian Wedding Ceremony Processional
- Minister and groom will enter and stand at the alter
- If groomsmen are not escorting bridesmaid they enter along as well
- Bridesmaids (if not escorted) enter one at a time
- Maid of honor enters with the best man
- Flower girl(s) and ring bearer(s) enter
- Bride enters escorted by her father or father figure
The minister usually announces “all rise for the bride” before the bride and her father begin walking down the aisle.
Opening Remarks
A “call to worship” and opening prayer begin the ceremony while the congregation is being seated. The Christian call to worship is an invitation or call to worship God.
Giving Away The Bride
The father of the bride places his daughter’s left hand into in the groom‘s and gives her away. This is very important because it is involving the parents as a huge part of the Christian wedding ceremony. Couples also may have a godfather, relative, or father figure give the bride away. The flower girl(s) and ring bearer(s) also are seated with their parents at that time. The father of the bride or whomever may be giving her away, takes a seat and the ceremony continues with the pledge and wedding vows.
Wedding Vows and Exchange of Rings
At this time the bride and the groom face each other. They each recite their feelings to one another and are asked to repeat out loud a vow to each other before they exchange rings in the eyes of the Lord. A ring symbolizes eternity and a promise that they will be faithful in front of God. After the rings are placed on their fingers, the bride and the groom will each take a candle and light it with a single unity candle. By blowing theirs out it represents the end of their separate lives, and the beginning of their lives together as husband and wife.
The Pronouncement and Closing Prayer
The minister announces that the bride and the groom are now man and wife. Then he allows the groom to “now kiss his bride”. The first kiss of the bride and the groom is showing the start of their marriage. A closing prayer is said after to bring the ceremony to the end. The minister presents the couple by resiting, “It is my privilege to now introduce to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. ____”
Recessional
The wedding party exit’s the church:
- Bride and Groom
- Maid of honor and Best Man
- Flower Girl(s) and Ring Bearer(s)
- Groomsmen and Bridesmaids exit in reverse order as they entered
All the guests then exit the church to begin rejoicing the commencement of the happy Christian couple’s lives by partaking in the wedding reception. At a Christian Wedding reception, there is traditionally another short blessing by the minister or someon very close to the bride and groom.
