Hi!

I just got engaged and planning my wedding made me thankful I never went to the Temple and got married... heck I never even went to the Temple

So can someone explain a temple wedding. Like do you have attendants and what goes on in the temple wedding. All the details... don't hold anything back lol

It is not a wedding. It is a sealing covenant in the temple. It is the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage which is plurality of wives -- the covenant is explained in D&C 132
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132

This is from a prior post on the whole sealing process: before, during and after.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1431390,1431390



From the temple ceremony:

Marriage Couple:
Joins hands in the "Patriarchal Grip, or Sure Sign of the Nail."This token is given by clasping the right hands, interlocking the little fingers and placing the tip of the forefinger upon the center of the wrist. No clothing should interfere with the contact of the forefinger upon the wrist.

Officiator: Brother ______, do you take Sister ______ by the right hand and receive her unto yourself to be your lawful and wedded wife for time and all eternity, with a covenant and promise that you will observe and keep all the laws, rites, and ordinances pertaining to this Holy Order of Matrimony in the New and Everlasting Covenant, and this you do in the presence of God, angels, and these witnesses of your own free will and choice?

Groom: Yes.

Officiator: Sister ______ do you take brother ______ by the right hand and give yourself to him to be his lawful and wedded wife, and for him to be your lawful and wedded husband, for time and all eternity, with a covenant and promise that you will observe and keep all the laws, rites and ordinances pertaining to this Holy Order of Matrimony in the New and Everlasting Covenant, and this you do in the presence of God, angels, and these witnesses of your own free will and choice?

Bride: Yes.

Officiator:
By virtue of the Holy Priesthood and the authority vested in me, I pronounce you ______, and ______, legally and lawfully husband and wife for time and all eternity, and I seal upon you the blessings of the holy resurrection with power to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection clothed in glory, immortality and eternal lives, and I seal upon you the blessings of kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers, dominions and exaltations, with all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and say unto you: be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth that you may have joy and rejoicing in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

All these blessings, together with all the blessings appertaining unto the New and Everlasting Covenant, I seal upon you by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, through your faithfulness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

The Temple Officiator performing the temple sealing give a talk on marriage, etc.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2015 05:50PM by SusieQ#1.

OK, here goes. You get dressed in white and put your temple clothes over your wedding dress. You don't wear your veil, you wear the one that goes with your temple clothes. You put the robes, sash and green apron on over your dress. Then you meet your intended in the hall and enter the room together. You sit on a bench while all your worthy invited people beam at you. The officiator, a temple worker you probably haven't met before the day of your wedding, gets up and says a few things. My husband and I got to speak to the guy that married us before we both went upstairs to get dressed and gave him some ideas of our background and goals - maybe 10 minutes worth.

After saying a few things he finds inspiring, he calls you to the altar. He directs you to take hands across the altar in the patriarchal grip, one of the temple handshakes. You do. He recites a few pre-programmed phrases over you - the exact same for every temple wedding. You make no vows to each other. You essentially marry and make vows to the church. Then he pronounces you husband and wife. You kiss across the altar. Then you get up and exchange rings then stand there while all our worthy invited people walk past and congratulate you and give you hugs. Then you go take off the temple crap and put on your real veil and go outside and take pictures.

That's it. No walk down the aisle. No music. No vows to each other. Half your loved ones waiting outside. No flowers, no wedding colors, no flower girl, only worthy bridesmaids and groomsmen actually attend the wedding. Speedy as a burger place. We were lucky our officiator tried to say beautiful and uplifting things. Some people have priesthood that just don't care. I'm really depressed right now thinking about it but you are so lucky you don't have to be. Have a beautiful wedding day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2015 06:08PM by CA girl.

Your wedding dress has to be temple worthy, long sleeves, high neckline, nothing see through. If it is not they have things you can add to make it temple worthy, lovely.

OOPS forgot the photos:

This is for women:
https://www.google.com/search?q=photo+of+lds+temple+clothes&rlz=1C1TSNP_enUS489US489&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=767&tbm=isch&imgil=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%253BdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fexmormon.org%25252Fd6%25252Fdrupal%25252FVeils-on-Women-in-Mormon-Temple-question&source=iu&pf=m&fir=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%252CdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%252C_&usg=__07rFuanL7-Zzxpf987ta6yDokEQ%3D&ved=0CEEQyjc&ei=UxflVPDgCNXfoATvmoCoBA#imgdii=_&imgrc=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%3BdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.salamandersociety.com%252Fproxy%252F051022three_faces_eve.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fexmormon.org%252Fd6%252Fdrupal%252FVeils-on-Women-in-Mormon-Temple-question%3B698%3B638



