Maronite Wedding Traditions
A Maronite wedding is the Mystery of Crowning. The rite is one of the seven sacred mysteries of the Maronite Catholic Church, and its distinguishing gesture is the placing of crowns on the heads of the bride and groom. The crowns are a sign of royalty, of the new household the couple is founding, and of the willingness to lay down one's life for the other, the martyrdom of self-gift.
The liturgy is ancient. Its roots reach back to the Syriac Christian communities of the first centuries, and its prayers carry phrases older than almost any surviving Western wedding rite. Around the liturgy, Lebanese culture has added its own gestures: the formal engagement of the two families, the bridal gold, the long processional dance with drums and flutes, the family meal that runs past midnight. This article treats the two separately. What follows is, first, the rite the Church celebrates, and second, the customs the culture brings with it.
The Mystery of Crowning
The Maronite rite of marriage has two services, historically celebrated on different days but now almost always combined into one liturgy: the Service of Betrothal and the Service of Crowning. The full rite takes roughly ninety minutes and is usually celebrated within the Maronite Qurbono, the Divine Liturgy.
The Service of Betrothal
The first part is the formal exchange of consent, modeled on the ancient betrothal of the Church. The couple stand before the priest at the entrance of the sanctuary.
The rite of covenant. The priest asks the bride and groom if they come freely and without reservation. Their hands are joined, right hand to right hand, and the priest blesses the covenant between them. The language is shared with the oldest Syriac marriage liturgies.
The blessing and giving of the rings. The rings are blessed and placed on the right hand of each spouse. In the Eastern tradition the right hand is the hand of authority and blessing. Scripture is full of phrases about "the right hand of God"; Syriac, Byzantine, and Maronite Christians wear their wedding rings on that hand for the same reason.
The blessing of the ornaments. The bride's veil, the bridegroom's cincture or belt, and any other wedding attire brought to the altar are blessed. In Lebanese tradition, the gold jewelry given to the bride is sometimes blessed here too.
The Service of Crowning
The second part is the sacramental seal of the marriage. It is where the word "Maronite wedding" is most visible to anyone who has ever attended one.
The blessing of the crowns. The priest lifts the two crowns and prays one of the oldest marriage prayers of the Antiochene Church. "Like a crown God has adorned the earth with flowers, the heavens with stars. May he bless these crowns through the prayers of the Mother of God and all the saints." The crowns may be metal, flowers, or wreaths of myrtle and olive. In diaspora practice they are usually matching wreaths, kept by the couple after the wedding.
The crowning. The priest places a crown on the bride's head and a crown on the groom's head. The congregation stands. The crowns are a double image: of the crowns of a new king and queen, founding a household that is the church of their home; and of the crown of martyrdom, because married love is a daily laying down of one's life for the other.
The hymn of Saint Ephrem. As the crowns are set, the choir sings Saint Ephrem the Syrian's hymn to Christ the heavenly bridegroom. Ephrem died in 373 AD. His hymns have shaped Syriac Christian spirituality for sixteen centuries, and they are the proper music of a Maronite wedding.
Psalm 127 and the sedro prayer. Verses of Psalm 127, "Unless the Lord builds the house," are sung. The long sedro prayer invokes God "who fashioned Adam and Eve in paradise" and asks his blessing on the new household.
The removal of the crowns. Toward the close, the priest lifts the crowns from the couple's heads with a prayer of thanksgiving. The rite ends with the final blessing of the couple and, in most parishes, the reception of Holy Communion.
Who ministers the sacrament
A difference from the Roman rite worth noting. In the Latin Church, the bride and groom are the ministers of the sacrament and the priest is the Church's witness. In the Maronite Church, as in all Eastern Catholic Churches, the priest is the minister of the sacrament and the priestly blessing is required for validity. This is why a Maronite wedding is never a quiet civil ceremony with a blessing afterward. The crowning is the marriage.
Language and music
The liturgy is celebrated in a mixture of Syriac, Arabic, and the local language of the congregation. Syriac, the liturgical descendant of the Aramaic Jesus spoke, is always present, at minimum in the congregational responses and the chants. In diaspora parishes the rite is often sung in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish, with Syriac and Arabic for the most ancient chants.
Lebanese Wedding Culture
Around the church rite, Lebanese culture has built a wedding day that is, by any measure, long. The customs below are shared across Lebanese communities, Christian and Muslim. They are cultural, not liturgical. A couple married in the Maronite rite in Paris may skip most of them; a wedding at a village in Mount Lebanon will observe them all.
The khitbeh, the formal engagement
The khitbeh (خطبة) is the official engagement, held weeks or months before the wedding. Traditionally the groom's family visits the bride's family, bringing gifts and sweets. Blessings and short speeches are exchanged, rings are given, and the engagement is announced. Today it is often held in a hall or restaurant and doubles as the first public celebration of the couple.
The mahr and the bridal gold
The mahr (مهر) is the bridal gift from the groom to the bride, traditionally in gold: a set of bracelets, earrings, a necklace, sometimes coins. It is the bride's property and a sign of commitment and of the groom's care for her future. In practice, families on both sides often contribute jewelry, and the bride wears the gold on the wedding day as a blessing from both households.
The zaffeh
The zaffeh (زفة) is the signature Lebanese wedding processional, loud and celebratory and unmistakable. It is led by drummers on the tabla and derbakeh, a reed pipe called the mizmar or zurna, sometimes bagpipes, and dancers. The groom is led first, then joined by the bride, and together they enter the church or the reception hall with the whole procession in song. Sung verses narrate their love story, praise the families, and pray blessing on the day. A zaffeh at a Maronite wedding can last thirty minutes.
