Banns (noun)

1. An announcement of a forthcoming marriage made in a church, typically on three consecutive Sundays before the wedding date.
2. An official notice of a proposed marriage, usually posted in a church or other public place.

Origin:

From old english bannian "to summon, proclaim", from proto-germanic *bannan ("to summon, command"), from proto-indo-european *bʰenh₁- ("to spea.k")

Examples:

1. The couple had their banns read in the church for three consecutive Sundays before the wedding.
2. The banns of marriage were posted in the town hall for all to see.
3. The banns were read out loud in the church for all the congregation to hear.
4. The banns were a legal requirement before the wedding could take place.
5. The banns were posted to ensure that no lawful reason existed to prevent the marriage.