For Men:
https://www.google.com/search?q=photo+of+lds+temple+clothes&rlz=1C1TSNP_enUS489US489&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=767&tbm=isch&imgil=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%253BdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fexmormon.org%25252Fd6%25252Fdrupal%25252FVeils-on-Women-in-Mormon-Temple-question&source=iu&pf=m&fir=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%252CdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%252C_&usg=__07rFuanL7-Zzxpf987ta6yDokEQ%3D&ved=0CEEQyjc&ei=UxflVPDgCNXfoATvmoCoBA#imgdii=_&imgrc=klpKhON953rd2M%253A%3B9ABPmukcu3Xo8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fhome.teleport.com%252F~packham%252Fa2-sign.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fhome.teleport.com%252F~packham%252Ftemples.htm%3B206%3B228

Temple 24/7 garments

https://www.google.com/search?q=photo+of+lds+temple+clothes&rlz=1C1TSNP_enUS489US489&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=767&tbm=isch&imgil=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%253BdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fexmormon.org%25252Fd6%25252Fdrupal%25252FVeils-on-Women-in-Mormon-Temple-question&source=iu&pf=m&fir=w_g9FgbnMeHI6M%253A%252CdL5ilK2sxuh8bM%252C_&usg=__07rFuanL7-Zzxpf987ta6yDokEQ%3D&ved=0CEEQyjc&ei=UxflVPDgCNXfoATvmoCoBA#imgdii=_&imgrc=GfrVa29oRB7m5M%253A%3B-IT_aMKJXM-YqM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fupload.wikimedia.org%252Fwikipedia%252Fcommons%252Fc%252Fcd%252FGarment.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fen.wikipedia.org%252Fwiki%252FTemple_garment%3B640%3B480

Why are the green aprons so wrinkled in all the pictures? Is that typical? Do they have some sort of stitching on them or just nobody ironed them in the photos?

The green aprons have fig-leaves stitched on them.

Thanks Susie. I was hoping someone would have a link to the actual vows and was going to post those pictures as soon as I got back from taking my son to work. That gives a more complete picture of what a real Mormon wedding is like - dismal, isn't it? Comparatively speaking, I mean.

Here is a picture of the patriarchal grip handshake. It's the least I can do, broadcasting their stupid, secret, holy handshakes after they hijacked my wedding day:

http://nowscape.com/mormon/momo-handshake4_500.jpg

My "green apron" was made out of a soft fabric, no ironing, and no wrinkling. Some of the women, in years past made their own.

Wow, those dresses are really sad! I'm sorry if any of you ladies had to wear one of those, plus layers on top??? Must have been very "slimming." Ugh. Thank goodness no photos in the temple-no reminders of the costume party.

Trust me, you feel like the stay puft marshmallow man in all those big puffy layers. The shoulder sash thingy has pleats in it, adding to the fluffy frumpy feeling.

If the temple officiator performs the marriage, is this person licensed to perform a wedding, just like a pastor or priest in another church? I am just curious.

I know just about anyone can get a license to marry on the internet these days, so is that what they do? Or are they licensed through HQ?

In the Methodist Church only a person who is fully ordained can marry or do a baptism. You can graduate from seminary but if you're not fully ordained you can't perform "ordinances." So none of the leaders in the Mormon church are required to go to seminary or any other religious training, I wasn't sure how it worked.

I believe most states recognize just about anyone. I know my father didn't have to have any kind of license to marry when he was a bishop. A notary public can actually be the officiant to sign your marriage license in the state where I was married.

says that So-and-So has the authority to officiate over a marriage, then the State (at least in the US) will recognize it as legal also. Therefore, since the church recognizes the validity of a temple marriage, the State will, also.

This is NOT true in the UK. The rule there is that the marriage ceremony must be open to the public, and since temple weddings are not, the couple must first be married in the Civil Registry office. THAT's the one that is legal in the books. The couple can then go ahead and be married in the temple, but that ceremony alone is not recognized as legal.

I have friends who got married in Poland and it was the same way. They had to have the "legal" ceremony at the registrar's office and the next day they had another ceremony at the Catholic Church.

no mo lurker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have friends who got married in Poland and it
> was the same way. They had to have the "legal"
> ceremony at the registrar's office and the next
> day they had another ceremony at the Catholic
> Church.

