| Many couples will choose to have their wedding | | | | full Mass with Communion. The Nuptial Mass by its |
| ceremony in a religious setting. Whatever your | | | | nature is one of the longer wedding ceremonies, |
| faith, there are certain things which may be | | | | and guests appreciate having a sense of what to |
| different about a wedding in a house of worship, | | | | expect. |
| both for the bride and groom and their guests. | | | | When a wedding ceremony is religious in nature, it |
| This guide to etiquette for religious wedding | | | | may include rituals which are unfamiliar to some |
| ceremonies will ensure that everything goes | | | | of the guests. This is when a wedding program |
| smoothly on the special day. | | | | can come in really handy for so much more than |
| These days it is very common for people to | | | | listing the names of the bridesmaids or thanking |
| have friends and even family members who are | | | | your aunt for loaning the bride her pearl wedding |
| of a different religion (or possibly who follow no | | | | jewelry as the "something borrowed". If a couple |
| religion at all). It is also far more common than it | | | | will be having a Jewish service for instance, it |
| used to be for the bride and groom to come | | | | would be very nice to include brief explanations of |
| from different faiths. All of this diversity can lead | | | | some of the customs, such as the chuppah, so |
| to some confusion on the part of the guests. It is | | | | that people of other faiths can follow along and |
| up to the bride and groom to make sure that | | | | also so they can have a greater appreciation for |
| their guests have an understanding of what is | | | | the significance of any special rituals. It can also be |
| happening, and it also falls upon the witnesses at | | | | considerate to include a notation such as, "We |
| the wedding ceremony to know how to act and | | | | invite all those who have been baptized to join in |
| what to do in a church (or synagogue or mosque) | | | | the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist" or |
| wedding. | | | | something to that effect at a Catholic ceremony. |
| Some people would say that if the bride and | | | | That helps guests know what to do; for instance |
| groom have a large number of guests who are | | | | in this case, it would be a polite way of letting |
| not members of their religion then they should | | | | non-Christians realize that they should remain |
| have a secular or at least a non-denominational | | | | seated during Communion. |
| marriage service. While it is generally appropriate | | | | Wedding guests have a few responsibilities of |
| for the couple to take their guests' comfort into | | | | their own at a religious wedding. Chief among |
| account, it is truly not fair to deny a bride and | | | | them is to show respect, whether they share the |
| groom the opportunity to have their union blessed | | | | bride and groom's faith or not. This means |
| (or in the case of Catholics, to receive the holy | | | | dressing appropriately in demure clothing with |
| sacrament of marriage). This is one of the few | | | | classic accessories like pearl wedding jewelry, |
| parts of the wedding where the couple really | | | | rather than showing up in something risque or |
| does have the right to put their own beliefs and | | | | flashy. When a guest is unfamiliar with the rituals |
| wishes first; that is not to say, however, that | | | | of a particular religion, they should simply do their |
| they should not attempt to do so in a thoughtful | | | | best to follow along: stand when others stand, sit |
| manner. | | | | when they sit, and so forth. Guests should not |
| A very simple thing which the bride and groom | | | | take part in any religious customs which are |
| can do from the start is to give guests a hint | | | | reserved for members of a religion to which they |
| about what is to come with their wedding | | | | do not belong. And last, but not least, wedding |
| invitations. The name of the house of worship | | | | guests should refrain from obviously checking |
| being listed as the ceremony site should make it | | | | their watches to see "how much longer this thing |
| obvious to anyone that the ceremony will be | | | | can possibly drag on", even if it is a full Nuptial |
| religious in nature, of course, but there is more | | | | Mass! With these pointers in mind, the wedding |
| than can be done. It is particularly important that | | | | ceremony should be every bit as meaningful and |
| Roman Catholics specify that guests are invited | | | | blessed as the bride and groom intended. |
| to a Nuptial Mass, if they have opted to have a | | | | |