Wedding

Holy Matrimony

Prayers by Holy Cross Press.

Hymns by Seraphim Dedes.

The Service of Betrothal

PRIEST

Blessed is our God, always, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

For the peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.

For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

For our Archbishop N, for the honoured order of presbyters, for the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

For the servant of God (Name) and the servant of God (Name) who now pledge themselves to one another, and for their salvation; let us pray to the Lord.

That He send down upon them love perfect and peaceful, and give them His protection; let us pray to the Lord.

That He may keep them in oneness of mind, and in steadfastness of the Faith; let us pray to the Lord.

That He may keep the course and manner of their life blameless; let us pray to the Lord..

That the Lord God may grant unto them an honorable marriage and a bed undefiled; let us pray to the Lord.

For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger and constraint, let us pray to the Lord.

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.

Commemorating our all-holy, pure, most blessed and glorious Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God.

(To you, O Lord.)

For to you belong all glory, honour and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

O God eternal, Who has brought together into unity the things which before had been separate, and in so doing impose on them an indissoluble bond of love, Who did bless Isaac and Rebecca, declaring them to be the inheritors of Your promise: do You Yourself (+) bless these Your servants (Name) and (Name), directing them into every good work.

For You are a merciful and loving God, and to You do we send up all Glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

Peace to all.

(And to your spirit.)

Let us bow our heads to the Lord.

(To you, O Lord.)

O Lord our God, Who espoused the Church as a pure virgin called from out of the Gentiles, bless this Betrothal (+), uniting these Your servants, keeping them in peace and oneness of mind.

For to You are due all glory, honor, and worship: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

The servant of God (Name) is betrothed to the servant of God (Name), in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Amen.) (three times).

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

O Lord our God, Who accompanied the servant of the patriarch Abraham to Mesopotamia, when he was sent to espouse a wife for his lord Isaac, and did reveal to him a sign by the drawing of water to betroth Rebecca; do You Yourself bless the betrothal of these Your servants (Name) and (Name) and confirm the word that has been spoken by them; for You, O Lord, from the beginning have created male and female, and by You is a woman joined to a man for assistance and for the continuation of the human race. Therefore, O Lord God, Who have sent forth Your truth to Your inheritance and Your promise to Your servants, our fathers, who were Your elect, do You give regard unto this Your servant (Name) and Your servant (Name), and seal their betrothal in faith, in oneness of mind, in truth and in love. For You, O Lord, have declared that a pledge is to be given and held inviolate in all things. By a ring Joseph was given might in Egypt; by a ring Daniel was exalted in Babylon; by a ring the truth of Thamar was made manifest; by a ring our heavenly Father showed compassion upon His prodigal son, for He said, "Put a ring upon his right hand, kill the fatted calf, and let us eat and rejoice." Your own right hand, O Lord, armed Moses in the Red Sea. Yea, by the word of Your truth were the Heavens established and the earth set upon her sure foundations; and the right hands of Your servants shall be blessed by Your mighty word, and by Your uplifted arm. Wherefore, O Sovereign Lord, do You Yourself bless this putting on of rings with Your heavenly benediction; and may Your Angel go before them all the days of their life.

For You are He that blesses and sanctifies all things, and to You do we send up Glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

The Service of the Crowning - The Service of Marriage

Psalm 127 (128).

PRIEST

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.

CHANTERS

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

PRIEST

You shall eat the fruits of your labor; you are blessed, and it shall be well with you.

CHANTERS

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

PRIEST

Your wife shall be like a vine, prospering on the sides of your house; your children like newly planted olive trees around your table.

CHANTERS

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

PRIEST

Behold, so shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.

CHANTERS

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

PRIEST

May the Lord bless you from Zion, and may you see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

CHANTERS

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

PRIEST

May you see your children''s children. Peace be upon Israel.

CHANTERS

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

PRIEST

Blessed is the kingdom of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

For the peace from on high and for the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.

For the peace of the whole world, for the welfare of the holy Churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.

For this holy house, and for those who enter it with faith, reverence and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.

For our Archbishop (name), for the honoured order of presbyters, for the diaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and the people, let us pray to the Lord.

For the servants of God (Name) and (Name), who are now being joined to one another in the community of Marriage, and for their salvation; let us pray to the Lord.

That this marriage may be blessed as was that of Cana of Galilee; let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be given unto them soberness of life, and fruit of the womb as may be most expedient for them; let us pray to the Lord.

That they may rejoice in the beholding of sons and daughters; let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be granted unto them the happiness of abundant fertility, and a course of life blameless and unashamed; let us pray to the Lord.

That there may be granted unto them and unto us all prayers that tend unto salvation; let us pray to the Lord

That both they and we may be delivered from tribulation, wrath, danger, and necessity; let us pray to the Lord.

Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by your grace.

(To you, O Lord.)