That's how it is in *most* of the world outside of the US.
Interesting, isn't in, that the nation with guaranteed separation of church & state, is one of the few that considers religious ceremonies to also be legal state actions? :)

I got married in the Philippines. Even that very heavily Catholic country, which regularly makes laws based on the Catholic church, has this separation. The "legal" wedding was at a civic office at city hall, and it mostly just involved signing legal contracts. No other ceremony is legally required, but most Filipinos then go on to have a Catholic wedding -- we went and did a very nice non-religious one on the beach at sunset :)

Back in the old days, before it was getting popular for women to get their endowments as single people, the bride and groom would go through a temple session. This really juvenile play acting ritual culminates in 'going through the veil' and into the celestial room.

The bridegroom would go through the veil, involving handshakes and secret words, and then they'd turn him around and he would be coached on bring his bride through the veil, at which point he would be told what secret name to give his bride. And he was told that that he needed to remember it, so that when the time came, he would be able to call her to him at the REAL veil, and get her past the sentinels and into the REAL celestial kingdom. But she was NEVER to be told his name!

Also, all the females who went through that day knew my bride's secret name, because everyone gets the same name on each calendar day. I think it says that in the bible... They wouldn't just make that shit up, would they?

Then when all of your party was assembled in the celestial room, and a sealing room was available, you'd go get sealed. Wheee!!

In 1964 I asked my stake patriarch's daughter to marry me. She said yes. I bought a mammoth engagement ring at good ol' Zale's and put it on her. Her mother had a total cow. I'm reasonably certain that she made her husband work with her on getting our bishop to get me to go on a mission. She also used the BoM against me: "Look, it says if they're faithful, their skin will turn white and Delightsome; his is getting DARKER!!" So I put in my papers. Zale's said they wouldn't take the ring back, but the bishop told me he called them and I could go down and get my money back, and I did.

Naturally she dear john'd me, in about five months. I have no idea what ever became of her, but her mother attended that session of the temple and sat her self down to watch me be sealed. And afterwards she was all sweetness and light. Fuckin' bitch...

My life would have been totally different if we'd gotten married and since I like how things have worked out, I guess I owe her. But she's still a fuckin' bitch. She had more priesthood power in her little finger than her husband did in his entire crotch. Everyone in the ward knew who the head of that household was.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2015 06:16PM by elderolddog.

"She had more priesthood power in her little finger than her husband did in his entire crotch."

My husband asked me why I suddenly burst out laughing!

the officiator didn't have us stay seated while he gave his "words of wisdom," but had us kneel at the alter. Then he talked for a long, long time. My legs started going numb. Then they started to have tremors. One of my friends told me it looked like I had an animal under my dress. It was rather obvious how much my legs were SUFFERING. I was barely able to handle going through the "vows." I was on the verge of passing out.

I took my "endowment" out a week prior as I had seen how my sister looked after she did the endowment and wedding in one day (SL temple no less, live session).

Let me tell you about the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and parents/grandparents of the bride at Mormon weddings. My daughter was married in the temple.

The Father of the Bride did not walk the bride down the aisle. There is no aisle. My daughter's father wasn't even allowed inside the temple. He waited outside the temple in the "waiting room." The bride's brothers had not gone on missions, and had not gotten their "endowments," so they couldn't attend the wedding, either. I attended the ceremony, after paying 10% of my income for 5 months, as demanded by my bishop, so I could be "worthy" of going into the temple. Everyone at the ceremony wore Sunday clothes and slippers--no shoes allowed.

The ceremony lasted about 2 1/2 minutes, plus the officiator gave a speech about how the couple should pay tithing, attend church, wear the temple garments day and night, covenant to the church, put the church at the center of their marriage, pray together, and have lots of babies as soon as possible. The bride and groom instructed that this is how they can avoid the pitfalls of divorce. The rings are exchanged after the ceremony is over, as an afterthought: "You can exchange your rings, now." All the time is taken up by the bride and groom changing clothes, and getting everybody into the crowded rooms, etc.

My daughter cried after her temple wedding ceremony, and said, "This isn't how I imagined my wedding--at all!"

The whole atmosphere in the temple is rush, rush, rush. Other brides and grooms were waiting. No visiting afterwards. Bride and Groom must rush to the locker rooms, and change quickly, and be out of there. Outside the temple in the 100-degree heat, brides and grooms had to wait to be photographed at the strategic photo sets: on the hard granite steps, in front of the giant fake door that doesn't open, on a flowered pedestal that puts the temple perfectly in the background, and other places that allows the temple to be the real focus of the photo. The visitors from the waiting room joined some the photos, and smiled as if they had actually been included in the wedding. I told our photographer that we didn't want any temple pictures, but the in-laws insisted. We didn't buy any of those.

