Which scriptures....?

In weddings, what scriptures in the Bible are read by the preacher during the ceremony.



"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two in holy matrimony..."



Also, what parts of the Bible actually describe how a wedding ceremony is supposed to be arranged? Such as what the bride should wear, what the groom should wear, why we need flower girls and bridesmaids, what jumping over a broom is supposed to symbolize...etc. The only scriptures I found are basically about the reception, or the celebration after the two are married.



This question is not to offend anyone or cause an argument...I'm just curious.

Which scriptures....?
To answer your question, there is no "wedding text" in the Bible. Many pastors and priests do not use it anymore, preferring to use something more personal and applicable from the Bible reflecting the relationship of the soon to be married couple.



There are no ceremonies specifically detailed either, unless you count Esther's beautifying treatments before she became Queen.



On the topic of the actual marriage, the only thing it says is that a woman shall leave her family to go with the man, her new husband, and they shall become one - which means that they not only get to have sex (interesting that all the parts needed for this fit together like an interlocking Lego...), that your genes will combine to create a single human (your eventual child), but also refers to the joint decisions you will make for your lives-you are considered two halves of a whole by the community when it comes to public responsibility.



The Bible does, however, detail how a man should honor his wife and children in marriage, and visa verse. But that is after the fact.



The dearly beloved spiel is a text written to guide would-be "ministers" who must be accredited by the state to legally perform wedding ceremonies and issue marriage licenses. If you look closely, there is allot of legalese in the speech.



Much of what we call a traditional wedding really started back with Queen Victoria at the turn of the century. The popularization of the white dress, the diamond ring, the formal dinner, the rehearsal, etc., all stem from a fascination with her wedding before WW1.



The bridesmaids and men of honor are a throwback to an ancient Celtic tradition from Ireland, (whom Victoria ruled over) where they thought that evil spirits would attack the young couple to be...so friends and family dressed like the bride and the groom to confuse the evil spirits and lead them away from the couple. The shoes (or cans) tied to the back of a wagon/car also have to do with scaring away evil spirits. The flower girls are also part of a pagan tradition, but I forgot where it came from.



Throwing rice has to do with securing fertility for the couple. It is not a Christian tradition either.



Lighting a unity candle has to do with Catholic pageantry, and is not prescribed or mentioned anywhere in the Bible.



There is a book by Robert Fulcrum called, From Beginning to End: the Rituals of our Lives. He explains the history behind our most commonly observed rituals, including the wedding ceremony that literally, is less than 100 years old.



Most of your questions can be answered in his book. It's a beautiful read, and will give you new insight on what will make your wedding meaningful, and not just a copy of some fake "tradition". He is a Unitarian, and although I am personally a Christian, I think he handles the topic of God as part of a marriage with sensitivity and sound common sense.



I hope this helps you get started.
Reply:Your welcome :) Report It
Reply:Mav never seen it in bible. Mav have seen it in her Grandpa's old book of prayers.
Reply:"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two in holy matrimony..." isn't from the Bible, it's just something that preachers say. There aren't any verses that say how a wedding ceremony has to be, it's just traditions that have been passed down. The important thing in marriage isn't how the wedding is, it's the committment between the two people. It doesn't matter if you get married in a church or on a beach or in a field... it matters that you are promising God and your partner that you will love each other unconditionally for as long as you are both living. A lot of times people at weddings will read from 1 Corinthians 13 (the 'love' chapter), that's the scripture that goes "love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast...." etc.
Reply:There is no scriptures stating what you said word for word, They use a marriage book, But we need to see, that our natural marriage can type our spiritual Marrige to Jesus at the wedding supper. %26amp; every country has their own marriage book. That does not take away the fact that they are married, These is Vows, %26amp; you are Vowing to God with people as your wittness
Reply:There are no scriptures in the Bible such as you describe. Various churches have, over the years, developed a wedding ceremony, and the traditional one you are thinking of is probably just a variation on one of those. They do not come from the Bible.



There is also no Biblical tradition for clothing, jumping over a broom, etc... Those are all cultural traditions. For example, the white wedding dress that is so popular today was actually made popular in the 19th Century by England's Queen Victoria, who chose a white gown in which to be married. Before that, the color of dress you wore was largely based on your tastes and local custom.



Most religious marriage ceremonies do quote from the Bible, but they quote from different parts. There are no set scriptures that are a must have part of a wedding ceremony. Certain churches may read scripture that is important to them, but that is based on their tradition and belief, not on any Biblical requirements.
Reply:Most often, weddings are performed according to local customs. The scriptures only act as a guide by the use of principles. For example, you asked about dress and grooming --- the scriptures speak of the value of modesty and so forth, it leaves room for personal taste but not at the expense of respect and dignity. It also speaks of not being overly concerned with the external braiding of hair, not that you wouldn't want your hair well arranged, but not so much as to bring too much attention on yourself, again, detracting from the dignity of the occasion.



The princilples in the Bible, rather than black and white rules, allow for our own personal taste, but within reasonable guidelines.