Wedding candles: from preparation for the sacrament to family concerns. Wedding candles and what to do with them

Candles are an important attribute of a wedding. After using them in a sacrament, they are advised to keep them for life. It is a symbol of love, harmony, tenderness and mutual understanding, as well as a kind of amulet against family troubles.

When the newlyweds stand in front of the altar, the priest blesses the newlyweds three times. They overshadow themselves sign of the cross. After this, the priest hands them a lighted candle.

Important! It is believed that married spouses are united after death in heaven and never separate again.

The attributes will remain lit throughout the ritual. They are a spiritual symbol of the sacrament and mean God's grace, confirm the spiritual chastity of those getting married and their sincere desire to get married. Fire symbolizes the sincerity and ardor of prayer for a prosperous family life.

How to choose wedding dresses?

The wedding ceremony takes from 45 minutes to an hour, so you need to choose candles that are long, but not too wide so that they are comfortable to hold.

It would be good if the candles had special handles and saucers. Then the dripping wax will not burn your hands or ruin your clothes. Fabric lace napkins, handkerchiefs and potholders are also used.

The traditional color of candles is white. Golden or pink shades are allowed.


Products can be either simple, without decoration, or decorated. For decoration use chains, bugles, lace, ribbons, polymer clay, fabric, etc. Decorative elements should be paired, for example, two hearts, two rings.

You can purchase ready-made products at a church shop, or you can make them yourself from wax or paraffin. Items made with your own hands or purchased outside of the church must first be consecrated. It is better not to buy them secondhand, as there is a high risk of receiving low-quality products.

They do not take other people’s wedding attributes for the sacrament., even if the people who offer them have lived their whole lives in a happy marriage. Moreover, the priests say that there is nothing wrong with this, but the candles are a sacrifice in favor of the church, so it is better to buy them in the temple where the ceremony will be held.

Signs

In the old days in Rus', candles weighed more than a pound, and they were held not by the newlyweds, but by special people - “candlemakers”. On the first night, such a block was lit and placed near the newlyweds’ bed. There was a belief that this brings happiness and healthy children.

• If during the flame burns evenly– the family life of the newlyweds will be calm and happy;
• Crackling, soot while burning candles– to a life filled with troubles, troubles and problems;
• Which wedding party holds the candle higher?, he will become the head of the family;
• Bad sign - flame extinguished during the ritual. This foreshadows premature death one of the spouses;
• One of those getting married Whose candle burns longer?, will live longer. If the candles burn out at the same time, then the spouses will live equally long and spend their lives together. Therefore, after the end of the ritual, it is recommended to extinguish the flame simultaneously.

It is believed that ritual candles help during childbirth, and they can also alleviate the pain of the patient, protect against lightning and even fire. There is a belief that with the help of wedding items and magic you can both divorce spouses and promote their reconciliation.

Important! Priests do not advise attributing mystical powers to these attributes and taking signs too seriously. Superstitions distort the idea of ​​the true purpose of these objects.

What to do after the ceremony?

It is best to keep them next to the one with which the young were blessed. You can place them in candlesticks next to it, you can wrap them in cloth or put icons under glass to prevent dust from sticking. Any other images of saints will do. It is allowed to be stored in a box where other shrines are stored - a baptismal shirt, incense, holy water. It is possible to simply store it in a secluded, pious place. Care must be taken to ensure that small children and pets do not have access to the candles.


If the husband and wife do divorce, candles should be burned in front of the icons, preferably in a church. At the same time, you must sincerely ask for the health and well-being of your ex-spouse, no matter how strong the grievances against each other. In the event of the death of one of the spouses, it is also recommended to burn candles in the church or place one of them in the coffin of the deceased. You can also leave a candle as a keepsake.

When do they light it?

These attributes are endowed with the power of prayer, so they should be lit when there are difficulties in the family, for example, a child gets sick, or the spouses have a serious quarrel. They are lit with words of gratitude to God and when there is a joyful event in the house, as well as on a wedding anniversary. They will help if you need to pray for loved ones, and when spouses are forced to separate.

If the spark plugs break, no big deal. You can “attach” them again with tape or light small pieces.

Important! It doesn't matter whether you light one candle or both. Spouses after the wedding are a single whole, which means these attributes belong to both of them.

Useful video

If you want something unusual and extraordinary, even at such a conservative ceremony as a wedding, then you can order and make the candles yourself. How to do this - in the video:

Conclusion

If your wedding candles are lost or damaged for some reason, don’t be too upset. This should not affect the quality of family life, because happiness depends on love and respect for each other.

This article is dedicated to both those who have already gotten married and those who are just about to begin this sacrament. Here you will find detailed answers to many questions, which are compiled according to the opinions and answers of Orthodox pastors.

Wedding candles- this is our main topic. Before you start reading, it should be explained that each sub-heading is a frequently asked question for married couples. The following is the answer to it.

