"Save me, God!".
Thank you for visiting our website, before you start studying the information, please subscribe to our Orthodox community on Instagram, Lord, Save and Preserve † - https://www.instagram.com/spasi.gospodi/. The community has more than 60,000 subscribers. There are many of us like-minded people and we are growing quickly, we post prayers, sayings of saints, prayer requests, and timely post useful information about holidays and Orthodox events... Subscribe. Guardian Angel to you!
Since ancient times, it was customary in our country to receive a blessing with icons before the wedding for a long and happy life. This ritual is considered the most significant and exciting for both newlyweds and their parents.
It is worth noting that, in principle, the tradition of blessing has been slightly different since those times. If in those days blessings were asked from parents long before the wedding, today blessings of parents take place at the wedding.
How does the blessing ceremony take place?
Despite the fact that modern young people themselves decide who and when they want to marry, the ceremony of blessing remains a rather important and touching moment of the entire wedding. This is probably right, because nothing can cheer you up and give confident guidance for your future life like the kind and sincere words of your parents.
The blessing ceremony can be performed in two ways:
- Orthodox. It follows certain rules. In this ritual, if one of the participants (parents or young people) is not baptized, then you must first cross yourself, and only then carry out the blessing. There must also be icons here. We will look at what icons are used for these purposes below. The whole ritual takes place with the help of icons. But still, in order to conduct the ceremony accurately and correctly, you need to clarify all the nuances with the priest the day before.
- Modern. This type of blessing is used quite often at modern weddings. It is used by young people who are not ready for a serious ceremony, and it has a purely formal look. It can also be performed by non-baptized people. To carry out the ceremony, it is enough to simply ask the parents to prepare a parting speech in advance.
The best article for you, go to: Don Icon of the Mother of God
After the blessing ceremony, parents ask the guests to bless their children for a happy life. After the words “God bless,” all the guests accompany the newlyweds to the wedding procession and, having sat in their cars, go to the registry office.
A few more words about the ritual
As you already understand, the entire blessing process takes place directly on the wedding day, before going to the registry office, but after the groom has paid the ransom.
- This is all done in the bride’s home, because there, beyond the threshold, a new life will begin.
- After their parents’ speeches, the young people kneel on a towel (that is, at this moment you will need another such accessory).
- The mother must cross the couple three times with the icon, then the bride and groom kiss the icon in turn and cross themselves.
- It is advisable that during this process there is silence in the room, and only the persons mentioned are present.
Icon for blessing newlyweds
Today, the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan and Christ the Savior is most often used to bless the young. Let's take a closer look at the icons for wedding blessings:
- And so, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God is one of the most revered images of the Mother of God. Since ancient times, she was considered the intercessor and patroness of the entire people.
- Many different miracles and amazing salvations were attributed to her.
- It is also worth noting that it is this icon that is used for weddings in the church. It is especially important for women.
- Before her they pray for the birth of children, and ask for protection of the house from evil spirits.
- The icon of the Temperance of the Savior is the second icon that is used to bless the young. Before this image they pray for need and joy. Contact her with requests for the well-being of the whole family.
Today you can bless with both icons or with one of them. You can also buy a fold of these images in the icon shop.
A powerful prayer to read before the wedding
Orthodox prayer should permeate the entire life of a believer, not to mention important, significant events. Orthodox prayer before a wedding is an old Russian custom. For most people, their wedding day is one of the most important days in their lives, and all newlyweds, without exception, want this day to mark the beginning of a long and happy married life.
On the wedding day, the Orthodox bride and groom must come to the church, where they pray at the Divine Liturgy with the rest of the parishioners, confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Church prayer before a wedding is very important; it prepares the newlyweds for the great sacrament of marriage.
You need to pray before the wedding not only in the temple, but also at home. It’s good to read prayers and akathists the night before the icons of Christ, the Mother of God and the saints. In addition to the undoubted spiritual benefits, these prayers will calm you down on the eve of such an exciting day.
Blessing of daughter (son) before wedding
The blessing of the daughter is carried out with the help of the face of the Kazan Mother of God. The father must give the icons to the mother. Moreover, it is very important that the mother holds towels, because it is not customary to take holy images with bare hands. The father holds a loaf of bread during the ceremony.
