The wedding service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an ancient and beautiful ceremony, which has been held in its present form for centuries. The wedding ceremony is full of symbolism and is a great experience if you have never attended one, because it is likely to be quite different from other weddings you have attended in Western Europe. The service is also quite unique in that the bride and groom do not make vows to each other: their presence together in church is taken to mean that they are serious about getting married.

the beginning of the wedding

In most cases, the wedding guests will wait with the groom outside the church until the bride arrives (some wedding professionals will go to the church early to ensure a good seat). In the summer, when most weddings take place, it is not unusual for ceremonies to be staged back-to-back, so guests attending a wedding often stand with those who have just attended the wedding. above as they prepare to leave. Wedding dress commentators in the crowd will be able to consider and talk about at least two brides and maybe even a third as they leave the church – bargain! Meanwhile, the nervous groom waits for the bride at the church entrance, often holding her bouquet. He hands it over to her when they meet and then they walk in together followed by the guests. There is no separation of the guests into guests of the bride and guests of the groom: everyone sits together, and in the case of small churches, many people prefer to stand in a place where they can have a good view of the proceedings.

Betrothal Service

The wedding ceremony itself consists of two parts: the Betrothal Service and the Sacrament of Matrimony Ceremony. The exchange of rings is the center of the Engagement Service. The priest wounds the rings by holding them in his right hand and making the sign of the cross over the heads of the bride and groom. The rings are then placed on the ring fingers of the right hand. The “Koumbaro”, the religious patron of the couple, then exchanges the rings between the fingers of the bride and groom, three times. A series of rituals in the ceremony are repeated three times and this symbolizes the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Ceremony of the Sacrament of Matrimony

This Ceremony consists of several key parts. First several prayers are said and then, when they come to an end, the priest joins the right hands of the bride and groom. His hands remain joined until the end of the wedding ceremony, symbolizing the union of the couple.

the coronation

The bride and groom are crowned with fine crowns, or “stefana”, which are linked by a white bow and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor that God is giving them, and the ribbon symbolizes their unity. The “Koumbaro” then exchanges the crowns between the couple’s heads, three times.

the common cup

The coronation is followed by the reading of the Gospel, which narrates the wedding at Cana in Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine, which was then given to the married couple. Wine is given to the couple and each drinks from it three times.

The Ceremonial Walk

The priest leads the couple, who are still wearing their “stefana”, three times around the altar in their first steps as a married couple. The “Koumbaro” closely follows the couple that takes the place of “stefana”. At this point, the couple (and anyone nearby) are usually showered with rice, which was previously handed out to the wedding guests. The priest will often make use of the bible he is holding for protection!

removal of crowns

After the Ceremonial Walk, the priest blesses the bride and groom, removes their crowns and then separates their hands previously joined with the Bible, reminding them that only God can break the union they have just contracted.

wedding traditions

Much of the available information on Greek Orthodox wedding traditions is somewhat out of date and contains generalizations that give the impression that everyone who gets married follows certain traditions. Some of these traditions are listed below.

– Roll a baby in the conjugal bed to promote fertility.

– The throwing of money in the conjugal bed.

– The fixing of money to the bride (and sometimes also to the groom) at the wedding reception.

Although these rituals are considered traditional, fewer and fewer young people getting married nowadays follow them, because they are considered old-fashioned. Many people do not want to put their guests through the ordeal of other people being able to see how much money they put into the bride, for example. Although money is still a very common wedding gift, as well as practical, it is often given to the couple before the wedding day or to a third party at the wedding reception for safekeeping. Greeks living in the more remote parts of Greece and abroad, who will naturally feel more convinced to do things the traditional way, are more likely to follow these traditions than those living in Athens, for example. Like weddings everywhere, Greek weddings are changing. At the time of writing, there is a growing trend of going and getting married on an island and I recently heard someone say that they were thinking of getting married at a ski resort. A friend wisely advised him: “It is better that you first ask the priest if he wants to perform a marriage on a mountain”!