Traditional Wedding 2

I presume everyone is familiar with a wedding in the Novus Ordo - bride and groom taking their places at the front of church, a hymn to start the proceedings, the beginning of Mass as usual, if it is to be a Mass, or a Collect, if it is to be a 'simple' wedding, the readings, a sermon, and then the wedding, followed by the signing of the register and photos of same, a hymn and then the rest of the Mass as usual or the exit from church.
In a 'Traditional' Wedding, the bride enters the church in the usual way, the groom joins her and they make their way to the priest who is standing 'at the altar-gates', so says the Ritual.  The Wedding Service takes place immediately, very short and to the point - though in my recent wedding we made sure that the modern vows and civil statements were properly woven into the service.  The Marriage Register was signed as usual - photo on an earlier blog.  But then the newly married couple were taken onto the sanctuary and placed at special priedieux for the Wedding Mass; they were taken up to the top step of the altar on three occasions, after the Pater Noster, for Holy Communion and finally at the Blessing of the Mass, before exiting triumphantly from the church. Our recent wedding Mass was a Solemn High Mass, celebrant, deacon and subdeacon, plenty of servers around the altar, tons of smells and bells, choir singing wonderfully throughout the Mass.  A most wonderful, colourful, spectacle, which impressed even those who had never before seen a Traditional Latin Mass. I love doing weddings, but nothing could beat this for a beautiful statement of the importance of Marriage to the Catholic Church.