Services of

Holy Marriage
 Services of Marriage

SERVICE OF BETROTHAL

After the Divine Liturgy, with the priest standing in the sanctuary, those who
are to be joined take their stand before the Holy Doors, with the man on the
right and the woman on the left. On the right side of the Holy Table are
placed their two rings, one of gold and the other of silver. The silver one
towards the right and the gold towards the left, close to each other. The
priest, having come into the narthex, signs the heads of those who are to be
married three times and gives them lighted candles. He leads them into the
Church and censes in the form of a cross.

[The priest questions them and asks the bride if she wishes to marry the
groom, and likewise if the groom wishes to marry the bride.]
Deacon:
Bless, Master.
Priest:
Blessed is our God, always, now and ever, and to the ages of the
ages.
Response:
Amen.
Deacon:
In peace, let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy. (Repeat after each petition)
Deacon:
For the peace…

Help, save, have mercy, and keep us, O God, by thy grace. ℟

Having remembrance of Mary… unto Christ our God.
Response: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For to thee … and unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.
Deacon: Let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Eternal God, … unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.
Priest:
Peace to all.
Response: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
Response: To thee, O Lord.
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 Betrothal

Priest:
Lord, our God, … and unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.

Then the priest, having taken the rings on the dish, gives first to the man the
gold one and says three times, as he makes the sign of the Cross with the ring
on his forehead:

And when he has spoken three times to each of them he makes the sign of the
Cross with the ring on their foreheads and places the rings on their right
fingers. Then the Best Man changes the rings.
Deacon:
Let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Lord our God, … unto the ages of the ages.
Response:
Amen.

Then litany if crowning service not immediately following:
Deacon: Have mercy upon us, … and have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy. (x3)
Deacon: We still petition for our Bishop (N.) ℟
We still petition … our brothers in Christ. ℟
We still petition … betrothed to each other.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For thou art … unto the ages of the ages.
Response:
Amen.

Then dismissal after the litany.

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 Services of Marriage

SERVICE OF HOLY Crowning

If they wish to be crowned on the same occasion, they remain in the Church
and the service of Crowning begins. If they wish to be crowned after some
days, they enter the Church from the Narthex with lighted candles, preceded
by the priest, with the censer, singing:
Psalm 127
Priest:
Blessed are all those who fear the Lord.
Response: Glory to thee, O our God, glory to thee.
Priest:
Those who walk in his ways. ℟

Thou will eat the fruits of thy labours. ℟

Blessed are thou, and it will be well to thee. ℟

Thy wife as a fruitful vine on the sides of thy house. ℟

Thy children like newly planted olive trees all around thy table. ℟

Behold, so will be blessed the man who fears the Lord. ℟

The Lord will bless thee out of Sion, and thou shalt see the good things of
Jerusalem all the days of thy life. ℟

And thou shalt see the sons of thy sons. Peace upon Israel. ℟

The deacon with raised stole:
Deacon:
Bless, Master.
Priest:
Blessed is the sovereignty of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of the ages.
Response:
Amen.
Deacon:
In peace, let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy. (Repeat after each petition)
Deacon:
For the peace …

Help, save, have mercy, and keep us, O God, by thy grace. ℟

Having remembrance of Mary… unto Christ our God.
Response: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: For to thee is due … unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.
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 Crowning

Deacon:
Let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
God, undefiled, … and unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.
Deacon:
Let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Blessed are thou, … and unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.
Deacon:
Let us petition the Lord.
Response:
Lord, have mercy.

[Then, he joins together the right hands of the groom and bride as he says:]
Priest:
Holy God, … unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.

Then the priest, having taken the crowns, crowns first the bridegroom saying
thrice, as he makes the sign of the cross with the crown on his forehead:

Then, he places the crowns upon the heads of those being wedded chanting
thrice:
Priest: Lord our God, crown them with glory and honour.
Deacon:
Let us attend.
Priest:
Peace to all.
Response: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Wisdom.
Reader:

Psalm of David.
Deacon:
Let us attend.
Reader:
Thou settest a crown of precious stone upon his head.
Life, he has asked of thee, and thou has given to him length of
days.
Deacon:
Wisdom.
Reader:
The Reading out of the Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.
Deacon:
Let us attend.