Why get married?

There are several sacraments in Orthodoxy, one of them is wedding. It is necessary for the spouses to sanctify their marriage, to make a promise before God to always be together in fidelity, love, and harmony. At the same time, the husband and wife, together with the clergy, pray for the sanctification of the marriage. Be sure to take wedding rings to the wedding, which the priest blesses and places on the ring fingers of the newlyweds - this is a symbol of eternity. But in spiritual sense we're talking about about Eternity (with a capital E), as about life after death. It is not without reason that they say that married spouses meet in heaven after death and never separate again.

What is needed and the question price?

If the couple is not rich, they will definitely ask the question: “How much does a wedding cost?” In fact, it is impossible to answer this question unequivocally.

Let's list what is necessary for a wedding:

• personal presence of both spouses;
• spouses (a suit on the groom, a modest long (preferably white) dress on the bride and a scarf/stole/veil);
• wedding rings, if there are none, then wedding rings;
• two wedding candles;
• towel (towel);
• two and Mother of God.

If you have the right clothes and shoes for the ceremony, then you don't need to spend on outfits.

Availability wedding rings from the registry office is allowed. You don't have to buy a new pair. If there are none, then it is advisable for your husband to purchase Golden ring, and for the wife - silver. These were the traditions in past centuries, and they continue to this day.

You can choose the simplest and cheapest wedding candles, or the most expensive, festively decorated ones.

You can sew a towel yourself or ask your family and friends to do it. In church shops they are sold at different prices, depending on the material and complexity of the pattern.

You can bring icons from home so as not to buy new ones.

Which candles are better to choose?

Priests and married couples advise purchasing high-quality wedding candles only in church shops/shops. It is not advisable to buy second hand, as you risk getting a fake.

During the wedding, candles must burn and not go out. In addition, the sacrament can last from 45 minutes to 1 hour. Buy thick, large candles. It is even possible with handles and saucers provided so that dripping wax does not burn your hands.

The price of the sacrament

Let's talk about how much a wedding costs. In fact, it's different everywhere. In Moscow, as a rule, the cost is approximately 5 to 10 thousand rubles. Last price - Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

In provincial cities the cost is ten times lower. Many priests perform weddings for a donation (as much as you give) or for free (if the family is in dire straits). Usually, married couple he simply donates a towel, wedding candles or clothes to the temple for those in need.

Where should I put the candles?

You brought home wedding candles. What to do with them now? You have two options:

• you can place it on candlesticks next to wedding and other icons;
• put into a special box with shrines (brought from pilgrimage trips oil, land, baptismal shirts and crosses, holy water, prosphora and incense, and so on).

Keep candles in a secluded place so that they are not broken by children or chewed by pets. If suddenly the candles break, do not be alarmed, superstitions have no place in Christianity. Just handle them carefully.

Can I light candles?

Many who have just consecrated their marriage forget to ask the priest: “When can you light wedding candles?” But it's never too late to get an answer to this question. This is what the pastors advise - light wedding candles for a reason, but with warm and fervent prayer, especially in moments such as:

• grief;
• joy;
• wedding and wedding anniversaries;
• birth of children;
• quarrels;
• desire to pray for each other.

You can pray for other reasons.

In conclusion, let's say that a wedding candle is a symbol of faith, love and hope. It is enough to light them to bring peace and tranquility to your soul. And prayer will come from the depths of the soul itself. So that there are enough wedding candles for for many, many years, do not spare money, buy large ones and from high-quality material.

Records found: 7

Hello. My husband and I got married, but it wasn’t as expected. Firstly, we did not receive communion or confession, and secondly, we were late after the registry office, and our wedding was significantly shortened; the granny who sold candles yelled and scolded us for being late and brought us to tears - but the ceremony was still held. I could describe the situation in detail for a long time - in general, my husband and I expected something completely different from what we received (although I in no way diminish our guilt). Is it possible to get married again in another temple if we really want to?

Alla

Hello, Allah! You cannot get married again. The sacrament was performed, regardless of the setting in which it took place. God's grace pours out on everyone equally, and it depends on us how much we can contain. In fact, this an important event like a wedding, it rarely goes without temptation. In your case, this is your lateness, the bad manners of the servant in the temple. And it happens that the priest is an hour late due to traffic jams. Joint confession and communion are a tradition. If you went to church more often, you would do this too. But now there is no need to think that something was done wrong. Take more care that you have a strong Orthodox family, visit the temple and take communion together. Many spouses do this.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Good afternoon What remains from my parents (unfortunately, they are no longer there) are wedding candles, rings and my mother’s wedding dress. Do I need to light these candles or just store them? And is it possible to wash a wedding dress?

Marina

Marina. Wedding candles can be lit or stored – at your discretion. The wedding dress can also be washed.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Good afternoon Please tell me how to store and how wedding candles can help? Thank you!

