The Wedding Ceremony of the Orthodox church is steeped in ritual and symbolism. In this sacrament the grace of God unites this couple as man and wife. The sacrament is divided into two parts: The Betrothal and The Wedding. In the past, a betrothal would have taken place at the time the couple decided to wed. The Wedding or "Crowning" would take place on the day the couple were actually married. In today's practice both take place on the same day.
The rings are blessed by the priest, who takes them and makes the sign of the cross over the couple while praying: "The servant of God, Joshua, is betrothed to the handmaiden of God, Ruth, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. The handmaiden of God, Ruth, is betrothed to the servant of God, Joshua, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." The priest exchanges the rings three times, then places the bride's ring on the groom's finger and then places the groom's ring on the bride's finger. The exchange of rings symbolizes the betrothal from ancient times and signifies that in married life the weakness of one will be compensated for by the strength of the other. By themselves the newly betrothed are incomplete, but together they are made perfect. Thus, this shows us that in marriage the spouses will complement each other. Each will be enriched by this union.
The Wedding Service begins following the short Betrothal Service. The priest leads the Bridal party in a procession to the center of the church while the choir sings Wedding Psalm 128. At the front of the church the bride and groom are handed candles, which they will hold throughout the service. The candles are like the lamps of the five wise maidens of the bible who, because their lamps had enough oil in them, were able to receive the Bridegroom, Christ, when He came in the darkness of night. The candles symbolize the spiritual willingness of the couple to receive the blessing of Christ through this sacrament.
The right hands of the bride and groom are joined and the priest reads a prayer asking God to "Join these thy servants, unite them in one mind and one flesh." The hands are kept joined throughout the service to symbolize the "oneness" of the couple.
The Rite of the Crowning is the highlight of the Wedding Service. During the sacrament God crowns the couple with glory and honor, signified by the crowns used during the service. The bride and groom are crowned as the King and Queen of their own kingdom, their home, which they will rule with wisdom, grace and integrity. When the crowning takes place, the priest crowns the bridegroom first saying: "The servant of God, Joshua, is crowned unto the handmaid of God, Ruth, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen" In the same manner, the priest crowns the bride, then blesses them both three times saying: "O Lord our God, Crown them with glory and honor." The crowns used in the wedding ceremony remind us of the crowns of martyrdom, as every marriage involves sacrifice from both people.
The Rite of Crowning is followed by two scripture readings. The readings are introduced by Psalm 21 - "Thou has set upon their heads crowns of precious stones, they ask life of Thee and Thou gavest it them!" The first reading, Ephesians 5:20-33, reminds us that the love Christ has for the church is the same love a husband and wife must have for each other. The second reading is from the Gospel of Saint John. This reading recounts the story of the marriage in Cana of Galilee, which Christ attended and blessed with his first miracle. There Christ converted water into wine and gave it to the newlyweds. In remembrance of this blessing, wine is given to the couple. This is the "common cup" of wine. The drinking of the wine from the common cup impresses upon the couple that from that moment on, like the wine which is both bitter and sweet, they will share everything in life together - the joys and the sorrows.
The priest then leads the bride and groom in a circle around the center table. On the center table are placed the Gospel and the Cross of Christ; the Gospel containing the Word of God and the Cross being the symbol of our redemption by Jesus. They walk around three times in honor of the Holy Trinity. Here Emma and Josh are taking their first steps as a married couple, and the church, personified in the priest, leads them. The way which they must live, led by the church, is symbolized by the circle with the Gospel and Cross of our Lord at the center. During this ceremonial walk around the table the choir sings a hymn to the Holy Martyrs, reminding the newly married couple of the sacrificial love they are to have for each other in marriage just like the sacrifice of the martyrs- a love that seeks to sacrifice it's all for the one loved.
The couple returns to their place at the front of the church, then the priest removes the crowns and blesses the couple saying: "Be thou exalted, O Bridegroom, like unto Abraham; and be thou blessed, like unto Isaac; and do thou multiply like unto Jacob, walking in peace, and keeping the commandments of God in righteousness. And thou, O Bride: Be thou exalted like unto Sarah; and exalt thou like unto Rebecca; and do thou multiply like unto Rachel: and rejoice thou in thy husband, fulfilling the conditions of the law: for so it is well-pleasing unto God" After the blessing asking that God grant them many years, the priest bestows the final Benediction and the choir sings to God "Bless O Lord, Thy servants now united. Grant them many blessed years. Faith in God, fair children and prosperity. And make them worthy to obtain Thy blessing, the blessing of Thy promise. Glory to God, glory to God!"
Upon entering the Orthodox Church, the one that is either Baptized or Chrismated is experiencing a sort of rebirth, as they are born again through the Washing away of sin in the Baptismal water. In this a Patron Saint is selected as a role model or guide to work towards Christ. An individual that is Baptized in the Church is referred to by their Baptismal name. Emma chose St. Ruth, an Old Testament Saint, and is now referred to as Ruth within the Church.