Inside TomKat's Scientology Ceremony

(CBS)  Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes will marry Saturday in a Scientology ceremony — a wedding that is full of mystery for most people.

A Scientology wedding shares many similarities with Christian or Jewish ceremonies that most Americans are familiar with, but it has some important differences.

"Much of it is more traditional that you'd think," Scientology minister Jeffrey Quiros told The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman. "The bride's family's on one side, the groom's on the other. There's a processional. The bride's father gives the bride away."

Theology professor Dr. Sarah Sumner says the big difference is the way Scientologists look at God.

"In a Christian wedding, the primary witness of the wedding is God himself and in a Scientology wedding, God is recognized as an abstraction," she said. There's not a personal God. So there is no presence of a deity. I think that's the biggest difference."

A basic tenet of Scientology is the ARC triangle which represents affinity, reality and communication.

"The bride and groom are reminded that it's through communication," Quiros said. "You're going to build mutual reality and respect for one another and build your affinity for one another and have a long lasting relationship."

Cruise and Holmes watchers predict the big Italian wedding is just a prelude to even bigger news.

"She's rumored to already be pregnant again," said Meaghan Murphy, a reporter for Star magazine. "She was seen at Barney's just last week and she was sporting a bump."

In the past two weeks, the couple has been seen at their son's football games, looking relaxed and enjoying the spotlight.

"Tom was just totally happy to sign autographs, take pictures with everyone, say hello to all the cheerleaders," Murphy said. "He was just about as friendly as can be."

With a wedding this high-profile, it's not surprising some of the spotlight is shining on the church of Scientology. One Scientology book has a thousand pages of ceremonies and sermons. There are five different types of weddings. Instead of "in sickness and health" the couple vows to share misery and triumph.

"The bride and groom are asked to vow to one another that they're never going to go to sleep, never going to close their eyes and sleep on a misunderstanding or disagreement or an argument, that they're going to communicate their way through it before they close their eyes," Quiros said. "Well, in one of the ceremonies, the minister asks the audience, 'These people have decided to spend their lives together. Do we agree?' And we ask the audience to participate. And sometimes they clap."

[mrsbass6]

Anything you compromise to keep you will eventually loose.Marriage was ordained by God for a man and a women.Please don't write me on this issue.

[tinker3478]

If you are saying scientology works and you would love to have all Tom's riches, why aren't you practicing it too?

[mango555-2009]

Tom Cruise is a great guy and a great actor. People here miss that he is successful because Scientology is available and works. If I had his money I would do the same thing -- go to an exotic locale and get married -- and I've seen this ceremony done before. It is beautiful as well as philosophic. Could you say your relationship is as good as his? Good luck Tom, don't listen to the raving loonies.... M5

[olebd]

I'd like to see him get squirted with water again. THAT WAS SO FUNNY!!!

[bobgee_1999]

Scientology is goofy. All religions are. There's even one middle-eastern religion that believes a man came back from the dead and walked on water. Silly stuff.

I don't care much for either of them as actors but it does seem to me that they have a genuine love for eachother and I do hope their marriage works out with all that money they poured into it. I think it's a little crazy how much she spent on her perfume. Some people just have nothing better to do than show off all their luxuries. To be an actor you don't need a college degree to make more money than a all those people who go to college to get a good paying job. It's rediculous how much they are paid to do what they do. And also get freebees along the way.

[tinker3478]

WooWoo-big deal-then they jump over a stick and live happily ever after until eight weeks after bump #2 is born and they split citing irreconcilable differences. Wonder what the scientology process for pre-nups and divorces/

[pearson30]

I am very happy for this couple. They are a beautiful couple with a beautiful family. As parents, they put their children first. I think everyone could learn from this article that the idea of not going to bed angry makes a lot of sense. Those who call them wacky are whackjobs themselves with no lives except to put others down!

[grumpas]

missyj1964: Nicole Kidman decided in 2000 Scientology was not for her and she stopped practicing it! In 2001 Tom Cruise left suddenly without any explanation and divorced her. It doesn't seem like any small coincidence to me this happened! Since then she has returned to Catholicism and had the marriage annulled. She married in June 2006 in Sidney to Keith Urban in a Catholic Ceremony in Sidney! She is one of my all time favorites! She deserved a lot better than Tom Cruise! The adopted children were at her wedding! But, my information is he doesn't allow much contact with them! Katie should have been smart enough to pay attention to that situation! She could be in for a rough road if she changes her mind about Scientology!

[missyj1964]

Am I the only one who has noticed that you never see the other 2 kids from the Nicole Kidman days with Nicole? Those 2 are always with Tom. Did he get sole custody? I wonder if Nicole is still a Weirdo-ologist now that she and Tom aren't married. So much to ponder....