Dabke
The dabke (دبكة) is the line dance of the Levant, danced at almost every Maronite wedding reception. Guests link hands, follow a lead dancer, and stomp in rhythm. It is the cultural heartbeat of the celebration and often returns throughout the night.
Arak, mezze, and the table
The reception table is long. Arak, the anise spirit cut with water and ice, is served throughout. Mezze follows: hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush, kibbeh, grape leaves, labneh, muhammara. The main course is often lamb, whole-roasted ouzi or mishwi. Sweets close the evening: baklava, knefeh, and sugared almonds (mlabas) passed to guests as a blessing.
Family and the role of the ishbeen
Family is the center of a Maronite wedding. The ishbeen (godfather to the groom) and ishbeena (godmother to the bride) accompany the couple through the rite and, traditionally, through the early years of their marriage. They are witnesses in more than a legal sense.
The Wedding in the Diaspora
More Maronites now live outside Lebanon and Syria than within. Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Canada, the United States, France, and Mexico all have long-established Maronite communities, each with their own parishes, priests, and cultural blends. The rite of crowning is the same in every country. The customs around it adapt.
United States. Celebrated in the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn and the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles. Weddings are usually mostly in English with Syriac and Arabic for the oldest chants. The zaffeh and the dabke are nearly universal.
Brazil and Argentina. The largest Lebanese communities in the world outside Lebanon. Weddings are celebrated in Portuguese or Spanish with Syriac chant preserved. See our guides to Maronites in Brazil.
Australia. Our Lady of Lebanon at Harris Park in Sydney is a major hub. Large zaffehs with professional troupes are standard.
France. The Maronite mission in Paris and communities in Marseille and Lyon celebrate weddings that often blend French banquet style with Lebanese mezze and the inevitable zaffeh. See Maronites in France.
A universal diaspora pattern: a civil ceremony first (required by the law of the host country), then the sacramental rite in the Maronite church on the same or the following day, then the reception in a hall. The zaffeh troupe is hired weeks in advance.
What a Roman Catholic Guest Will Notice
Visitors from the Latin rite sometimes arrive expecting a familiar Catholic wedding and are surprised. The most visible differences.
Crowns on the couple. Unmistakable, and central to the rite.
Rings on the right hand. Not the left.
Syriac and Arabic chant. Including phrases in the language Jesus spoke.
Priest as minister. The priestly blessing, not the spouses' consent alone, seals the sacrament.
Two parts, sung throughout. Betrothal and Crowning, usually within a full Qurbono.
Incense, icons, and a great deal of standing. The liturgy is Eastern. The congregation is more active than in most Latin Masses.
Preparing for a Maronite Wedding
Couples preparing to marry in the Maronite rite should contact their parish priest at least six months ahead of the intended date. Most eparchies require the couple to complete a marriage preparation program and to provide baptismal and confirmation certificates. Interchurch and interfaith marriages require dispensation from the eparch; the parish priest handles the paperwork. Diaspora couples should confirm early that their civil and church requirements align, as the order and timing differ by country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Maronite wedding ceremony?
A Maronite wedding is the Mystery of Crowning, an Eastern Catholic sacramental rite in two parts: the Service of Betrothal and the Service of Crowning. The distinguishing gesture is the placing of crowns on the heads of the bride and groom. The liturgy is celebrated in a mixture of Syriac, Arabic, and the local language, usually within the Maronite Qurbono (Divine Liturgy).
Why do Maronites wear rings on the right hand?
In the Eastern tradition the right hand is the hand of authority and blessing. Scripture and the liturgy repeatedly invoke the right hand of God. Maronite, Syriac, Byzantine, and many Eastern Christian couples wear their wedding rings on the right hand for this reason, not the left as in the Latin West.
How long does a Maronite wedding take?
Around ninety minutes for the liturgy itself, from the entrance to the final blessing. The full celebration, including the zaffeh, reception, and meal, runs late into the night.
What is the difference between a Maronite wedding and a Roman Catholic wedding?
The Maronite rite includes the placing of crowns on the couple, a two-part structure (Betrothal and Crowning), rings on the right hand, Syriac chant, and the hymns of Saint Ephrem. The priest is the minister of the sacrament rather than the spouses. The liturgy is usually celebrated within the Maronite Qurbono. A Roman Catholic wedding has no crowns and typically places the rings on the left hand.
What is a zaffeh?
The zaffeh is the Lebanese wedding processional that accompanies the couple from the church or the home to the reception. It is announced by drummers, a reed pipe (mizmar or zurna), sometimes bagpipes, and dancers. It is a cultural custom shared across Lebanese communities. Almost every Maronite wedding, in Lebanon and the diaspora, includes one.
Can a non-Catholic marry a Maronite Catholic?
Yes, with dispensation from the local eparch. The rite of crowning is still celebrated, though some elements may be adapted. Pastoral preparation and paperwork are handled by the parish priest. Couples should speak with their priest early in their preparation.
What does the crown mean in a Maronite wedding?
The crowns are a double image. They signify the royalty of the new household, the bride and groom as king and queen of the little church they are founding. They also signify the crown of martyrdom, because married love is a daily laying down of one's life for the other. Both meanings are ancient in the Syriac tradition.
See also: The Maronite tradition. Saint Maron. Eastern Christianity. Maronites in Lebanon. Maronites in the USA.