from Verna’s Customs of Calatini

Wedding ceremonies in Calatini range from simple ceremonies to grandiose affairs. Nearly all weddings are performed at temples before midday. Although no attire is standard, most dress in their best. The simplest weddings include only the bride, groom, two witnesses, and officiating priest. More elaborate weddings have additional guests and sometimes additional witnesses. Regardless, the basic ceremony is the same, although more elaborate weddings tend to add liturgy and rituals.

After the guests arrive, the priest opens the ceremony by praying for the Goddess’s blessing. With the groom on the left, the bride and groom walk to the altar side by side but not touching. They are followed by their witnesses with the groom witness on the left. Some couples choose to have music played during their procession. At the altar, the bride and groom stand in the center before the priest, and their witnesses flank them. The priest reads sacred words from the Goddess about love and marriage then gives a sermon that ranges from a few minutes to over an hour. After the sermon, the priest leads a prayer then begins the vows.

During the vows, the priest crowns the bride and groom with their wedding garlands. Wedding garlands are crowns made from seasonal plants, like wheat, roses, or autumn leaves. The two garlands are bound together with twined ribbon, and this twined ribbon is tied to the couple’s marriage tokens. Worn on the left, marriage tokens are items that can be worn daily, like rings, lockets, or matching adornments. After the couple and their witness confirm the couple is wedding by their own free will, the priest binds the couple’s left hands with the twined ribbon from the wedding garlands. Then the bride and groom say their vows and exchange their marriage tokens.

If the couple is entering into a bloodbinding, the priest cuts their left palms and uses their blood to magically infuse their marriage tokens and bind their life forces together. However, only the most devoted couples do this when marrying, although some couples do this when they reaffirm their vows several years later. Since their life forces are bound, adultery is excruciating for bloodbound couples, and they enjoy better health until one partner dies. Most often the surviving partner dies soon after the first. Bloodbound couples can only bear offspring with each other, so royalty and first borns rarely enter into bloodbindings.

After the exchange of tokens (or binding of life forces for bloodbound couples), the priest prays to the Goddess for a blessed life for the couple then announces them to the witnesses and guests. Their hands now joined, the couple exits with the priest and their witnesses to sign the matrimony certificates, which are sent to the Great Temple in Ormas. The couple removes their wedding garlands after signing the certificates. If they have guests, the couple and witnesses often rejoin them at another location for a reception celebrating their marriage.