Modern couples have a choice when it comes to the design of their wedding ceremony.
Wedding ceremony types vary as much as the people who are getting married. Religious ceremonies held in traditional churches follow the canon (religious) laws of their respective churches. More modern churches allow for additions and deletions of certain parts of a marriage program. Religion, ethnic heritage and family tradition often influence a modern wedding program. Today's brides and grooms can also design their own weddings when using civil officiants.
Catholic
Marriage is one of the seven sacraments, important rituals within the Catholic church. A priest officiates this rite within a sanctified Catholic church. The length and particulars of the ceremony depend on if both people are Catholic, one is Catholic and the other Christian, or one is Catholic and the other non-Christian. It also depends on whether the bride and groom decide to participate in a full Catholic mass, complete with Eucharist (the rite of partaking in the bread and wine as body and blood of Jesus Christ). This rite is very sacred to Catholics and is performed with great reverence.
Filipino
Many Filipinos are Catholic due to early Spanish colonization and celebrate marriage as a Catholic sacrament as noted above, but there are additions to the Catholic mass that address and incorporate various Filipino customs and traditions. Men usually wear the barong, a white long-sleeved linen shirt reserved for special occasions. The bride and groom have sponsors in addition to the bridal party, a married couple the newlyweds look to for guidance and support. During the mass, the sponsors wrap a cord around the bride and groom in a figure-eight manner, symbolizing the infinity of marriage. Sponsors (or the priest) may also pour gold coins into the hands of the couple to symbolize prosperity.
Jewish
A Jewish wedding ceremony takes place under a chuppah, a decorated cloth held up by four tall thin posts or poles. The groom is walked to the chuppah by both his parents, followed by the bride accompanied by both her parents. The bride and her parents circle the groom seven times, symbolic of the Book of Genesis and the seven days it took to make a new world. At the end of the ceremony, the groom stomps on a glass goblet (usually wrapped in cloth) to symbolize the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, reminding guests and the bridal party of times of sorrow during times of joy.
Hawaiian
A Hawaiian wedding ceremony often includes the exchange of leis, flower necklaces. This is often incorporated as part of the ceremony and not used as the marriage ceremony itself. Leis symbolize love and affection and are used in many celebrations in Hawaii. There are many variations of the lei ceremony that may be used. The bride often presents the groom with a maile lei (a small fragrant green leaf), and the bride and groom may present leis to their in-laws, who present leis to their child's future spouse.
Tags: bride groom, both parents, bridal party, Catholic church, Catholic mass