JW Weddings

sandy

Are witnesses permitted to have non-witnesses (family members) in their wedding party and still hold it at the Kingdom Hall? I forget some of the rules.

StillGroggy

As far as I know, no. but i could be wrong.

My brother is a hurt b/c our brother asked out br-in-law to be in his wedding. Bro-in-law is a total a-hole to put it nicely. Nobody in my family likes him except my mom and brother who are constantly wearing blinders. Anyways, I told my brother he shouldn't be hurt b/c their rules won't allow him to be in the wedding if it's helt at the KH which I know it will be. I told him that's probably the only reason he wasn't asked to be in the wedding. But I don't know if that is right.

LovesDubs

I had one of my co-workers stand up for my wedding in the KH in 87. Nobody even blinked. My husband had his best friend from childhood stand up for him as well and that guy used to do drugs with him. Unless they changed those rules...whose biz is it who stands up in YOUR wedding? Next they would be limiting who can ATTEND your wedding.

nazis.

Zico

At a wedding I went to last year, the groom's sister, who had left the JWs was a bridesmaid.

I don't believe there's an official rule, but if anyone did use a Non-Witness in their wedding party, it would certainly be frowned upon. The guy I mentioned was heavily criticised for allowing his sister to be used (behind his back, of course)

Being the son of a prominent elder probably helped him as well, otherwise he may have been advised against it. Certainly if the Non-Witness was DF'ed it would not be allowed.

Seeker4

The elders have a say on all of this if the wedding is held in a Kingdom Hall. Most congregations will not let a non-Witness be in the wedding party if it's held at the Hall. They also control the music (only Kingdom Melodies). Hell, some bodies of elders will give you a hard time if the wedding party is made up of Witnesses, if some are not so spiritual!

S4

garybuss

I was at a wedding in a Kingdom Hall and the guy getting married was 6' 2" tall and his wife was going to have two girls stand up with her so the guy asked me if I'd stand up with them so he had two standing beside him to balance off the visual element. I'm 6' 3".

His only brother was to be best man and I agreed to stand with them. When the brother showed up to the wedding practice the bride tossed a nose bleed when she saw the brother was only 5' tall.

She raised so much heck with the groom, and she threatened to cut him off till the new order if he had his 5' tall brother stand between him and me. I thought it was all funny as hell. When the groom told me, I pinched a purple spot on my leg with my hand in my pocket to keep from laughing until I got out to my car.
Anyway, the guy fires his own brother as best man because the brother was only 5' tall and he promotes me to best man because I'm 6' 3" tall. The brother stands next to me in third spot. I always figured two guys got screwed that day.

I felt sorry for the brother after I quit laughing. He really was a nice guy. We all went through with it all and the people who were marred are still married, the guys are still brothers, the brother is still short, and I'm still laughing.

POs Son

I had a reply... but all this talk of JW weddings put me right out to sleep.

mama1119

I was always under the impression that wordlys could not be in the wedding, but of course could drop off a gift.

blondie

If a JW "in good standing" is marrying another JW "in good standing," the body of elders in the congregation where the bride and groom want the wedding are the ones that give permission to do so. These same elders also will determine the other details of the wedding, how they wedding party dress, who is in the wedding party, how many in the wedding party, the music that can be used, how the KH will be decorated. So it can vary.

My experience is that definitely no one who has da'd or been df'd can be in the party. In this area, no one who is not a baptized JW "in good standing" can be in the wedding party (stand up).

I have seen elder bodies apply this information when deciding not to allow a non-JW to stand up in the wedding party.

*** w84 4/15 p. 15 par. 18 Christian Weddings That Bring Joy ***

It would be unfitting to have in the wedding party people who are disfellowshipped or whose scandalous life-style grossly conflicts with Bible principles. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

Blondie

JW Weddings

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