The groom's family were all fanatic TBM's. Sadly, his 8 brothers and sisters were all too young to go to the temple, so only his parents and grandmother were at the ceremony. I brought along my brothers and their spouses, and my daughter's aunt and uncle a few cousins, and some friends of the bride and groom who were already married or had been on missions. They were married by a stranger, assigned for weddings that day.

The wedding attendants: My daughter's bridesmaids were all unmarried, and hadn't been through the temple, so they were not allowed in. "Please be my Maid-of-Honor, but you aren't allowed in to my wedding."

The waiting room for the unworthies was overcrowded, and there were not enough seats for everyone. There was a TV with Mormon propaganda going, and Mormon pamphlets and magazines. Since all children are forbidden to go to the temple, they were all in the waiting room. Whenever I was in that situation, I had to try to entertain the kids, and ended up taking them on a quick tour of the grounds. Better to face heat and weather, than be stuck in that ugly, institution-type room, feeling humiliated.

The brides dress gets wrinkled, because a cloak, apron, and sash are tied over it. If the dress's neckline and sleeves are too revealing, the matrons put heavy cloth sleeves and a dickey over the dress. Really ugly. My daughter's hair was also ruined from the heavy veil and hat tied tightly under her chin. At one point, she has to put the veil over her face. Disaster for hair and makeup.

The wedding attendants wear their special dresses and tuxedos at the reception, so time is needed for everyone to rush home and change their clothes.

I told my daughter that her official marriage took place when she and her groom signed the marriage certificate, like they do at City Hall, only they were in a little office. Her REAL wedding was the reception, in our garden, where everyone could celebrate TOGETHER.

I got the impression temple weddings are done quickly to get through everyone who is getting "sealed" that day from watching a video of one of my TBM step sisters getting pictures taken outside the Salt Lake temple in February so she wore a satin t-shirt type of dress in the Utah winter, and in some parts of the video, you can see other couples getting pictures taken in the same spots they did. They had the reception in one of the buildings in the area that had halls for rent, at least the main reception was that way. At least, they weren't getting those pictures taken in the summer, especially with that extra layer of garments.

I'm pretty sure that at any moment, I'll hear about the recent RM announcing her quick engagement, as my youngest step sister just got back from a mission, and her mom is already guilt tripping her into getting married ASAP because she wants to go on a senior mission with her current husband.

Only 2 brides the day I got married in Logan, Utah, so the officiator did talk a long time. Didn't have any other brides in my pictures, ALTHOUGH a guy I worked at the same company with took pictures of me outside the temple because he was at the other wedding. They showed up on the bulletin board at work and I had no clue where they came from at the time.

I wonder if anyone ever just blows up and makes a scene in the waiting room. I know you'd TRY to put up with it, but if it was a close relation, like your son or daughter . . . it would be VERY difficult to bear the audacity of it all.

This sounds sick and just sad :(

shiningwaters Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This sounds sick and just sad :(


And another person realizes that the mormon church is a cult.

This stuff sounds kinda like a cult.

And, by the way, the wedding vows are not to each other. The
bride and groom only make vows to the Church. You end up
marrying the Church, not each other.

I first realized this when one of my children, during a joking
mood, said that I had promised to love my wife in our wedding
vows. I then realized that I'd done no such thing. The only
vows I made were to the Church.

1 - 2 - 3 can we all say AMERICAN TALIBAN? YIKES!
That outfit the women are wearing are reeking of Taliban clothes except for the veil is made of someone's sheer curtains. Really?

I'm so happy I'm not getting married in a temple. I was at my Brothers, and it was just a huge bummer, I don't know how else to describe it. It's not that I didn't know what was going on in their or sad that I wasn't in the room with them; Something about it just seemed contrived, and forced. Nothing about actually getting married in a temple makes me envious in any way. I can't wait for the shitfit my parents lay down when I do get married, and when it's not to a mormon.

I feel sorry for Mormon brides. They hear all their lives about how wonderful temple weddings are, then.....

No music, no flowers, no walk down the aisle with dad, no personalized vows, no love or honor or cherish, no "with this ring", and (if they aren't "worthy") no mom to help you dress or hugs from sister's or grandpa beaming from his seat.....beautiful dress hidden underneath the temple robe, groom dressed up like a baker, weird veil messing up your hair, temple matrons tisking about a little too much skin showing, officiant who doesn't know you droning on about paying tithing....

What a huge disappointment.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/2015 05:29AM by caedmon.

Think of it as a Masonic costume party, laced with double entendre.

As a mason, I resent any comparison to our rituals.

It's bad enough the horny Joe stole them in the first place!