Miguel Romero Figueroa

Unlike the Catholic marriage, the Evangelical marriage is much simpler and without so many protocols and formalities, but even so, you will have to register it later in the Civil Registry for it to acquire legal validity.

At present, Evangelical Christians represent the second majority in the country, so their unions are on the rise, but there are also cases in which an Evangelical marries a Catholic, or a Catholic marries an Evangelical, for example.

What is an evangelical wedding like? If you are planning to get married under this religion, here you will find everything you need to know.

Requirements for marriage in the Evangelical Church

In order to celebrate an evangelical wedding the bride and groom must be of legal age and single marital status Or, be released from a previous marriage by death or divorce.

They must also be mentally capable of entering into a binding agreement freely and of their own free will, while the church where the marriage is to take place must have legal personality under public law.

On the other hand, while it is ideal that both be baptized in the Evangelical Church, it is possible for an Evangelical to marry a non-baptized person, even one who professes another religion, as long as that person agrees with the pillars of Evangelical marriage and agrees to acknowledge his or her desire to live in Christ.

Unlike in a Catholic marriage, the certificates are not as valid in an evangelical marriage.

Felipe Nahuelpan

Premarital talks

Since it is important for the bride and groom to prepare themselves for the step they are about to take, premarital counseling programs are offered in various churches.

These talks for evangelical christian couples are mandatory to get married They are usually between eight and ten, depending on the norms of each congregation. They are usually done in small groups, so they can coordinate with the other couples if they meet one or more times a week.

For their part, those who give these talks are pastors or other couples who are part of the Pastoral. What topics are addressed? Couple communication, parenting, family finances, Christian living in marriage, and love and forgiveness decisions, among others.

The aim of this workshop for evangelical Christian couples The purpose of the marriage, which is free, is for the bride and groom to have full awareness and conviction of their union, with knowledge of their rights and obligations as spouses, and in their relationship with Christ.

On the other hand, some churches ask for marriage sponsors who are married and also belong to the Evangelical Church.

The location

It is usual to carry out the marriage in the evangelical church The pastor you are participating in, with a pastor you probably already know or with the same one who will be giving the talks.

However, it is also possible for the couple to get married in another setting, for example, in their own home or in an event center. Also, if the bride and groom belong to different churches, there is no objection to two pastors performing the marriage, while, depending on the circumstances, it is also possible for several couples to get married at the same time.

That's right, the Evangelical Church does not ask for money for the religious service. The bride and groom may voluntarily leave an offering, if they deem it convenient, for the use of the church, not excluding that the bride and groom may voluntarily leave an offering.

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The Ceremony

The evangelical marriage ceremony The ceremony, officiated by a pastor or minister empowered for this task, begins with the bride entering on her father's arm, while the groom waits expectantly at the altar.

The pastor will give the welcome, announce the reason for the meeting and continue with the readings from the Bible. Preaching for Evangelical Christian Marriages They address issues such as the union of the couple in Christ and the roles to be fulfilled by both spouses.

Afterwards, they will declare their wedding vows, which they may or may not personalize, then the pastor will ask God's blessing through a prayer and the wedding rings will be exchanged, with the man placing the ring first on the woman and then the woman on the man.

Finally, they will be declared officially married, culminating with a kiss between the bride and groom and a final blessing from the pastor.

But also, if you wish, you can to incorporate other rites to their celebration The ceremony of the sand, the ritual of the ribbons, the ceremony of the candles or the tying of hands.

As for the music, both for the entrance and exit, or for any other moment of the ceremony, there is total freedom. That is, the bride and groom can choose between packaged music, choir chants or live instrumentalized melodies, for example, choose the wedding march on mandolin or keyboard, or they can even incorporate a special piece in the middle of the wedding.

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Registering the marriage

If they are not getting married in a civil ceremony, they will still should make an appointment for the Demonstration This procedure includes providing the information of the witnesses, at least two over 18 years of age, in addition to setting a date and time for your religious marriage.

On the day of the Manifestation, therefore, they must go with their witnesses to the Civil Registry, who will declare that the spouses have no impediments or prohibitions to marry. Once they have passed this step, they will be ready to marry. But once they have been declared husband and wife, the next step will be to register your religious marriage .

To do so, after requesting an appointment, they must go to the Civil Registry Office within eight days of the celebration, where they must present the certificate, signed by the minister of worship, which certifies the celebration of the religious marriage and the fulfillment of the requirements established by law.

A model of an evangelical marriage certificate includes the place where the wedding took place, the date and the names of the bride and groom, witnesses and the pastor, with their respective signatures.

Marriage will be one of the most exciting moments of your lives, even more so if you decide to celebrate a religious ceremony, as in this case the evangelical one. And if you plan to celebrate in an event center, don't forget to book at least six months in advance, the same time recommended to make an appointment at the Civil Registry.