How to Honor Mormon Wedding Traditions

Paramount among the Mormon wedding traditions is the act of marrying within the temple. This is the solemn and sacred "sealing" of husband and wife in marriage. The ceremony adheres to strict guidelines and can involve members of the Church who have met certain requirements. Likewise, temple ceremonies can only be attended by members of the Church who also have satisfied specific requirements.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Call the temple you desire to have your ceremony in to arrange for the date and time. Get the phone number for the temple from your bishop. You can also find the information from the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (see Resources below).

2. Schedule an appointment with the bishop and branch president for your interviews. To be married in the temple, you and your future spouse must obtain two "recommends" apiece. One recommend is for the temple and the second is a "Recommend for Living Ordinances."

3. Honor the Mormon faith by dressing appropriately for the wedding ceremony. Check with the temple for specific guidelines, and remember only modest clothing with high necklines and little or no ornamentation is proper for the temple. The bride and groom may wish to change into alternate wedding clothes following the temple service.

4. Invite close family and friends who are members of the Mormon Church and who have current temple recommends to the temple ceremony. These are the only ones who may attend the actual ceremony--others may wait in the temple visitor's center.

5. Adhere to the traditions of the Mormon temple wedding by following all specific guidelines. Note that displays of flowers and photography are not part of a temple ceremony and should not occur anywhere inside the temple. However, you may take pictures on the temple grounds after the ceremony.

6. Obtain two male witnesses for the Mormon marriage ceremony. These men must have current temple recommends and be Melchizedk Priesthood holders. The fathers of the bride and groom can often act in this capacity. However, other witnesses can be chosen by you, or the temple may provide them.

7. Honor the actual "sealing" tradition in which the bride and groom will be joined in "eternal marriage." This is the official ceremony held in a specially designated room in the temple.

8. Honor Mormon wedding traditions by having a reception for friends and family following the 20- to 30-minute temple wedding.

Tips & Warnings

• You may wish to rent traditional wedding clothing from sites like Latter Day Bride or LDS Bridal and Prom to avoid any concerns over what is proper to wear there (see Resources below).
• You must be a member of the Mormon Church for at least 1 year to receive a recommendation to be married in a temple.

Resources

• Find a temple at lds.org
• Temple-appropriate bridal gowns at Latter Day Bride
• LDS Bridal and Prom for temple wedding dresses