For to you belong all glory, honour and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

O God most pure, Author of all creation, Who through Your manbefriending love transformed a rib of Adam the forefather into a woman, and blessed them and said, "Increase and multiply, and have dominion over the earth," and, by the conjoining, declared them both to be one member, for because of this a man shall forsake his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and the two shall be one flesh-and whom God has joined together let not man put asunder; Who did also bless Your servant Abraham, and opened the womb of Sara, and made him the father of many nations; Who bestowed Isaac upon Rebecca, and blessed her offspring; Who joined Jacob and Rachel, and from them made manifest the twelve patriarchs; Who yoked Joseph and Asenath together, and as the fruit of generation did bestow upon them Ephrem and Manasse; Who accepted Zacharias and Elizabeth, and declared their offspring the Forerunner; Who out of the root of Jesse, according to the flesh, produced the Ever-Virgin Mary, and from her were Incarnate-born for the salvation of the human race; Who through Your unspeakable Grace and plentiful goodness were present in Cana of Galilee, and blessed the marriage there, that You might show a lawful union, and a generation there from, is according to Your Will; do You Yourself, O Most Holy Master, accept the prayer of us, Your servants; and as You were present there, be present also here with Your invisible protection. Bless (+) this marriage and grant unto these Your servants (Name) and (Name) a peaceful life, length of days, chastity, love for one another in a bond of peace, offspring long-lived, fair fame by reason of their children, and a crown of glory that does not fade away. Account them worthy to see their children''s children. Keep their wedlock safe against every hostile scheme; give them of the dew from the Heavens above, and of the fatness of the earth. Fill their houses with bountiful food, and with every good thing, that they may have to give to them that are in need, bestowing also on them that are here assembled with us all their supplications that are unto salvation.

For a God of mercy and of compassion, and of manbefriending love are You, and to You do we send up Glory: as to Your eternal Father and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Holy Celebrant of mystical and pure marriage, Maker of the laws that govern earthly bodies, Guardian of incorruption, Kindly protector of the means of life: do You Yourself now, O Master, Who in the beginning created man, and appointed him as the king of creation, and said, "It is not good for man to be alone upon the earth; let us make a helpmate for him"; then, taking one of his ribs, made woman, whom when Adam saw, he said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, for she was taken out of her man. For this cause shall a man forsake his father and his mother, and cleave unto his wife, and two shall be one flesh," and "whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder." And now, O Master, Lord our God, send down Your heavenly Grace upon these Your servants, (Name) and (Name), and grant unto this woman to be in all things subject unto the man, and to this Your servant to be at the head of the woman that they live according to Your Will. (+) Bless them. O Lord our God, as you blessed Abraham and Sarah. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Isaac and Rebecca. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as you blessed Jacob and all the Prophets. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Joseph and Asenath. (+) Bless them O Lord our God, as You blessed Moses and Zipporah. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Joakim and Anna. (+) Bless them, O Lord our God, as You blessed Zacharias and Elizabeth. Preserve them, O Lord our God, as You preserved Noah in the Ark. Preserve them, O Lord our God, as You preserved Jonah in the jaw of the sea beast. Preserve them, O Lord our God, as You preserved the holy Three Children from the fire, when You sent down upon them the dew of the Heavens. And may that joy come upon them which the blessed Helen had when she found the Precious Cross. Remember them, O Lord our God, as You remembered Enoch, Shem, and Elias. Remember them, O Lord our God, as You remembered Your holy Forty Martyrs, sending down upon them the crowns from the Heavens. Remember them, O Lord our God, and the parents who have reared them, for the prayers of parents confirm the foundation of houses. Remember, O Lord our God, the wedding company that here have come together, to be present at this rejoicing. Remember, O Lord our God, Your servant (Name) and Your servant (Name), and bless them. Give to them fruit of the womb, fair children, concord of soul and body. Exalt them as the cedars of Lebanon, and as well-cultured vine; bestow on them a rich store of sustenance, so that having a sufficiency of all things for themselves, they may abound in every good work that is good and acceptable before You. Let them behold their children''s children as newly planted olive trees round about their table; and, being accepted before You, let them shine as stars in the Heavens, in You, our Lord, to Whom are due all Glory, honor, and worship as to Your eternal Father, and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

Holy God, Who fashioned man from the dust, and from his rib fashioned woman, and joined her to him as a helpmate for him, for it was seemly unto Your Majesty for man not to be alone upon the earth, do You Yourself, O Sovereign Lord, stretch forth Your hand from Your holy dwelling place, and join together this Your servant (Name) and Your servant (Name), for by You is a wife joined to her husband. Join them together in oneness of mind; crown them with wedlock into one flesh; grant to them the fruit of the womb, and the gain of well favored children.

For Yours is the dominion, and Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

The servant of God (Name) is crowned for the servant of God, (Name), in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Amen.) (three times).

The servant of God (Name) is crowned for the servant of God (Name), in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. (Amen.) (three times).

CHANTERS

Lord our God, crown them glory and honor. [SD]

The Readings

READER

Prokeimenon. Mode pl. 4. Psalm 20.

PRIEST

Let us attend.

READER

You placed a crown of precious stones on their heads.

Verse: They asked You for life, and You gave it to them, length of days.

PRIEST

Wisdom.

