Engagement ceremony

[MichaelNZ]

At Bible class on Thursday, our priest told us about the engagment ceremony. He said the epitrachelion (stole) isn't worn because it isn't a sacramental ceremony. It's different to betrothal.

I'd like to find the order of this ceremony - when my girlfriend is back and settled in, we're going to get engaged. I'd like to know what happens and what we have to do.

Does anyone know where I can find the order of the engagment ceremony online?

 

[ufonium2]

I have no idea. Haven't seen it, haven't heard about it, and didn't have one. Hopefully others can be more helpful.

 

[ma2000]

http://www.bridesdiary.com.au/articles/articleDetail.aspx?id=14


The Greek Orthodox Ceremony




The Greek Orthodox Ceremony
The Greek Orthodox ceremony is composed of two distinct but complementary parts: The Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage.

For a couple to engage in this ceremony at least one must already be Greek Orthodox and the other prepared to be baptised.

To begin the service, the Priest will escort the couple to a table with two candlesticks, the Holy Cross, the Holy Gospel, a tray containing two rings, two crowns and a cup containing wine. Each of these symbols will play a major part in the ceremony that follows.

The Rings
The focus of the Service of the Betrothal is the exchange of rings. The priest will bless the rings before making the sign of the cross over the heads of the Bride and Groom, saying: “The Servant of God, Demetrios (Derek), is betrothed to the handmaiden of God, Elpitha (Laura), in the name of the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit”.

Remember, the number three is very important to the Greek Orthodox ceremony; it is echoed the whole way through the ceremony, representative of the Holy Trinity.

The Koumbrao (religious sponsor) exchanges the rings three times. This symbolises the unbreakable and united strength of the couple: together they make an indestructible union. The weakness of one partner will be compensated by the strength of the other. By themselves, the newly-betrothed are incomplete - together they are made perfect.

The Joining Of The Right Hands
The priest then joins the right hands of the Bride and Groom, saying: “to join your servants, unite them in one mind and one flesh”. Their hands are to remain together throughout the service representing the 'oneness' of the couple.

The Crowning
The Bride and Groom are symbolically crowned as the king and queen of the new household that they are to rule with a combination of wisdom, justice and integrity.

The crowns are attached by white ribbon, strengthening the bond confirmed on the day, and signifying the glory and honour that God crowns them with.

The Common Cup
The next stage of the ceremony is the sharing of the 'Common Cup'. A reading describes a wedding in Cana where Jesus performed the miracle of changing water into wine. A glass of wine is then shared between the couple as a symbol of combined life.

Following this, the priest will lead the Bride and Groom around a table on the alter three times. The table holds the Gospel and Holy Cross. It is an engaging symbol of the involvement of faith in their union. A special hymn is sung while this happens.

After a blessing, the priest removes their crowns and separates their hands because the Bride and Groom are now joined in marriage.




The Engagement (Betrothal) can be done without doing the wedding ceremony. It is very short and signifies a promise made by the future bride and groom.


God bless you both!

 

[ma2000]

Another link:

http://www.ultimatewedding.com/articles/get.php?action=getarticle&articleid=921

I have found more information in Romanian, but contains words that I don't know how they can be translated.

In the end, the Engagement ceremony consists of some special prayers and the exchange of the rings.

 

[gzt]

I believe he was referring to the service immediately prior to the wedding which is more commonly known as the betrothal. But I could be quite wrong.

 

[gzt]

In other words: not done till the day of the wedding. Just to clarify.

 

[ma2000]

I believe he was referring to the service immediately prior to the wedding which is more commonly known as the betrothal. But I could be quite wrong.

I was too. I think the engagement and betrothal are one and the same. As far as I know, there is no other church service connected to the wedding.
The betrothal must be done before the wedding. Sometimes they are done toghether. Because the first service (the betrothal) is so short, you don't realize there are two different things. In here is quite common in the country churches to do the betrothal some time before the wedding (in different days).

The betrothal blessed by the Church has a special value because of it's connection to the wedding and can't be broken like an ordinary human deal. The most important part of the betrothal ceremony is the the placing of the rings in the couple members' fingers by the priest. The rings are exchanged between the couple members by the godparents.

 

[MariaRegina]

The Greek Orthodox Church has an engagement ceremony, which consists of blessing the engagement rings.

We presented the engaged couple with their wedding icons (a matched set of the Theotokos and Christ) just before the ceremony.

It is a blessing but not the actual betrothal.

The priest blesses the engagement rings and then gives a little sermon to the couple and the parents involved and greets the immediate family and friends.

 

[ma2000]

The Greek Orthodox Church has an engagement ceremony, which consists of blessing the engagement rings.

We presented the engaged couple with their wedding icons (a matched set of the Theotokos and Christ) just before the ceremony.

It is a blessing but not the actual betrothal.

The priest blesses the engagement rings and then gives a little sermon to the couple and the parents involved and greets the immediate family and friends.

This is something strange. To betroth and to engage are synonims according to dictionary.com and they both translate the same into Romanian. I asked a priest and he assured me that the rings are blessed only during what you call betrothal and there is no other ceremony.
The engagement might be something reffered by local customs or the small differences between the Orthodox churches.
In Romanian Orthodox Church, the (so called)engagement and the betrothal are done during a single ceremony.

 

[choirfiend]

They probably just bless the secular engagment of the couple, since that is a tradition in this country, and bless the engagement ring (like a diamond solitare) which is NOT the same thing as the Betrothal/Engagement ceremony which proceeds directly before the Crowning nowadays in most situations. It's probably just a priestly blessing, and is NOT something for which you would find a service in the Orthodox Church.

 

[ma2000]

That is probably the case. Thanks for the explanation.

 

[MariaRegina]

Basically it was just a blessing of the engagement rings.

The priest reminded the couple to take the wedding icons to the Church for a 40 day blessing and then have the ring bearer present the Icon of the Theotokos and the ring during the actual wedding ceremony.

 

[Michael G]

In other words: not done till the day of the wedding. Just to clarify.

The betrothal ceremony is done right before the marriage ceremony on the day of the wedding, atleast that is how the OCA does it.

 

[MichaelNZ]

Yes Aria, you are quite right. I asked Fr. Ilyan if engagement was the same as the betrothal ceremony, and if you had an engagement ceremony, would your wedding just consist of the crowning? He said no, an engagement ceremony is separate from the betrothal ceremony. It's a non-sacramental thing, so a stole isn't worn.

 

[buzuxi02]

The betrothal is the first part of the wedding ceremony. the exchange of rings. The actual wedding is the crowning. These 2 distinct parts is the way its practised in judaism as well.