Marriage
God is active in our lives. It is He who joins a man and a woman in a relationship of mutual love. The Sacrament of Marriage bears witness to His action. Through this Sacrament, a man and a woman are publicly joined as husband and wife. They enter into a new relationship with each other, God, and the Church. Since Marriage is not viewed as a legal contract, there are no vows in the Sacrament. According to Orthodox teachings, Marriage is not simply a social institution, it is an eternal vocation of the kingdom. A husband and a wife are called by the holy Spirit not only to live together but also to share their Christian life together so that each, with the aid of the other, may grow closer to God and become the persons they are meant to be. In the Orthodox Marriage Service, after the couple have been betrothed and exchanged rings, they are crowned with "crowns of glory and honor" signifying the establishment of a new family under God. Near the conclusion of the Service, the husband and wife drink from a common cup which is reminiscent of the wedding of Cana and which symbolized the sharing of the burdens and joys of their new life together.
Weddings: Marriages are solemnized on Saturdays and Sundays. The couple will need to meet with the priest regularly as part of their preparation for this Sacrament. Consult with the priest at least six months in advance and before plans have been made for the wedding and the reception.
Non-pledged members pay a facilities fee of $750.00 for parish use, and all people pay $100.00 for a chanter, organist. etc
Pledged member: who are in good standing and with a pledge card on file pay no fee for use of the church for sacrament.
Sacramental Documents: Pledged members and non-members who have lost original sacramental documents pay a reproduction fee of $100.00 for Greek and $100.00 for English.
God is active in our lives. It is He who joins a man and a woman in a relationship of mutual love. The Sacrament of Marriage bears witness to His action. Through this Sacrament, a man and a woman are publicly joined as husband and wife. They enter into a new relationship with each other, God, and the Church. Since Marriage is not viewed as a legal contract, there are no vows in the Sacrament. According to Orthodox teachings, Marriage is not simply a social institution, it is an eternal vocation of the kingdom. A husband and a wife are called by the holy Spirit not only to live together but also to share their Christian life together so that each, with the aid of the other, may grow closer to God and become the persons they are meant to be. In the Orthodox Marriage Service, after the couple have been betrothed and exchanged rings, they are crowned with "crowns of glory and honor" signifying the establishment of a new family under God. Near the conclusion of the Service, the husband and wife drink from a common cup which is reminiscent of the wedding of Cana and which symbolized the sharing of the burdens and joys of their new life together.
Weddings: Marriages are solemnized on Saturdays and Sundays. The couple will need to meet with the priest regularly as part of their preparation for this Sacrament. Consult with the priest at least six months in advance and before plans have been made for the wedding and the reception.
- AT LEAST SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO A WEDDING, an appointment must be made with the priest in order to prepare paperwork required by the Church. A couple is required to apply for an ecclesiastical marriage license from the Metropolis of Detroit. This paperwork must be completed at least two months before your wedding. Fill out this typed form and bring it to the meeting with the priest.
- The bride and groom must provide copies of their baptismal certificates. These certificates must verify that the bride or groom is Orthodox and if necessary, that the non-Orthodox party has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- If the bride or groom is divorced a copy of the civil divorce must be presented at the time of preparation of the wedding papers. If the bride or groom has been married in the Orthodox Church and divorced, he or she must have an original copy of the ecclesiastical decree of divorce. This can be obtained from your parish priest or from the Metropolis of Detroit. They must also fill out the following Form 165 (typed).
- It must be verified that you are a member in good standing of St. George Greek Orthodox Church. If the bride or groom belongs to another Orthodox Church, a letter of good standing signed by the parish priest must be provided.
- Verification of ecclesiastical good standing for your sponsor (i.e., koumbaroi) is also required. If they are members of our parish, we will have that information. If they belong to another Orthodox parish, their good standing must be stated in writing by their parish priest.
- If the Orthodox bride or groom is from another metropolis or parish, or came to the United States from abroad after their 16th birthday, a "Pistopioitikon Eleftherogamias" will be required from the Metropolis in which he or she was born and signed by the Metropolitan or his designated agent.
- A civil wedding license must be presented to the Church office one week prior to the marriage so that it can be prepared for signatures the day of the wedding. A marriage cannot be celebrated without this document. It should be obtained from the County Clerk's Office in your area of residence. A civil wedding license is good for up to 30 days prior to your wedding day. Any and all questions can be directed to the parish priest.
- Clergy Invitation - Please do not assume the priest will attend and/or offer a prayer at the wedding reception. If his presence is desired, please send him an invitation.
Non-pledged members pay a facilities fee of $750.00 for parish use, and all people pay $100.00 for a chanter, organist. etc
Pledged member: who are in good standing and with a pledge card on file pay no fee for use of the church for sacrament.
Sacramental Documents: Pledged members and non-members who have lost original sacramental documents pay a reproduction fee of $100.00 for Greek and $100.00 for English.