[wildandblue]

This will sound like a really idiotic question, but on TV etc where there is a scene for a wedding and the couple stands up before the clergyman and he says, we have gaqthered here today to to join this man and this woman etc. etc. where exactly is he reading this from? I always assumed it was in the Bible somewhere but it is not. Is there another book that contains this?:confused:

[JudyKayTee]

Where's Fr_Chuck - ?

I don't know that there's any specific author - I always thought his was just a suggested Christian marriage service.

[Fr_Chuck]

Let us Pray,

WE are here in the presence of God and this assemby... OK

Well actually no it is not exactly from the bible, it was written in part from Catholic and Anglican wedding services and then latter re-written in a very popular book, "The Star Book for Ministers" which was a very very populr book of services for weddings and funerals for ( my guess) at least over 100 years and I would say most likely more.

Weddings in the bible were nothing like the ones today, the engagement was actually a contract between either the groom or the grooms father and the father of the bride ( or eldest male family member if father died)

They got enganged, and the groom then spent the next so many months or a year making them a home ( or an addition to his parents home) at this point he went to the brides house, and just got her, and took her to their home where a one to two day party went on.

That was it, they were married.

In fact things like wedding rings were never used, and they were banned in the early church for almost 800 years as a sign of slavery.

So to answer that, they were just made up by some man, a lot of people like it, and it stuck. Sorry not as romantic or as bibical as I know anyone wanted