Dmitriy

Dmitry, Wedding candles are kept next to icons or in a holy corner. Wedding candles by themselves cannot help. God, the Mother of God and the Saints help us when we turn to Them in prayer, and at the same time our life should be Christian, built according to the Divine commandments. Wedding candles can be lit at home on major church holidays.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! Please tell me, my husband and I have been married for 10 years and are now expecting a child. We want to get married, can we do it now? If so, how to properly prepare for this sacrament? To our shame, we are not parishioners (baptized), we go to services occasionally. They asked at the church and said to sign up three days before the date, fast for three days the day before, confess and take communion. I thought for this you need to first come to a conversation with the priest? And other questions: what kind of clothing is acceptable, what rings can be purchased for a wedding, how to choose the day according to the calendar on which the wedding takes place (we asked at the reception, they didn’t answer us anything specifically), they wanted October 13, but there is 14 Pokrov, they asked , we were not told whether there would be weddings on this day. So I’m writing here, please excuse me for disturbing you. If you can, clarify the situation a little for us. Thank you! And another question: can guests at a wedding be unregistered? Thank you all the best!!!

Svetlana

Hello Svetlana! Wedding is a sacrament of the Church in which God gives the future spouses, upon their promise to remain faithful to each other, the grace of pure unanimity for a common Christian life, the birth and raising of children. Through weddings, the Church unites people for their mutual assistance and growth in love for God and each other. So that they learn together to fulfill the commandments of the Gospel and teach this to their children. If spouses approach a wedding with this goal, then God helps them to survive all the hardships of life together and maintain mutual love. Those wishing to get married must be believers, baptized Orthodox Christians. They must deeply understand that the unauthorized dissolution of a marriage approved by God, as well as the violation of the vow of fidelity, is an absolute sin. Weddings are not performed: on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, on the eve of the great twelve and temple holidays, on the eve of and during multi-day fasts, during Christmastide, Cheese and Bright Week, on the holidays of the Exaltation of the Cross and the Beheading of John the Baptist. For the wedding, you must prepare two icons: the Savior and the Mother of God, with which the Church will bless you after the Sacrament, two wedding candles and a long new towel. You can take your wedding rings, but if you wish, buy gold or silver ones, you can buy them in the temple with the words “Save and Preserve.” Clothing should correspond to the solemnity of the event, be strict and not too revealing. A headdress is required for women. Makeup should be modest, without lipstick, as you will be touching sacred objects. Women are not allowed to participate in the Sacrament during menstrual periods. Before the wedding, prepare for confession and communion. You can take communion the day before or on the day of the sacrament, whichever is more convenient for you. But it is still advisable to talk to a priest to find out the nuances. If this cannot be done on a duty day, then you can approach the priest for confession.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Good afternoon Please tell me what to do. When I got married, my parents blessed my future husband and me at home with an icon of the Kazan Mother of God with a towel. My husband’s parents did not bless him; in their opinion, this is an unnecessary archaism. After some time we got married. We received the towel, the wedding couple, and the candles in the church. Now we have a wedding couple at home (with the image of Jesus Christ and the Kazan Mother of God), and another icon with the image of the Kazan Mother of God, with which my parents blessed us. Would it be correct to place them together (at our house we have one red corner for icons)? And what is the right thing to do in this case?

Evgeniya

Evgenia, it will be very good if all your icons are located together. And don't forget to pray before them.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello, Abbot Nikon (Golovko), Christ is Risen! Please tell me where the wedding icons will be placed in the house? I found information that wedding candles should be carefully preserved throughout your life and lit during prayer in difficult moments of life, is this true? Please explain, what does the service mean and at what moments is it ordered in the Church? About 2 months ago, I said that if the business I started succeeds, I will submit my gold chain for the Church. It worked out, with the help of the Lord, but I don’t know how to do it! Can I just put it in the begging box? Please answer me by email. address, thank you! Thank you for everything! God bless you!

Svetlana

Svetlana, wedding icons should be placed in the red corner, along with all the other icons, maybe even at the head of the corner. As for candles, you were told correctly; they can be lit in prayer during difficult life moments. Requirements are those services - prayers, memorial services, sacraments of baptism, weddings, confessions and others - that are performed at the request, demand of parishioners. As for your donation, it is best to give it personally to the rector of the temple or the elder.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Good evening. My husband and I got married. And at the very beginning of the wedding, when the priest led us to the analogue, the candle in my hand went out. I lit it from my husband’s candle and it never went out. I came home, read a lot of unpleasant things and was very upset. A sign of death, and in general, not a very good one. And we are expecting a child and somehow I got very excited. Please tell me how should I feel about this? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Pauline

Hello, Polina! I congratulate you on such a great sacrament. Do not doubt anything and fear only the Lord God. Believing in omens is a sin.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

church and wedding candles

The wedding process is one of the important and serious steps that a person takes only once in his life. Debunking of people who went through the wedding process can only happen if there are very compelling circumstances for this, for example, treason. However, for this, permission from the diocese must be obtained. Thus, people who want to get married should fully consider this action.

