The Betrothal and Crowning ceremonies have their roots in the imperial courts of Constantinople with many elements that won't be found in the Roman rite. It begins in the entrance of the church with the exchange of consent and blessing of the rings. The couple wears them on their right hands just as God's right hand "hath laid the foundation of the earth." Rather than the spouses' promises to each other, the emphasis is on God's promise to them of His faithfulness. The secular parts of the marriage having finished, the priest now leads the couple into the church to Psalm 127, as they "walk in His ways." Now the marriage begins to transcend the ways of this world, literally entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Crowning follows, representing the establishment of the new royal kingdom of the Chenet family. These are also crowns of martyrdom, as sacramental marriage demands nothing less than the total sacrifice of one's life. The rite of crowning is followed by the reading of the epistle and the Gospel. The Gospel reading describes the marriage at Cana of Galilee, which was attended and blessed by Christ, and for which he reserved His first miracle. There He converted the water into wine and gave the newlyweds. In remembrance of this blessing, wine is given to the couple. This is the “common cup of life" denoting the mutual sharing of joy and sorrow, the token of a life of harmony. The drinking of wine from the common cup serves to impress upon the couple that from that moment on they will share everything in life, joys as well as sorrows. The priest and couple will encircle a prepared table three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity. This walk not only represents their first steps together but also shows their journey through life; the choir sings hymns of martyrdom, reminding the newly married couple of the sacrificial love that does not seek its own, but is willing to sacrifice for the one loved.
The wedding ceremony is separate from the Eucharistic liturgy in the Byzantine tradition, but if you would like to attend there will be a Novus Ordo Mass at The Church of the Resurrection at 8:15am and a Traditional Latin Mass at St. Gregory the Great at 9am. Additionally, there will be a Divine Liturgy at St. Joseph's TBA.
Formal/Semi-formal dress attire. The context for modesty is quite varied throughout different cultures, but as a standard we would ask our guests to follow the Vatican City policy: "Sleeveless and / or low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, miniskirts and hats are not permitted. The requirement of decorum extends also to any visible personal objects as well as similarly visible distinctive personal signs (such as, for example, tattoos) that may offend Catholic morality, the Catholic religion and common decency."
To preserve the solemnity of the liturgy, we kindly ask that all phones be silenced and hidden away during the entirety of the service. A professional photographer will be taking photos throughout the ceremony as well as the reception.
Yes, but fairly limited. We would recommend arriving early or carpooling if you don't want to deal with street parking.
The best answer can be found in Malcolm Guite's song "The Green Man."
According to the early church canon: "If any bishop or priest or deacon, or any cleric whatsoever, shall refrain from marriage and from meat and from wine, not for the sake of discipline but with contempt, and, forgetful that all things are very good… blasphemously inveighs against the creation, let him either be corrected or deposed and turned out of the Church. And so with a layman."
Yes! (If you didn't graduate from WCC, ignore this.)