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 Services of Marriage

Reader:
Brethren, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the
Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the
husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the
church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church
is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in
every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle,
or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that
loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own
flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the
church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his
bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This
is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife
even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.
Priest:
Peace to thee.
Response: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Wisdom.
Cantor:

Alleluia. Psalm of David.
Deacon:
Let us attend.
Response:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Cantor:
Thou, O Lord, guard and preserve us from this generation and
unto the ages.
Response:
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
Deacon:
Wisdom. Upright. Let us hear the Holy Gospel.
Priest:
Peace to all.
Response: And to thy spirit.

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 Crowning

Priest: The reading out of the holy Gospel according to John.

Response:
Glory to thee, Lord, glory to thee.
Deacon:
Let us attend.
Priest:
At that time … believed on him.
Response: Glory to thee, Lord, glory to thee.
Deacon: Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy great mercy, we petition
thee, hearken and have mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy. (x3)
Deacon: We still petition for our Bishop (N.) ℟
We still petition … brothers in Christ. ℟
We still petition … and abundant mercy.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest: For thou art… unto the ages of the ages.
Response:
Amen.
Deacon: Let us petition the Lord.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Lord, our God, … unto the ages of the ages.
Response:
Amen.
Deacon: Help, save, have mercy, and keep us, O God, by thy grace.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Deacon: That all the day is perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask from the
Lord.
Response: Grant this, O Lord. (Repeat after each petition)
Deacon: An angel of peace, … of Christ, let us ask. ℟
Having asked for the unity of the faith and the communion of the holy
Spirit, let us commend ourselves and each other and all our life unto
Christ our God.
Response: To thee, O Lord.
Priest: And vouchsafe us, O Master, that with boldness, without being
condemned, to dare call thee, the heavenly God, Father, and to say:

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 Services of Marriage

Laity: Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be thy name. Thy sovereignty
come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Priest: For thine is the sovereignty and the power and the glory of the
Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit, now and ever, and
unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen
Priest:
Peace to all.
Response: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
Response: To thee, O Lord.

Then the priest blesses the common cup as he says:

Priest:
O God, … unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.

Then the priest, taking the cup in his hands, gives them to drink from it thrice
each; first to the husband and then to the wife, as he chants in the 1st Tone:

Then the priest or cantor, chants in the Plagal 1st Tone, while the priest leads
the couple around the table anti-clockwise thrice with the best-man holding
the crowns:
Cantor: Isaiah rejoice: the Virgin has conceived and given birth to a Son,
Emmanuel, who is both God and man. Orient is his name, whom
we magnify as we call the Virgin blessed.

Then the cantor, chants in the Grave Tone:
Cantor: Holy Martyrs, who fought the good fight and were crowned,
intercede with the Lord to have mercy on our souls.

Glory to thee, Christ God, Apostles’ boast, Martyrs’ joy, whose
preaching was the consubstantial Trinity.

Then the priest, lifts the crowns and lifting the crown of the bridegroom:
Deacon: Let us petition the Lord.
Response: Lord, have mercy.

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 Crowning

Priest:
God, our God,… unto the ages of the ages.
Response:
Amen.
Priest:
Peace to all.
Response: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
Response: To thee, O Lord.
Priest:
Father, Son … and of all the saints.
Response: Amen.

Then all come and congratulate them and they kiss one another then the
priest says the dismissal or the prayer of the taking up of the crowns.
Dismissal:
Priest:
Glory to thee, Christ God, our hope, glory to thee.
Reader:
Glory to Father, and to Son, and to Holy Spirit, Both now and ever, and unto
the ages of the ages. Amen. Lord, have mercy. (x3) Holy Father, bless.
Priest:
He who, … as one good and man-loving.

Through prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, O God,
have mercy on us.
Response:
Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE TAKING OFF OF THE CROWNS

After seven days (eighth day) they come to the priest.
Deacon:
Let us petition the Lord.
Response: Lord, have mercy.
Priest:
Lord our God, … unto the ages of the ages.
Priest:
Peace to all.
Response: And to thy spirit.
Deacon:
Let us bow our heads to the Lord.
Response: To thee, O Lord.
Priest:
We thy servants, … unto the ages of the ages.
Response: Amen.

And the dismissal.