Portugal Wedding Guide - Church Wedding Etiquette and Protocol

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Portugal Wedding Guide

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Church Wedding Etiquette and Protocol

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Are you thinking of celebrating a religious wedding in Portugal? If you choose to celebrate a catholic wedding ceremony there are some procedures and etiquette to follow.

Church wedding etiquette and protocol

Religious weddings mean some extra care due to etiquette and protocol for your wedding day at church. For example who will take the seats on the right side and who will take the left side? Who will take the rings? Who walks first into the church?

All these and many other questions are part of everything you need to know about your wedding etiquette and protocol in the Church.

The Wedding Guests

The wedding guests usually do not really know where to sit because normally they are the first in church. Considering that the bride sits on the left side of the altar, the family and guests of the bride must sit on the same side. The groom sitting on the opposite side will have his guests sitting behind him on the right side.

Usually depending on how many family members are invited, it is usual to reserve the first rows of pews for family and close friends of both families.

Church Entrance:

Firstly the wedding guests;

Then the groom with his mother and he should remain standing at the altar waiting for the bride;

Next come the bridesmaids and the ring bearers;

Last but not least, the bride with her father on her right-hand side and holding the bouquet with her left hand.

Inside the church and after all the wedding guests are already in their places, the groom walks down the altar with his mother. At the altar he waits with his best man and watches the ushers/groomsmen and the bridesmaids walk down the aisle also to wait standing for the bride. The maid of honor then walks in, the flower girl and ring bearer following. The last is the bride on her father's left arm or on the arm of a close male relative. She can also walk to the front by herself if she chooses.

Photo by Maria Rao Photography

Best man and maid of honor

Normally the best man is a close friend or relative of the groom and takes care of the wedding rings. The maid of honor, on the other hand, is responsible in helping the bride to make sure that everything is in place during the ceremony.

During the wedding ceremony in Portugal:

One of the most symbolic moments in a wedding ceremony in Portugal is after the priest pronounces the couple "husband and wife". This is when the bride lifts her veil, which must be done with the help of her husband.

Photo by Maria Rao Photography

Wedding rings

Regarding the wedding rings, they should be carried to the priest by the ring bearer or by the best man. The ring is placed on the left finger and the groom puts the ring on the bride first.

Photo by Maria Rao Photography

Leaving the church

When the wedding ceremony in Portugal comes to an end, the newlyweds and their godparents go on to sign the Church register. Once the papers are signed the groom gives his right arm to the bride and walks out of the church where they will be received with petal roses and rice. For the rest of the guests and family the procedure to exit the Church is the opposite, that is, first exit the wedding guests, then family, bridesmaids and ushers/groomsmen and finally the newlyweds.

CREDITS:

Wedding Photography: Maria Rao Photography

Wedding Venue: The Quinta - My Vintage Wedding in Portugal