Weddinging

My apologies for the lack of posting this weekend: I went back down south with Wystan for a wedding. The wedding was Orthodox, and it was the first Orthodox wedding I'd attended. The ceremony was lovely. It was full of Old Testament references, such as the priest's prayer reciting a genealogy of rings:

"For Thou, O Lord, hast declared that a pledge should be given and confirmed in all things. By a ring power was given to Joseph in Egypt; by a ring Daniel was glorified in the land of Babylon; by a ring the uprightness of Tamar was revealed; by a ring our heavenly Father showed His bounty upon His Son, for He said: Bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry. By Thine own right hand, O Lord, Thou didst arm Moses in the Red Sea; by Thy true word the heavens were established, and the foundations of the earth were made firm; and the right hands of Thy servants also shall be blessed by Thy mighty word and by Thine upraised arm. Therefore, O Master, bless now this putting-on of rings with Thy heavenly blessing, and let Thine angel go before them all the days of their life."

There are liberal prayers for fruitfulness, which is delightful at a wedding, and for faithfulness and holiness in their marriage. There are also frequent requests for fair children, as if ugly children would really just be too much to bear. Here is another great line from the service: "[L]et that gladness come upon them which the blessed Helen had when she found the precious cross." I don't know anything about Helen and the cross, but I want to!

And, of course, you have to love the crowns!