Roll Call Thread......

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-27-1998
Roll Call Thread......
1747
Thu, 04-02-2009 - 4:49pm

There are a lot of new posters out there and some old faces, lets all introduce ourselves again...


PumpkinAngel

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 11:49am
No, that is not even remotely the case. Some sanctuaries, for instance are only open to members of a particular faith. Some are open to the public during open services, but not during private services. There is a whole spectrum of open vs closed churches and cathedrals.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 11:50am
And again, these people are from around the nation, not in ONE sub-culture AND know that churches are open to ANYONE.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 11:51am
So your church is not open to anyone for wedding ceremonies? I would suggest asking as I am sure it is :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 11:58am

On what basis have you made the decision that my church is open to "anyone" during wedding ceremonies? That is just silly.

I'm pretty active in our congregation. I think I have served on every lay committee there is to serve on in the past almost two decades. I think I have a better insight than someone who thinks that "Lutheran" churches and "Protestant" churches are pretty much the same thing.

While there is the possibility that there are some rude people (in our area, it would be very rude to show up to a wedding to which you are not invited) who manage to come to a wedding without having an invitation, for the most part, weddings are by invitation only. You do not usually have to show your invitation at the door, but there have been a few high profile weddings in the church where that is indeed the case -- you get a "pew card" to show to the usher who will take you to your assigned spot.

There are also weddings where the invitation is printed in the church newsletter, usually a bride or groom or both who has grown up in the church and who would like to invite the whole congregation to the service.

In our faith, the wedding service is not a "mass" in the sense it is in the Catholic church. It is a more private ceremony.

Avatar for rollmops2009
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 12:06pm
Here the churches really are open, but most people would have the good sense and good manners not to gawk like that. As for crashing a ceremony in a catering hall, that is just inexcusable by any standard.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 12:11pm
You kind of wonder what would have happened if I had decided to show up at Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's wedding....would it be okay to come and get to the church the night before and just stand in line or something? And would it matter if the invited guests couldn't find a place to sit down because of all the gawkers who just wanted to be there? This all seems to be one of those internet kinds of issues, not a real life one.
Avatar for rollmops2009
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 12:23pm
I suspect they had a wee bit of security at that one, lol. However, both where I grew up and where I live now, the normal thing to do if you want to gawk is to stay outside the church and hope for a glimpse of the couple as they arrive or leave. Here in Greece, the father hands over the bride to the groom outside the church (the groom waits by the door), whereas in the north your best bet for a glimpse is as the newly-weds leave the church. Either way, it is not generally considered cool to crash the actual ceremony.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 12:48pm
It sounds like an East Coast thing.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 12:51pm
Yes well I don't think there is an invitation for this wedding crashing tradition.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-20-2009
Tue, 04-21-2009 - 12:53pm

"If you ask, you won't know if they allow it."

Well this statement really does say a lot. It sounds like you know it's wrong & tacky, if you don't want to be up front & ask.

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