Parents take turns saying their wishes without interrupting each other. The parting words should be succinct, concise and simple. After pronouncing the speech, the daughter must be crossed three times and the image brought to her. She must also cross the image and kiss it. If the young woman does not have parents, then the ceremony can be performed by godparents.
The blessing of a son before the wedding is carried out similarly to the ceremony with a daughter, only for this purpose the icon “Savior Temperance” is used.
The best article for you, go to: Prophecies of the prophet Malachi
Which parent holds the images of the saints and the loaf during the ceremony?
As a rule, when children decide to marry, parents are always unexpected. When planning a celebration and assigning “roles” for the blessing ceremony, it is always difficult. In fact, there is nothing complicated here. There are several options:
- The groom's father holds the icon, the young mother holds the loaf.
- Mothers of young people hold icons, and fathers hold champagne and a loaf of bread,
- One of the mothers holds images of saints, the other a loaf, and the fathers simply stand on the sides.
All diagrams should be viewed from left to right. You can use a special prayer during the ceremony. It is pronounced before the wishes of the parents themselves. If it is better not to memorize the wish, so as not to forget during excitement, then you should try to learn the prayer.
Wedding blessing prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, hear me, Thy sinful and unworthy servant. Lord, in the mercy of Your power my children (names), have mercy and save them for Your name’s sake. Lord, forgive them all the sins, voluntary and involuntary, that they committed before You. Lord, guide them on the true path of Your commandments and enlighten them and enlighten them with Your light of Christ, for the salvation of the soul and the healing of the body. Lord, bless them in the house, around the house, at school, in the field, at work and on the road, and in every place of Your possession. Lord, protect them under the shelter of Your Saints from a flying bullet, arrow, knife, sword, poison, fire, flood, from a deadly plague (atomic rays) and from vain death. Lord, protect them from visible and invisible enemies, from all troubles, evils and misfortunes. Lord, heal them from all diseases, cleanse them from all filth (wine, tobacco, drugs) and ease their mental suffering and sorrow. Lord, grant them the grace of Your Holy Spirit for many years of life, health and chastity. Lord, increase and strengthen their mental abilities and physical strength. Lord, give them Your blessing for a godly family life and godly childbearing. Lord, grant also to me, Thy unworthy and sinful servant, a parental blessing on my child at this time of morning, day, evening and night for the sake of Thy name, for Thy Kingdom is eternal, omnipotent and omnipotent. Amen.
Prayer before the wedding
Almost every person has very special moments when you can say for sure that you simply take your breath away. And here it is worth noting that it is a wedding celebration. After all, a wedding for young people is an incredible event, and here it is necessary to remember that this is a holy beginning, and, therefore, there is no way to do without prayer for God’s blessing before the wedding.
The following prayer before the wedding should be read both before the ceremony and, very preferably, three days before the event itself.
Prayer before the wedding
O All-Great God! I know that my meaning exists
Doing Your will and following Your commandments!
Therefore, I ask you, control my soul and will yourself,
Help us stay on track and find happiness in marriage!
May You be glorious now and ever and at all times! Amen.
There is also a prayer that is said both immediately before the wedding and throughout the entire married life, this is the prayer to Peter and Fevronia of Murom. After all, these saints are considered the patrons of marriage and family.
How to store icons after the wedding
After the ceremony, the icons are necessarily handed over to the young. From the moment of transmission they are considered a family heirloom. If the family is a believer, then they are placed at home in the red corner (a specially designated place for icons in the house), with a napkin laid under them and covered with a towel.
The best article for you, go to: Tabyn Icon of the Mother of God, what it prays for and how it helps
In general, according to church rules, such images should be placed in the Eastern corner of the house. Next to them are wedding candles or a candle that was used during the ritual of “lighting the hearth candle.” By the way, there is a belief that in order for the family to live in peace and love, such candles should be lit every year on their wedding anniversary.
If the family is not deeply religious and for some reason there is no place in the house for holy images, then they should be carefully wrapped in towels and a special place should be allocated for their storage.
The Lord is always with you!
Watch the video on how to properly bless your daughter or son before the wedding:
What icon is used to bless the young?
Now there is no fundamental answer to the question of what icon is used to bless the young. In most cases, the icon of the Kazan Mother of God is used for instructions to the bride, but it is possible to take another image of the Mother of God. The blessing of the groom's parents is realized through the icon of the Savior, St. Nicholas the Pleasant.
