Types of Wedding Ceremonies: Mormon

There are basically two kinds of Mormon wedding ceremonies: the temple ceremony and the chapel ceremony. The former, performed by an official of the temple, is reserved for "active members of the Church who adhere to certain standards," says Bishop Glenn Pruden of the Hamilton First Ward, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hamilton, Ontario. He says that in Canada, there are only two temples: one, built around 1920, in Cardston, Alberta, and another, built in 1990, in Toronto, Ontario. "When the Mormon pioneers settled into the Salt Lake Valley area in 1847, following that (1847 to 1880s), groups of pioneers were sent out to colonize in the intermountain west area (Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah) and the southern tip of Alberta and the northern tip of Mexico."

The temple ceremony is fairly simple. "At the temple, we believe that the couple is sealed together 'for time and all eternity.'" Bishop Pruden explains that according to the Mormon Church, the members are not allowed to discuss the actual ceremony from a temple service because it is considered sacred.

The restrictions, however, do not apply to a chapel ceremony. "In a chapel service, it would be very similar to one that would be conducted in a Protestant church," he says. While the ceremony may be formal in the sense that the bride may wear a white dress, the groom a suit, and the guests their Sunday best, the service "is usually organized on a less ceremonious basis than that of the High Anglican, Roman Catholic, or Greek Orthodox service." For instance, there would be a wedding march, but a simplified one. The organist would play a prelude to the ceremony. The officiator, usually the bishop (similar to a "minister" in the Protestant service) of the ward (or "congregation" in the Protestant service), or the president of the stake (similar to a "diocese"; usually 10 to 12 wards in a stake) would conduct the service. The entrance of the wedding party would be similar to that in the Protestant ceremony. The service may include an opening prayer from the bishop, a musical number, a short speech from the bishop about marriage, then the vows, the exchange of rings (not mandatory, but it usually takes place), and the signing of the register. This entire process may last just 15 to 20 minutes.