Friday, October 17, 2008

Types of Wedding Ceremonies: Protestant

Certain Christian churches ­ Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian, United, and many others ­ are denominations of the Protestant Church. "The Protestant Church has really only been in existence since the early 1500s," says Rev. Glenn Baker of Emmanuel United Church in Hamilton, Ontario. "That's when the Protestant Reformation occurred, so we've got that relatively short history there. The Protestant Church came out of the Roman Catholic Church, so all the traditions of the Catholic Church before that are part of our traditions, too."

At a Protestant wedding, before the ceremony begins, guests are likely to be greeted by ushers who will escort them to their seats in the church. The seating on the left side of the church facing the altar is reserved for the bride's family and friends, while the right side is reserved for the groom's. If one side is expected to outnumber the other by a great deal, the seating may be mixed. The front rows are reserved for immediate family members and special guests. Just before the ceremony is to begin, the bride's mother is the last person to be escorted to her seat. The minister gets into position at the head of the aisle, and the groom, best man, and ushers stand to the right of the altar. When the processional music begins, all the guests stand, and then the bridesmaids, maid/matron of honor, flowergirl, and ringbearer walk up the aisle, followed by the bride on her father's arm. The procession may vary from one church to another.

Throughout the service, the pastor generally will inform the guests about when they should stand or sit. There will be prayers and readings. If hymns are to be sung, guests may sing along with the music from the hymn books in the backs of the pews. Although singing is optional, people who feel uncomfortable singing should still stand if standing is required during the hymn. If the instructions of the officiator and the cues of other guests are followed, there shouldn't be a problem.

While it is not that common to see Communion served to all guests at a Protestant wedding, the practice is becoming more popular. "Of course, the Catholic Church has always celebrated Communion during wedding ceremonies," says Rev. Baker. "I don't know when the Protestant Church started getting away from serving Communion at weddings, but 12 or 15 years ago, it started coming back. It's still pretty rare in the United Church. I suppose, with a liturgical renewal across the Church, there has been an examination of how we worship and how we can make it more meaningful. I think that is how this started to come back in."

Communion, the commemoration of Christ's Last Supper, is the ceremony where bread and wine are consecrated and taken as the body and blood of Christ. Sometimes, only the bride and groom are served Communion. If Communion is offered to all guests, "passing the peace" (a.k.a. "the kiss of peace" or "the handshake of peace") may take place just beforehand, in which case everyone is encouraged to turn to their neighbors, shake their hands, and offer a friendly greeting. As for participation in Communion (eating the bread and drinking the wine), the officiator will indicate who is allowed to partake of the elements ­ bread (pieces of bread or wafer) and wine (usually grape juice). Communion may be served to guests in their pews, or people may have to walk up the aisle to get the elements. Just observe and follow the example of other guests who are familiar with the proceedings. Guests can certainly choose to decline from participating in this.

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