How Scientologists get married

PARIS: The Church of Scientology provides for several kinds of wedding ceremony for its followers, but according to tradition the husband "may promise to provide her (his wife) with "a pan, a comb, perhaps a cat."   

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes will provide the most high-profile Scientologists' wedding to date this weekend.   

According to unconfirmed reports in the Italian media, American Scientology leader David Miscavige will fly in from Los Angeles to preside over the event.   

According to the Scientologists' book The Background, Ministry, Ceremonies and Sermons of the Scientology Religion, there are five versions of the Scientologist wedding ceremony: traditional, informal, single ring, double ring, and concise double ring, all of varying length and formality.   

Scientology's "traditional ceremony" includes such advice to the groom as "Now --, girls need clothes and food and tender happiness and frills, a pan, a comb, perhaps a cat. All caprice if you will, but still they need them."   

The bride is told:  "Hear well, sweet -----, for promise binds. Young men are free and may forget. Remind him that you may have necessities and follies, too."