Wedding Ceremonies

I've photographed an Orthodox wedding more than once. These photos were taken in one year in different churches in Moscow on film (medium format).

An Orthodox wedding is one of the seven church sacraments in which God invisibly unites a man and a woman into a single spiritual and bodily whole, blessing their union. Unlike civil registration, this is a prayer asking God for help, faithfulness and grace to create a Christian family and raise children.

The sacrament of Divine Service consists of two consecutive parts: Engagement and Wedding. The betrothal takes place in the vestibule (at the entrance to the temple). The bride and groom are holding lighted candles, a symbol of pure love and God's grace. The priest puts rings on them and swaps them three times as a sign of mutual agreement and fidelity. Wedding: the newlyweds move to the center of the temple. They affirm before God their voluntary and unconstrained desire to marry. Crowns are placed on the heads of the bride and groom. It is a symbol of royal glory (the creation of a small church), martyrdom (patience) and purity. The couple drink wine three times from a common cup — a sign that now they share all the joys and sorrows in half. The priest joins their hands and circles them three times around the lectern as a sign of the eternity of their union.