• Officiating at Weddings 2-5

• Use of the Kingdom Hall 6

1. Weddings that are organized in harmony with Bible principles honor Jehovah. This is especially true with regard to weddings that are held at the Kingdom Hall.

2. If available, an elder should be used to officiate at a Christian wedding. A couple may request a specific elder to deliver their wedding talk. Otherwise, the body of elders may select an elder to do so. In many lands, the government authorizes ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses to solemnize marriages.​—w06 10/15 pp. 18-23.

3. An elder may officiate at a wedding of two Christians or of two unbaptized publishers who are progressing toward baptism. (1 Cor. 7:39; 2 Cor. 6:14; w04 7/1 pp. 30-31) Before agreeing to do so, he should consider the following:

1. (1) Confirm that the prospective bride and groom are Scripturally and legally free to marry, and confirm their standing in their respective congregations. (See 2:4.) Meet with the couple to make tactful but straightforward inquiries about their conduct during courtship.

2. (2) If either the prospective bride or groom was married before, he or she should have provided convincing evidence to the elders that establishes his or her Scriptural freedom to remarry. (Heb. 13:4; see 12:71-76.) The elder officiating at the wedding should confirm this is the case and should review a copy of the divorce decree to confirm that the divorce was finalized. If there is any question about the matter of Scriptural freedom, the body of elders should write to the Service Department to clarify matters before the wedding.

3. (3) An elder officiating a marriage must confirm that he is permitted by law to solemnize a marriage in the town or community where the wedding will take place. (Rom. 13:1) The local authorities may require that a minister who performs weddings register and provide proof of his ordination. In many cases, the authorities will accept a letter signed by the body of elders confirming the brother’s appointment as an elder in the local congregation. If this does not suffice, the elder should determine the exact requirements and then, if necessary, write to the Service Department for assistance. If the elder is not permitted by law to administer the vows, another elder who meets such legal requirements may administer the vows immediately after the wedding talk. The elder who administers the vows would complete the necessary documents.

4. Those who are engaged to be married are in particular need of shepherding by loving elders. Scriptural encouragement can help them make a success of their wedding and their future marriage. They should be encouraged to do research in the Bible and Christian publications. Such prayerful study will strengthen them to remain chaste during courtship and will help them to plan their wedding in a way that will honor Jehovah and leave them with a clean conscience. (1 Cor. 10:31, 32) For example, if they are planning a wedding reception, they should be reminded to review the latest material published by the faithful slave.​—w06 10/15 pp. 18-31; w00 5/1 pp. 19-22; w97 4/15 pp. 23-26; lvs pp. 180-181, 251-252.

5. The wedding talk is based on the outline “Honorable Marriage in God’s Sight” (S-41). The talk should highlight the God-given responsibilities that married couples must assume and carry out in harmony with the Scriptures. The talk should be delivered with love, warmth, dignity, honor, and seriousness. The speaker should resist the temptation to make funny remarks just for the sake of making the audience laugh, since this could betray a lack of respect for the audience and for God.

6. A prospective bride and groom who wish to use a Kingdom Hall for their wedding should submit a written request to the elders well in advance of the wedding date indicating the specific day and time they desire to use the hall. (od pp. 110-111; km 11/08 p. 3) The Congregation Service Committee should meet promptly to consider the following:

1. (1) Confirm that the prospective bride and groom are Scripturally and legally free to marry and that they are in good standing in their respective congregations. (See 2:4.) If this is true of two unbaptized publishers who are progressing toward baptism, they may be approved to use the Kingdom Hall. An undocumented alien may use the Kingdom Hall for his wedding if he meets the civil marriage requirements and he is otherwise qualified as outlined above.​—See 29:3-7.

2. (2) The time of the wedding and any rehearsal should not interfere with scheduled meetings or other scheduled programs at the Kingdom Hall. If other congregations share the hall, the service committee should confirm the hall’s availability with the other service committees.

3. (3) The service committee decides whether there is a need to make a brief announcement to the congregation about the use of the Kingdom Hall for a wedding.

4. (4) The service committee should be kept up-to-date on the couple’s plans regarding the use of the Kingdom Hall. For example, any decoration of the Kingdom Hall or rearrangement of the chairs must be approved by the service committee. Only music from “Sing Out Joyfully” to Jehovah should be used. The wedding party should not include any disfellowshipped person or anyone whose lifestyle grossly conflicts with Bible principles; baptism is not a requirement. Anyone assigned to take photographs or to record the ceremony should do nothing that would cause a distraction during the talk or that in other ways would detract from the seriousness and dignity of the occasion.

5. (5) If it is learned that the couple has engaged in serious wrongdoing that will require handling by a judicial committee, the couple may not use the Kingdom Hall. If neither is disfellowshipped, it is left to the discretion of the elder as to whether he will officiate the wedding at another location.