Much more often, the relic was passed on for many generations, each time gaining greater and greater value. She was a talisman for the family; people prayed to her both in euphoria and in grief. The image of the Mother of God was interpreted as the keeper of the hearth. The groom was blessed with an icon depicting Jesus Christ or another male saint. Paired icons, as a memory of the parting words of their parents on their wedding day, were kept in the family in order to be inherited by their children to ensure a joyful future. Based on this, if you have icons left from the moment of blessing of your parents or grandparents, then the question of which icon is being blessed disappears by itself.
The refusal of their parents to bless the newlyweds was considered an obstacle to the wedding. Weddings and public wedding ceremonies were not performed without the consent of their parents. It was believed that violating the will of one's parents would lead to an unhappy home life for the children, poverty and poor health, and childlessness.
How to bless the young in a modern interpretation?
Old rituals are irrevocably a thing of the past. The modern family is blessed during the wedding ceremony, after the bride price is completed. A joyful groom, having passed all the tests required by the wedding ceremony, deserves home happiness with his young man. The scenario of how to bless the newlyweds should be thought out in advance in small details, so that the wishes of their parents on a given day are remembered by the newlyweds for a long time. You should also prepare the holy image in advance, not forgetting about a long towel - a towel - with which to take the icon in your hands.
Parting words for children - the bride and groom - can be done jointly or separately by each parent.
It is better to carry out the ritual in a narrow home circle than in front of an idle public. It is necessary that the words of wishes for happiness and fidelity come from the heart, and not in memorized worn-out phrases, which, repeated without thinking, have lost their original essence. Simple parting words, spoken honestly and with all your heart, are much more useful than elementary truths that are repeated every day.
The bride's parents bless their daughter first, then the groom, allowing the young couple to kiss the Holy Image in order of priority. The icon should be picked up through a long towel, avoiding contact of bare hands with the frame. The face of the icon should be directed towards the young. In the future, she remains with the young people as the keeper of the hearth.
The groom's parents perform a blessing ceremony at the end of the wedding or ceremony. Having said parting words for independent navigation in the sea of everyday troubles, they allow the husband to kiss the icon first, and then the bride. The ritual symbolizes the agreement to accept the girl into your family as an equal member.
Icons are placed in a place of honor on the ceremonial table. The next day they are transferred to the house of the newlyweds in order to constantly maintain peace and tranquility of the new family. In every house, in a place of honor in the Red Corner, there should be icons with which the newlyweds were blessed at the wedding celebration. Their preservation symbolizes that the young family is strictly guided by parental instructions, fulfilling marriage vows and marital obligations.
Traditions and rituals
It is customary to bless a son twice before a wedding. For the first time, the groom's parents give their blessing on the engagement day. It is necessary to take the icon, cross the children three times, and wish them a prosperous married life. It is customary to bless even non-believing children.
The second time you should bless your son just before the wedding, before the son crosses the threshold to go for the bride.
Blessing process
Attention should be paid not only to prayer, but also to the process itself. Parents should stand close to each other so that their son is opposite them
This must be done in a separate room, and without strangers. The father should hold in his hands an icon depicting Jesus Christ. The son kneels at this. First of all, the father baptizes his son three times with the icon and gives it to his mother. She repeats the same thing. The son is baptized and kisses the icon.
Parents can say the following words:
Another word of blessing for the son before the wedding:
- “Dear son, we wish you farewell to your future family life. We wish you happiness, love, health, family understanding and prosperity. Live in the name of love and goodness. We bless you for a strong family and a happy marriage!
- “Dear (son’s name)! We bless you for a friendly and strong family. Live for good. Honor and protect your wife. Live in friendship and peace, harmony and love, for the joy of people and for your own happiness! Let there be prosperity and peace in your home, and let children’s laughter sound in your family!
- “Today we wish you happiness, May God protect you from bad weather and storms, illness, pain and human language, from difficult years and unbearable troubles. And may God give you a lot of ardor, passion, love and a lot of happiness!
- “Dear son! We wish you all the best that you wish for yourself. Joy, happy days and health and many smart kids! Let the sun shine joyfully, prosperity, love, peace and harmony!
- “Son (name of son), all earthly blessings to you, peace and prosperity to your home, strong family and prosperity. We wish you happiness and joy, so that the family prospers and the work is in full swing. So that a beautiful wife gives birth to seven heroes, seven handsome men, and daughters to behold, let them run the household! Take care, respect your wife, love and happiness to you!
