Melkite Wedding FAQ
Question
Is this a Catholic wedding?
Answer
Yes! The Melkite Greek Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Vicar of Christ/the Roman Catholic Church. Our parish is regularly served by a Dominican priest, and our wedding will be concelebrated by Eastern Catholic and Roman Catholic priests.
Question
Will the Eucharist be offered during the wedding?
Answer
No. The custom of the Eastern Catholic Churches is that weddings are performed on Sundays as a continuation of the joy of the usual Sunday Eucharistic celebration (called the Divine Liturgy in Eastern traditions, or the Mass in the Roman tradition). We invite everyone to attend the morning Divine Liturgy at 10:30am, at which all practicing Catholics may receive the Eucharist. Confessions are usually available during the first 20(ish) minutes of Divine Liturgy.
Question
What can I expect at a Melkite wedding?
Answer
The wedding ceremony consists of two major parts: the betrothal and the crowning. The ceremony begins with the betrothal, which takes place in the narthex. Then, everyone processes into the nave for the main event: the crowning. Both the betrothal and the crowning, in total, will take around 45 minutes. Most of the wedding will be sung/chanted. Traditionally, guests who are able will stand for the majority of the ceremony. Attire is normal wedding dress - and be sure to wear comfy shoes!
Question
I am coming with young children - what do I need to know?
Answer
Holy Transfiguration is a great place for littles! Children don't have to sit still for the entire ceremony: since the church is filled with the sound of chanting and everyone is generally standing, children often participate in the liturgy by singing along and joining in with the ceremony's numerous bows and signs of the cross. Some supervised movement throughout the nave - such as looking at icons & lighting candles - is a normal part of Eastern liturgies, even during the middle of services. If the littles become obstreperous (to use a favorite word of our priests!), feel free to step into the parish hall and re-join the ceremony when you are able. The parish has a large backyard and playground, accessible through the back doors of the parish hall.
Question
Where can I find more information?
Answer
For more information on the liturgy of Melkite weddings, we recommend visiting this page from the Melkite diocese: https://melkite.org/faith/faith-worship/an-explanation-of-the-crowning-ceremony For more information about our local parish, we recommend visiting the Holy Transfiguration website: https://holytransfiguration.org