We will be Betrothed on May 19th following the Sunday morning service.

For those unfamiliar with the idea of Betrothal, it is a religious ceremony that confirms an agreement to marry. It was historically performed months or years before the parties wedded and was legally binding as a marriage. In modern times, the betrothal is usually part of the marriage ceremony. However, we would like to be Betrothed separately from the wedding, as was the more ancient custom.

Within the Orthodox Church's service of Betrothal, many prayers are offered to God for their unity, His blessing upon them, etc.

It is within this service of Betrothal where the rings, which have been blessed, are placed on the fingers of the bride and groom.

While the Betrothal is no longer binding by secular law, it is still binding in the eyes of the Church.

After betrothal, all that remains are three matters: the marriage ceremony and celebration, the bride’s move into the groom’s house, and the consummation of the marriage.

The best-known example of betrothal is that of Jesus’ mother, the Holy Virgin Mary, and her betrothed, St. Joseph. When Joseph the Betrothed (as he is known in the Orthodox Church)learned that the Virgin Mary was pregnant, and before he understood the miraculous nature of the conception, he thought that the Theotokos (Theotokos means:birth-giver of God and is speaking of the Virgin Mary) had violated her betrothal, which was as binding as a marriage contract. At first, St. Joseph believed that his only recourse was to divorce her, or “put her away.” The Holy Evangelist Matthew records the account: “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matt 1:18. . .) St. Matthew says that Mary was “pledged to be married,” but he also calls Joseph “her husband.” The fact that a “divorce” was required to break the betrothal shows that their premarital contract was legally binding. If, even during the betrothal period, Mary had been sexually intimate with someone other than Joseph, she would have been guilty of adultery.

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