During a wedding, when the preacher says "speak now or forever hold your peace," what happens if someone objects? Can a wedding be stopped? If yes, what are the legitimate reasons to stop a wedding?

This was my personal experience:

One day, a certain church needed my expertise. So, I went down to help. Unknown to me, a wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place at that church that day. I was sitting in the congregation along with all the guests.

The wedding ceremony had started and the church was filled to capacity. When I looked at the place where the groom was seated, I was deeply shocked. I knew that man very well. We used to be part of the same congregation before he moved on to become a deacon into another church.  He then got married in that other church. How came was he about to get married again? My mind was running in every direction.

The church minister had just given a sermon on marriage. Finally the time come for the vow and my heart started to race.
I was about to witness the wedding of a man of God who I knew was previously married.

Then, the frantic part of the event came.
“If anyone here can show just cause as to why these two may not be joined together, let him speak now - or forever hold his peace."
In all weddings I have been to, this phrase is greeted by silence.

I had no idea what went through my mind at that time. All I remember is that my hand went up into the air to request an objection. The church minister looked at me and said “Yes, my brother.”
I was on my feet. All eyes of the congregation were upon me. I didn’t believe I was doing this. It was too late to undone what I had already started. Everything seemed like a dream at this point. It was a very weird moment.

I first started by apologizing to the congregation. I stated that I had no idea a wedding was going to take place when I came to the church. I explained how shocked I was to see Brother X about to get married as he had already been married. I then requested if someone could shed some light before proceeding with the vows.  I finished speaking and rested my case. I was back on my seat.

The congregation was shocked. We were in complete silent. Brother X rushed to the microphone. He was a charismatic man of God who could preach well, thus had no problem defending his case. Facing the congregation, Brother X said he was misled by his previous church and ended up by getting married to the wrong person. He said his first marriage was a big mistake.

Then, the church minister took over the microphone to corroborate brother X’s arguments. The minister said Brother X ‘s first marriage wasn’t his will nor the will of God but the will of his previous church.  For instance, the first wife had four kids and it was only after the wedding that brother X was aware of this fact. His previous church hid this fact from him before the wedding.

None of the reasons given neither by the church minister nor by brother X convinced me that Brother X had a solid case for leaving his first wife in order to marry again. Adding to that, Brother X was a man of God and I believe he should keep a marriage vow to a high standard by avoiding divorce at any cost.

Nevertheless, the vows went on the couple was proclaim husband and wife.

The next day, I received a call from a friend of the bride’s family. The bride’s family wanted details as they had not been aware the groom had been previously married.
I said, “The time to speak up was before the vows. Now that the couple had already been pronounced husband and wife, I had to hold my peace”. I explained we couldn’t speak about this anymore.

Back to my original questions:
During a wedding, when the preacher says "speak now or forever hold your peace," what happens if someone objects? Can a wedding be stopped? If yes, what are the legitimate reasons to stop a wedding?
Has anyone in the forum ever witness a wedding ceremony get stopped?

OMG.


lord have mercy, because the day judgment starts raining down on Christians, it wont be funny.

TheCongo:

During a wedding, when the preacher says "speak now or forever hold your peace," what happens if someone objects? Can a wedding be stopped? If yes, what are the legitimate reasons to stop a wedding?

This was my personal experience:

One day, a certain church needed my expertise. So, I went down to help. Unknown to me, a wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place at that church that day. I was sitting in the congregation along with all the guests.

The wedding ceremony had started and the church was filled to capacity. When I looked at the place where the groom was seated, I was deeply shocked. I knew that man very well. We used to be part of the same congregation before he moved on to become a deacon into another church.  He then got married in that other church. How came was he about to get married again? My mind was running in every direction.

The church minister had just given a sermon on marriage. Finally the time come for the vow and my heart started to race.
I was about to witness the wedding of a man of God who I knew was previously married.

Then, the frantic part of the event came.
“If anyone here can show just cause as to why these two may not be joined together, let him speak now - or forever hold his peace."
In all weddings I have been to, this phrase is greeted by silence.

I had no idea what went through my mind at that time. All I remember is that my hand went up into the air to request an objection. The church minister looked at me and said “Yes, my brother.”
I was on my feet. All eyes of the congregation were upon me. I didn’t believe I was doing this. It was too late to undone what I had already started. Everything seemed like a dream at this point. It was a very weird moment.

I first started by apologizing to the congregation. I stated that I had no idea a wedding was going to take place when I came to the church. I explained how shocked I was to see Brother X about to get married as he had already been married. I then requested if someone could shed some light before proceeding with the vows.  I finished speaking and rested my case. I was back on my seat.

The congregation was shocked. We were in complete silent. Brother X rushed to the microphone. He was a charismatic man of God who could preach well, thus had no problem defending his case. Facing the congregation, Brother X said he was misled by his previous church and ended up by getting married to the wrong person. He said his first marriage was a big mistake.

Then, the church minister took over the microphone to corroborate brother X’s arguments. The minister said Brother X ‘s first marriage wasn’t his will nor the will of God but the will of his previous church.  For instance, the first wife had four kids and it was only after the wedding that brother X was aware of this fact. His previous church hid this fact from him before the wedding.

None of the reasons given neither by the church minister nor by brother X convinced me that Brother X had a solid case for leaving his first wife in order to marry again. Adding to that, Brother X was a man of God and I believe he should keep a marriage vow to a high standard by avoiding divorce at any cost.

Nevertheless, the vows went on the couple was proclaim husband and wife.

The next day, I received a call from a friend of the bride’s family. The bride’s family wanted details as they had not been aware the groom had been previously married.
I said, “The time to speak up was before the vows. Now that the couple had already been pronounced husband and wife, I had to hold my peace”. I explained we couldn’t speak about this anymore.

Back to my original questions:
During a wedding, when the preacher says "speak now or forever hold your peace," what happens if someone objects? Can a wedding be stopped? If yes, what are the legitimate reasons to stop a wedding?
Has anyone in the forum ever witness a wedding ceremony get stopped?

personally, I have not.

@The congo,uve got guts I cudnt have done that.lolz
I have never expereinced or heard of such except in Naija home Videos.
I wont interfere in anyones wedding cos I believe anyone getting married shld have done his/her homework(which include such checks) well b4 the weddding.Life get as e be and ppl mis-interpret kind getsures

tpiah:

OMG.


lord have mercy, because the day judgment starts raining down on Christians, it wont be funny.

Seconded.

The wrath poured upon Sodom and Gomorrah will be nothing compared to that of this generation.