Attending A Preparatory Course
The prospective bride and groom attend a Marriage Preparatory Course, they can choose between a one-day and a three-day course. They must also fill in a form declaring details of their lives and take an oath on the Holy Bible that they have not withheld any information and that they are aware of the duties within a Christian marriage. They must produce their baptism certificates. In the case of a mixed marriage, only the Christian partner is required to produce the baptism certificate.
Bridal Shower
On the day of the wedding, the groom sends a car to pick up the girl and waits for her outside the Church. When the bride arrives, the Best Man welcomes her with a kiss on either cheek and hands her a posy of flowers.
The Wedding Mass
The couple walks down the aisle with the wedding procession in tow. The priest begins the ceremony. He welcomes them into the Church and offers them his good wishes. The wedding mass begins with hymns and selected readings from the Bible.
Liturgy Of The Word
The couple and their close relatives come up to the lectern (podium) and read previously selected passages from the Bible.
Homily
The priest delivers the Homily, an interesting lecture with an emphasis on the sanctity of marriage. Often, the priest makes the Homily more interesting by punctuating it with amusing anecdotes.
The Nuptials
During this rite, the priest asks a few questions that the couple must answer honestly. He asks them if they have come of their own free will to give themselves to the other in marriage. They must also answer in the affirmative when asked if they will honour and love each other as husband and wife for the rest of their lives, if they will accept children from God lovingly and bring them up according to the law of Christ and His Church.
The Solemn Promise
The priest guides the couple through this rite. He tells them to join their right hands and declare their consent before God and His Church. Having done this, the couple takes their wedding vows. They promise, individually, to be true to the other in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. They promise to love, respect and honour each other all the days of their lives. The priest blesses the couple, joining them together in marriage, and says, "May the Lord in His goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with His blessings. What God has joined together, let no man put as under."
Blessing & Exchange of Rings
The priest blesses the wedding rings so that the couple that wears them will have deep faith in each other, do the Lord's will and always live together in peace, goodwill and love. The bride and groom exchange rings with a promise of unconditional love and fidelity.
Penitential Rite
The priest requests the congregation to be silent for a few minutes and confess to God and to one another, personal shortcomings, sins and failures.
Prayer Of The Faithful
The priest conducts a prayer service for the couple. He calls upon the Lord to bless the couple so that their love may grow and mature into a deep strong bond and become a blessing for them and for others. He also prays for the friends, families, and the souls of departed relatives of the couple.
Offertory Procession
The couple bring offerings like The Bible, a miniature house modeled out of thermocol, candles and flowers. Each offering has a significance. For example, the flowers represent the beauty and fragrance of God's creation, and the priest asks God to bless the couple so that they spread this beauty and fragrance wherever they go. After the offerings, the priest gives the couple consecrated bread and wine which represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The wine is given only on special occasions like marriages. The choir sings an offertory hymn.
The Communion Rite
The congregation jointly recites the Our Father, a Biblical prayer and then congregation receives holy communion.
Nuptial Blessing
The priest prays for the couple. The bride and groom offer a thanksgiving prayer to God and ask for His blessings. The priest concludes the ceremony with a final blessing followed by prayer. The congregation joins in to bless the couple. The priest and the couple sign the Church register that serves as a valid legal document of marriage. A copy of this document is sent to the registrar of marriages.
The Recessional
The marriage procession, led by the bride and the groom, walks down the aisle and steps out of the church. The organist plays the tune of the recessional hymn as they walk.
Post-wedding Rituals
The Reception
The reception has a live band which sets the feet tapping and the dance floor is never empty. The newly-weds enter the venue and are welcomed by all with a shower of confetti. They cut the wedding cake and feed each a bite of the first slice. The cake is distributed among the guests. The Toastmaster proposes a toast in honour of the newly-weds. The bride and groom get the evening going with their 'first dance'. This is usually a waltz. Mid-way through their dance, the bride's parents join in. The Best Man and Bridesmaid, and the groom's parents follow them. Soon the guests join the dancing and spend the rest of the evening in keeping time with the music. After dinner is over, the couple leaves the reception. At this juncture the bride must throw her posy of flowers behind her. The girl who catches it will be the first to marry, according to popular belief.