READER

The reading is from Paul''s Letter to the Ephesians.

PRIEST

Let us attend.

READER

5:20-33

Brethren, always giving thanks for everything in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, even to God the Father. [Finally], be in mutual subjection in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands as [you are] to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the Church, and he is the savior of the body. As the Church is subject to Christ, wives should likewise be subject to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her in order to sanctify her, having purified her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present her to himself in glory, without any spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and flawless. In the same way, a husband should love his wife as his [own] body. He who loves his own wife loves himself! No man ever hates his own body but feeds it and cares for it, as the Lord also does for the Church. Yes, we are members of his body, his very flesh and bones! This is why a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife; and the two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery: I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Now concerning you: each one of you must also love his own wife even as his own self; and the wife must respect her husband. [EOB]

PRIEST

Peace to you.

CHANTERS

Alleluia. Mode pl. 4. Psalm 11.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. [EL]

Verse 1: You shall guard us, O Lord; You shall preserve us from this generation forever.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. [EL]

Verse 1: You shall guard us, O Lord; You shall preserve us from this generation forever.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. [EL]

PRIEST

Wisdom. Stand upright. Let us listen to the Holy Gospel. Peace to all.

(And to your spirit.)

The reading is from the holy Gospel according to John. Let us attend.

(Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.)

2:1-11

(Glory to You, O Lord, glory to You.)

PRIEST

Have mercy on us, O God, according to your great mercy, we pray you, hear and have mercy.

(Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.)

Again let us pray for the servants of God, (Name) and (Name), that they may have mercy, life, health, peace, safety, salvation, pardon and remission of their sins.

(Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.)

For you, O God, are merciful, and love mankind, and to you we give glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

O Lord our God, Who in Your saving Providence did promise in Cana of Galilee to declare marriage honorable by Your presence, do You Yourself preserve in peace and oneness of mind these Your servants (Name) and (Name), whom You are well pleased should be joined to one another. Declare their marriage honorable. Preserve their bed undefiled. Grant that their life together be with be without spot of sin. And assure that they may be worthy to attain unto a ripe old age, keeping Your commandments in a pure heart.

For You are our God, the God to have mercy and save, and to You do we send up all Glory, as to Your Eternal Father, and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life-creating Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

And count us worthy, Master, with confidence and without condemnation to dare to call upon you, the God of heaven, as Father, and to say:

PEOPLE

Our Father, in heaven, may your name be sanctified, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

PRIEST

For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

O God, Who by Your might create all things, and confirm the universe, and adorn the crown of all things created by You, do You, with Your spiritual blessing (+), bless also this common cup given to them that are joined in the community of marriage.

For blessed is Your Holy Name, and glorified is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

CHANTERS

Communion Hymn. Psalm 115.

I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. [SAAS] Alleluia.

Mode pl. 1.

O Isaiah, dance with joy, * for the Virgin conceived in the womb; * and she brought forth a son, who is God and man. * His name is Emmanuel, Dayspring and dawn, Orient, The Branch. * We magnify the Lord, and we also call the Virgin blest. [SD]

Grave Mode.

O holy Martyr Saints, who competed well and received the crowns of laurel, intercede with the Lord for us, that His mercy come upon our souls. [SD]

Grave Mode.

Glory be to You, Christ our God, the Apostles'' pride and joy, exultation of the Martyr Saints, whose proclamation was the consubstantial Trinity. [SD]

PRIEST

Be magnified, O Bridegroom, as Abraham, and blessed as Isaac, and increased as was Jacob. Go your way in peace, performing in righteousness the commandments of God.

And you, O Bride, be magnified as was Sarah, and rejoiced as was Rebecca, and increased as Rachel, being glad in your husband, keeping the paths of the Law, for so God is well pleased.

PRIEST

Let us pray to the Lord.

(Lord, have mercy.)

O God our God, Who was present in Cana of Galilee and blessed the marriage there, do You (+) also bless these'' Your servants, who, by Your Providence, are joined in the community of marriage. Bless their comings-in and their goings-out. Replenish their life with all good things. (Here the priest lifts the crowns from the heads of the bride and groom and places them on the table.) Accept their crowns in Your Kingdom unsoiled and undefiled; and preserve them without offense to the ages of ages.

(Amen.)

PRIEST

Peace to all.

(And to your spirit.)

Let us bow our heads to the Lord.

(To you, O Lord.)

PRIEST

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the All-Holy, Consubstantial and Life-creating Trinity; One Godhead and Kingdom; bless (+) you; grant to you long life, well-favored children, progress in life and in Faith; replenish you with all the good things of the earth, and count you worthy of the promised blessings, through the intercessions of the holy Theotokos, and of all the Saints.

(Amen.)

DISMISSAL

PRIEST

Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

May He, who by His presence in Cana of Galilee declared marriage to be honorable, Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His all-pure Mother, of the holy, glorious, and all-praiseworthy Apostles, of the holy, God-crowned and Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helen, of the Holy, great Martyr Procopios, and of all the holy Saints, have mercy on us and save us, as our good and loving Lord.

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy upon us.

(Amen.)