A wedding is a great holiday that unites two loving hearts in an eternal union. To celebrate the occasion, the bride and groom invite relatives, friends, acquaintances or colleagues to the wedding.
On the holiday, it is customary to give gifts to newlyweds to show them your respect, wish them happiness and make them happy on such a significant day. Many people ask the question: “Do they give young people an icon, and if so, what kind do they give for their wedding?” We will try to answer this question and understand all its intricacies.
Jesus and the Virgin Mary
Icons of Jesus and the Virgin Mary are considered a traditional wedding gift; most often they are given as a couple. Such a gift is almost always presented by the parents of the young, blessing them with a long and happy life together in abundance, the birth of healthy children, as well as the establishment of complete mutual understanding between future heirs and their parents.
Widely loved among Christians is the image of the Mother of God “Softening Evil Hearts,” which is often popularly called the “safe-conduct” of a young family.
The parents bless their daughter with the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, and the groom's parents bless the icon of Jesus.
The moment of presenting the icons of the Mother of God and Jesus is considered solemn; it is usually held in a warm family atmosphere, without prying eyes. It is best to purchase such icons in a wedding shop; they must be consecrated by the priest.
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How does the ceremony take place?
If it is decided to meet the newlyweds at the entrance to the banquet hall, you need to decide on the roles in advance. There are no hard and fast rules, there may be different options:
- The groom's father holds an icon, the bride's father holds a loaf.
- Icons (one at a time) can be held by either fathers or mothers on both sides.
- One of the parents is holding the image, another is holding a loaf, the other two are holding a glass of champagne.
Then the parents take turns saying parting words - here everyone focuses on what they consider the most important. Then the parents should bless the newlyweds with the icon. To do this, the sign of the cross is drawn in the air with the icon, only in a mirror image. If you are not sure, you can watch the video of how the priests bless you in the temple.
May God's mercy be upon the young!
Nicholas the Wonderworker
Often, as a wedding gift, newlyweds are presented with the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, for whom all believers have a special love.
The image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker protects the family from various adversities and helps them in difficult life situations. People come to the saint with a variety of appeals: for strengthening faith, for healing, for the birth of a child, for the return of children to their father’s house, and so on.
In any young family, the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker will become a reliable protector.
Prayer to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine
O Saint Catherine, virgin and martyr, true bride of Christ! We pray to you, for you have received the special grace that your Bridegroom, Sweet Jesus, has preceded you to: just as you have put to shame the temptations of the tormentor with your wisdom, you have overcome fifty revolutions, and having fed them with heavenly teaching, you have guided them to the light of the true faith, so ask us for this Godly wisdom, Yes, and we, having thwarted all the machinations of the hellish tormentor, having despised the temptations of the world and the flesh, will be worthy to appear of Divine glory, and for the expansion of our holy Orthodox faith we will become worthy vessels, and with you in the heavenly tabernacle of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit Let us praise and glorify to all ages of ages. Amen.
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St. Joachim and Anna
Joachim and Anna were the parents of the Mother of God. An icon with their image is a wonderful gift for a newly-made family, which will reliably protect the marriage from adversity, as well as protect each of the newlyweds.
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It is worth noting that such an icon is capable of assisting in childbirth - from the moment of the wedding, young people can pray to it for a quick addition to the family. These requests are fulfilled in a short time. By the way, the Scripture says that Anna and Joachim wanted to become parents for a very long time, but they managed to experience the happiness of fatherhood and motherhood only in old age.
Prayer of the spouses at the wedding
Lord our God, in Thy saving sight, Who was worthy to show honorable marriage to Galileo in Cana by Thy coming, Now Thy servants (names) Thou hast deigned to unite with each other, in peace and unanimity; Show them an honest marriage, observe their undefiled bed, bless their immaculate cohabitation and achieve the virtues of old age, doing Your commandments with a pure heart. For You are our God, the God of mercy and salvation, and we send up glory to You, with Your Originless Father, Your All-Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
St. Peter and Fevronia
Another worthwhile wedding gift is an icon of Peter and Fevronia, patrons of the family hearth and love. It symbolizes humble love, which will last as long as the young people live.
According to legend, Peter and Fevronia were a true example of love. For the sake of his beloved, Peter, being a prince, renounced wealth and even the throne. The couple managed to live a very long and happy life, at the end of which they were buried together.
Not only parents, but also friends can give icons for a wedding. Such a gift should be given with sincere wishes for prosperity, peace and eternal love to the couple.
The Church does not establish any rules for gifting icons to newlyweds and does not note which saints’ faces can be presented. Icons given on this occasion often serve as family patrons and are also passed down from generation to generation.
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Is it possible to give an icon?
There are different opinions on this issue, often associated with superstitions. Thus, some believe that it is strictly forbidden to give icons for a wedding, while others think that such a gift requires a symbolic payment.
In fact, the Christian faith does not prohibit giving icons for a wedding celebration. Quite the contrary: the icon is considered a very valuable and happiness-bringing gift. Such a gift would be especially appropriate if the bride and groom decided not to limit themselves only to official registration, but are also planning to perform the sacred sacrament of Wedding.
Do not forget to first inquire about the religion of the young people. Not all people are believers and not all believers are Orthodox or Catholic. The heroes of the occasion can be Buddhists, Muslims or even atheists. In this case, the icon is unlikely to serve the young people well.
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Most likely, it will be hidden away or given away. In other words, the gift must be suitable and appropriate.
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.
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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.
A look into the future
Another ceremony that will take place before the festive dinner is the determination of who will be in charge of the family. A wedding loaf is used for this ritual. This is a richly decorated bread. Salt is often served with it so that the spouses “annoy” each other today and never again.
An obligatory element of the ritual is an embroidered towel on which the holy bread lies. They fold it so that the white cloth is under the sole of the loaf, and the patterns hang down on the sides. Previously, girls wove and embroidered towels even before marriage. The brighter and more magnificent the pattern, the better life will be. Now the amulet can be ordered or bought.
Wedding couple
The traditional name for two icons for such a sacred ceremony is a wedding couple. A man is blessed with the image of Christ the Savior, as the intercessor and protector of his family - his wife and children. The face of Jesus is meant to remind the husband that he is responsible to his loved ones.
A woman is blessed by the Blessed Virgin Mary as a faithful wife and caring mother, as well as a good housewife, protector and keeper of the home.
A wedding couple for spouses is a symbol of their love, fidelity, and also assistance in family matters.