In the old days, marriages entered into without the blessing of parents were considered unlucky. Things are different these days
But in fact, it is important for the child that his parents accept his choice, that they will love his wife like their own daughter, and want him well and happiness in his family life
Parental blessing came to the modern world from Christian traditions
After all, the Bible commands to honor your parents, respect and love them, only then will a person receive such a necessary and important blessing. Only then will he live happily ever after
So how do you bless your son before marriage? If children respect their own parents, they will live long and not experience need. The sacrament of wedding says that the prayer of the parents is the basis and foundation for a happy family life for the child. Therefore, it is imperative to obtain the blessing of the mother and father before entering into legal marriage and starting a family.
Since time immemorial, children have known that without parental blessing it is impossible to build a happy family. Almost no one dared to break this, because young people were very worried about the occurrence of unpleasant consequences.
The blessing is very important for the son, because he will subsequently be the main one in his family. However, now times have completely changed, traditions have become different
Young people do not consider their parents' blessing a necessity; they consider it just a formality.
Now many people prefer to live in a civil marriage, get to know each other better, and consider starting a family to be something not particularly important. In these cases, the young couple may not even tell their parents about it. Only after the girl and the guy live together and know each other's pros and cons, do they inform their father and mother about their decision to marry.
Then they decide to get married, so they ask their parents for their blessing. However, few people know that you can receive parental blessing in a civil marriage. You just need to understand that this is really required and is a necessity. Everyone dreams of a happy family life, so that there is prosperity and joy in it, and no sorrows. The blessing for the young is very serious. Before the wedding ceremony, parents are required to prepare parting words for a happy family life.
What you need to know about blessing: useful tips
You cannot hold icons with your bare hands. They say it's a bad omen
Therefore, it is very important not to forget to purchase towels. The newlyweds will then be able to cover the icons with them and put them in their special place in the house. In addition, the towel is also useful for loaf
In addition, a towel is also useful for a loaf.
According to an ancient custom, parents must first cross the bride and groom with the icon three times before the registry office, then the children kiss the icon. The same ritual is repeated in the banquet hall. Today this custom is very rarely followed.
However, if this is important for future spouses, then it is better to follow all the rules
If it was decided that in the banquet hall the icon will be in the hands of one of the fathers, then it is better to explain to him in advance all the subtleties of the upcoming ritual. The fact is that men do not always pay special attention to this and can get confused at the most inopportune moment. When newlyweds receive parting words of blessing from their parents before and after the registry office, they must kneel
When newlyweds receive parting words of blessing from their parents before and after the registry office, they must kneel.
Sometimes it happens that one of the newlyweds has an incomplete family. Maybe there is no mother or father. In this case, the godparents must bless.
The ceremony of blessing the newlyweds is very difficult, but interesting. Some married couples skip it, but in vain. Parents are the most important people in any person's life. They gave life, raised and were always there - both in sorrow and in joy. There is nothing stronger than their sincere blessing. It is believed that young families who decided to follow the traditions and received these holy parting words lived in a happy marriage.
You should purchase several towels for the image and loaf. Each icon is held with a separate towel
Each loaf, and there may be several of them, should have its own holiday towel
Before kissing the icon, the mother or father baptizes the young people with it three times, while making the sign from top to bottom, note, from left to right, so that the young people receive the Orthodox sign of the cross, from right to left. The entire church wedding ceremony must be previously discussed with the clergyman, so that everyone present at the wedding and holding the icon knows what and how to do
Attention! In the old days, without parental permission and blessing, a priest did not have the right to perform a wedding ceremony. Disobedient children who entered into an unmarried marriage without parental blessing were deprived of inheritance and acceptance in society. What icons are used to bless the young?
What icons are used to bless the young?
To avoid misunderstandings during the wedding ceremony, you need to know some nuances:
- Purchase several embroidered towels in advance - under each icon, under all the loaves, under the knees of the newlyweds.
- Before the young people kiss the icon, they must be baptized with it three times. The sign of the cross is made from left to right to form a true Orthodox cross.
- On the eve of the wedding, consult with the priest on how to properly hold the icons. It also wouldn’t hurt to find out other nuances of the ceremony.
Remember that parental blessing is a central action in the wedding ceremony. This is not just a blessing, it is the transfer of family traditions to young spouses. Without a blessing, there may not be happiness in family life.