It is worth noting that the wedding process is quite a beautiful church ceremony. It means that two people who become spouses make an eternal oath before God that they will be faithful to each other.

One of the attributes of this process are wedding candles. So, having arrived at the temple, people stand in front of the altar. The priest gives the newlyweds a blessing and presents candles that represent the sacredness of the concluded union. Throughout the entire wedding procedure, wedding candles are lit. It is worth noting that weddings can be held both in the temple itself and separately.

After the wedding procedure has been completed, many couples have a question - what to do with wedding candles? Many people prefer to keep them as a memory of this process. Among believers, there is also a belief that during difficult childbirth, wedding candles can help in the birth of a child.

Which were used in the wedding process, are a kind of amulet. According to beliefs, all the well-being and happiness of the newly created family is stored in them. That is why wedding candles should be preserved forever. They can be lit in case of difficult life circumstances, as well as during happy moments and family successes. Also, they can be lit on the day of the wedding anniversary. Wedding candles should be kept near the icons of saints. The best thing to do would be to hide them in order to avoid dust getting on them, since it is quite difficult to remove it from the wax. Many people who have been married prefer to store candles in fabric. Also, they can be hidden under the glass of the icon of the saint.

Beliefs associated with wedding candles.

If during the wedding procedure the candles burn evenly, then this indicates happy life newlyweds, as well as the well-being of the family. If the candles smoke or crackle, then throughout the life of the newlyweds the newlyweds will not be haunted by peace. If during the wedding procedure the candle goes out, this indicates great difficulties that await the family. Also, the husband or wife in this case may suddenly die.

Wedding candles carry the power of prayer, which is read by the priest during the wedding process. Then, when the family has troubles in life, it would be appropriate to light one of the candles. Each wedding candle carries a symbol of a happy marriage and unity.

Today, and Orthodox products, “The Unquenchable Lamp” offers its customers a large selection of wedding candles that are fully suitable for the wedding process. Each person has the opportunity to purchase wedding candles, either individually or as a set. If a person has any questions about this product, then sales consultants who are competent in the issue of Orthodoxy can fully answer all the client’s questions. When buying wedding candles in this online store, you can be sure that you will be satisfied with the purchased product and during the wedding process, they will not let you down.

I have a question for you. How you can influence your husband with the help of wedding candles or prayers (and what prayers). My husband and I have been married for 6 years, we are married, our families are very religious people. I was his faithful wife, a year ago he cheated on me, I forgave him, but the problem is that he filed for divorce (threatening me) because he wants to leave me for that girl. But I love him very much and I want to live only with him, I see from him that he also hesitates, we have been struggling for a year now. I suspect that she somehow bewitched him, he loved me very much, and now he leaves and cries. This means that there is still something left for me... How can I help our falling apart family, if I really want to save it, no matter what... Please tell me.
Victoria.

Hello, Victoria. Indeed, in our damn days It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the family together. The corruption and decline of morals reach such a point that I cannot stop crimes against the closest, dearest and dearest people.
It is impossible to influence a husband with the help of wedding candles, because actions with objects consecrated during the sacrament of Wedding (candles, footstool, other objects) is a witchcraft practice and is blasphemous for Orthodox Christian not acceptable.
Wedding candles are a family shrine. Pious custom involves careful storage of wedding candles as memories of the Sacrament of Marriage. Sometimes they are placed in the icon case, which they received as a blessing from their parents for marriage. Wedding candles can be lit briefly during times of separation or marital discord. You just need to remember that their kindling has power only under the condition of fervent prayer to God for your lost loved ones.
We must also remember that a person goes astray not always because of his malice or hardness of heart, but because of the loss moral guidelines, which are based on the Gospel commandments. Then he might be an easy target evil people, a mockery for the devil.
The Divine Commandment says that only selfless love leads to happiness: “live in love, as Christ loved us... fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness should not even be mentioned among you... Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5.2, 3, 25). We just need to believe that there is a solid wall that protects us from everyday troubles and the eternal destruction of the soul, that the yoke of Christ’s commandments is good and easy.
One is pretty clever man recently told me: “I have a wife, a child, I love them very much, I take care of them, but I am lost. This is a pain that cannot be compared with physical pain. If I were a believer, how easy it would be for me to resolve this situation.”
It is customary to pray to the Holy Martyrs Gury, Samon and Aviv to protect the family from all misfortunes. They are known among Orthodox Christians as patrons of matrimony, marriage, happy family, they pray to them “if the husband innocently hates his wife.”
And you, pious wives and children, save your souls with patience, because only “he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).