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Church weddings
Jesus said, ”From the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10:6-9, New Revised Standard Version)
In the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland there are two kinds of sacred rites that have to do with the marriage of a man and a woman:
1) a wedding ceremony with a pastor as the marriage officer, and
2) a consecration of a civil marriage.
Usually these rites take place in a church building, but it is possible to hold them almost anywhere. Regardless of the place we can call them ”church weddings” to distinguish them from civil weddings where a judge or registrar of the state acts as the marriage officer.
Agendas (orders of worship) for sacred rites of marriage can be found in the Internet.
Bilingual Finnish-and-English ones are available for a wedding ceremony and a consecration.
Swedish texts are in a long PDF file starting from page 90.
Before it is possible for a couple to be legally married in Finland, certain procedures are necessary. The bride and groom must meet some additional requirements so that a pastor can act as a legal marriage officer. Details on these are on the page Preconditions for marriage.
Other tips that may be useful for a couple that is getting married are on the page Planning a wedding.