The Holy Sacrament of Marriage is the act that unites a man and a woman in a shared life founded on mutual love they recognize in one another. Marriage is the way of life for which God created man and woman, so they could express the mystery of God’s life as the Holy Trinity and show the great mystery of the inseparable unity of Christ and the Church in their daily life. The unity of Christ and the Church is most evident in the Holy Liturgy, where Christians partake in the Body and Blood of Christ and share life with God and with one another. The Holy Sacrament of Marriage is an extension of the liturgical life of Christians, through which husband and wife share everything, including every aspect of their life, with one another. This means they voluntarily surrender all they possess, including their very lives, to their spouse.

The Holy Sacrament of Marriage is the confirmation of mutual love between husband and wife. At the same time, marriage represents a deep understanding that love and the desire to share life with another are not enough – it is necessary for Christ to transform that love into divine love. Every person has the need to love and to be loved. This shows that we do not possess love in its entirety but only partially. Therefore, we cannot fully give it to another. The only one who is love in the complete sense is God. The Holy Sacrament of Marriage is the gift of this selfless, unconditional, and all-encompassing love that God gives to the spouses at the wedding.

In human experience, within the reality of this world, God’s love is possible only through the experience of the Cross – the readiness to give oneself for the life of others, just as the Lord Jesus Christ did. In marriage, spouses are called to live unreservedly for one another, ready to sacrifice their habits, personal comfort, lifestyle, etc. Such an attitude toward God, neighbors, and even enemies was shown in the Church’s history by the Holy Martyrs. Through this readiness to lay down their lives for the sake of love, they were crowned with victorious wreaths. The crowns placed on the bride and groom at the wedding are those victorious wreaths as a gift of God’s complete love, but they also carry a call to sacrifice. For this reason, the Holy Sacrament of Marriage is also called a Wedding, as the newlyweds are crowned with the wreaths of Christ’s victory and love for each other.

To be married in the Orthodox Church, it is necessary for both the groom and bride to be of the Orthodox faith, not be engaged or in a church marriage with someone else, have no blood or spiritual (godparent) kinship, and the age difference should not be too great. All of this is confirmed during the premarital examination, which the couple should complete with their parish priest, with whom they will arrange all matters related to the Holy Sacrament of Marriage. In addition to the premarital examination, the following are required for the Sacrament of Marriage: four candles, a cloth, rings, and a common cup from which the couple will drink wine. The couple may also choose to make wedding wreaths instead of crowns for the wedding ceremony.