Wedding question

[Sister Alvear]

If a couple have had sex before marriage would you let them marry in your church with the bride in white?

Are their general rules the American church goes by or does every church do their own thing?
How serious does the American church deal with fornication?

[seguidordejesus]

Did Felicity log in as Sis. Alvear??? j/k Felicity

Sis. Alvear, in my experience, they did not call attention to the bride by not having her wear white. In my parts, it's sort of a tradition not to be married in white for a second marriage, but that's a different issue altogether.

[rgcraig]

Another question. Does the pastor ask each couple before they marry if they have abstained?

[Ron]

Judgement begins at the house of God.

If they are in the Church and no longer are "doing" it, God has forgiven them, so it is as if they have never done it.

Besides wearing white is mostly traditional anyway.

[freeatlast]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Another question. Does the pastor ask each couple before they marry if they have abstained?

Good greif..we meddle in to much affairs.

Let them marry in white.

Please tell me where in the bible do we get our instructions that a bride wears a white wedding dress anyway. Or where does it say if said bride is not a virgin that the pastor should shame her in her happiest of days!!

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

If a couple have had sex before marriage would you let them marry in your church with the bride in white?

Are their general rules the American church goes by or does every church do their own thing?
How serious does the American church deal with fornication?

It would depend if they came in from the world yes. But if they are saints then no. If they have genuinely repented I would marry them but she couldn't wear white. I think most pastors would not allow the bride to wear white.

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by freeatlast

Good greif..we meddle in to much affairs.

Let them marry in white.

Please tell me where in the bible do we get our instructions that a bride wears a white wedding dress anyway. Or where does it say if said bride is not a virgin that the pastor should shame her in her happiest of days!!

LOL!

I just can't imagine a minister asking the question myself! Unfortunately, I'm sure there are some that have.

"What has come to be viewed as the 'traditional' white wedding dress is of recent invention. Up until Victorian times brides decked themselves out in their best finery; they did not rush out to buy something new for the occasion. The ostentatiously impractical white dress became popular among the Victorian upper classes chiefly for its defects: one had to be well off to afford such an opulent creation, one which would only be worn once."

http://www.snopes.com/weddings/customs/dress.asp

Regardless, what matters is that people still think "impure" if a bride dresses in anything but white. Because of that, where I'm from at least, if a bride is wanting to be known as pure she wears white. Many people who have fornicated, however, wear white just to please tradition, to avoid embarrassment, or just because they prefer it. I have never seen anyone throw a fit because someone wore white who "wasn't pure." This is an observation from a middle class, southern American perspective.

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by Steve Epley

It would depend if they came in from the world yes. But if they are saints then no. If they have genuinely repented I would marry them but she couldn't wear white. I think most pastors would not allow the bride to wear white.

So, you would ask them in order to know whether she should wear white or not?

[freeatlast]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

LOL!

I just can't imagine a minister asking the question myself! Unfortunately, I'm sure there are some that have.

You don't run in the same circle Epley runs in apparently