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Greek Orthodox Weddings
In Britain, there are 30,000 people of the Greek Orthodox faith from the mainland of Greece, and a further 300,000 Cypriots. The Greek Orthodox wedding is very similar, in many ways, to a traditional Church of England wedding. The rituals of the day are alike, but there is little flexibility in the service itself -- you cannot have readings or music that is not already incorporated into the service, nor is any secular content allowed.
What happens at a Greek Orthodox wedding ?
The ceremony is performed by a priest in a Greek Orthodox Church and lasts between 40 minutes and an hour.
Until recently, marriage in a Greek Orthodox Church was not legally binding -- a couple also had to take part in a civil ceremony in a register office or licensed venue. Now however, there are various venues in London where the religious and legal sides are combined in one ceremony.
I understand there are certain date in which it is forbidden to marry what are they?
Yes, there are a number of days when it is forbidden to get married;
- The fasting period 40 days prior to Easter.
- The 40 days prior to Christmas.
- The first 15 days of August, a peiod dedicated to celebrating the Virgin Mary.
- You can't get married is during Sunday Mass.
- Also superstition has it that marriage in a Leap Year is unlucky.
It's best to consult your local church as there are additional days on which marriage would be inappropriate.
Can I get married outside of a Church ?
The venue for the Greek Orthodox wedding is a Greek Church and it's important to check with the priest about both his and the venue's availability. It's usual to get married in the local church, so there's not a huge amount of choice in terms of venue for the actual wedding.
Can I personalize any of the Ceremony ?
It's not possible to change the format of the service in any significant way. There is no music other than hymns, and the readings are all taken from religious texts. You cannot bring in musicians or music from outside.
To put their own unique stamp on the day, most couples concentrate on incorporating other kinds of music or readings into the wedding reception.
What happens on the day ?
As in any traditional Christian service, the couple does not see one another on the day. The groom arrives before the bride, and the two families sit on opposite sides of the church.
The bride arrives with her father, or a male relative. The groom travels to the church with his best man. Traditionally, the service itself is paid for by the bridesmaids. It begins with the betrothal ceremony, which includes a blessing and the placing of a ring on the right hand of the bride and groom. This is conducted by the priest.
During the ceremony, the bride and groom are given a cup of wine and crowns are placed on their heads. This is separate to Holy Communion, which takes place prior to the wedding day.
During the service the bride and groom kiss the Bible and walk around the altar-like ceremonial table three times to recognise the Holy Trinity and their happiness at the union if the two families.
At the end of the service, the wedding party leaves the church for the reception where there is dancing, including the money dance when guests pin money to the couple's clothes.
Can you describe all of the religious Greek traditions
Service of Betrothal
The wedding ceremony itself takes place in two parts: the Service of Betrothal, and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. The Service of Betrothal focuses on the ring exchange. The priest blesses the rings by holding them in his right hand, and makes the sign of the cross over the bride's and groom's heads. He then places the rings on the third fingers of their right hands.
The "Koumbaro," the couple's religious sponsor, then swaps the rings three times between the bride and groom's fingers. A number of rituals in the ceremony are repeated three times, which symbolizes the Holy Trinity.
Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage
This Ceremony consists of several key parts. First, the priest leads several prayers. Then, as they come to an end, he joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the wedding ceremony ends, which symbolizes their union.
The Crowning
The bride and groom are crowned with flowered crowns, or "stefana", which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor bestowed on them by God, and the ribbon signifies the couple's unity. The "Koumbaro" then exchanges the crowns three times between the couple's heads.
The Common Cup
The priest follows the crowning with a Gospel reading, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine and offering the result to the married couple. Repeating this ritual, the priest gives wine to the couple. They each drink from the cup three times.
The Ceremonial Walk
The priest now leads the stafana-crowned couple three times around the altar, which amounts to their first steps as a married couple. The "Koumbaro" follows close behind, holding the stefana place.
At this point the couple (and anyone standing nearby) is usually pelted with rice, which ushers handed out earlier to the guests. The rice throwing can get pretty wild - and it's not unusual to catch the priest warding off the rice assault with his Bible.
The Removal of the Crowns
When the Ceremonial Walk ends, the priest then blesses the couple, removes the crowns and separates their previously-joined hands with the Bible, reminding them that only God can break the union they've just entered into.
Some Greek Orthodox wedding traditions are slightly outdated, such as;
- Rolling a baby on the marital bed to encourage fertility.
- Throwing money onto the marital bed.
- Pinning money on the bride (and sometimes the groom) at the wedding reception.
Although these rituals are seen as traditional, fewer and fewer young people are adopting them - they seem rather old-fashioned.
Other Traditions and ideas;
- Give your attendants a traditional charm in the form of a small eye that protects the wedding celebrants from bad luck
- Ask your groom to present you with your bouquet at the wedding venue
- To be sure of a sweet life, carry a lump of sugar in your glove on your wedding day
- At an Orthodox ceremony a priest will crown you and then lead you both three times around in a circle, representing eternity. You are considered married after the third circle. 'Three' represents the Holy Trinity, hence the crowns are swapped between your heads three times and your rings are swapped over three times
- In a similar tradition to the Italians, Greek bridesmaids may wrap almonds (a symbol of fertility) in small packages and present them to guests
- End the ceremony with honey and walnuts offered to you both on a silver spoon. Walnuts break into four parts representing the bride, groom and the two sets of family
- Use ivy in your bouquet to mimic Ancient Greek brides who saw this as a symbol of eternal love
- If you opt for any Greek tradition it is likely to be the money dance. Instead of giving gifts, your guests will pin several notes to your outfits during this almost never-ending dance!
- Ask your parents to arrange for musicians to play traditional songs as you and your groom are getting ready in your respective houses. This can often include dancing and drinking to start the festivities
- Whilst the groom is being serenaded he traditionally has a ceremonial wet shave in front of his family and well-wishers
- Apples and pomegranates are symbols of fertility so include them in your menu, bouquet or table centres
- During the reception have a traditional plate smashing celebration. Broken plates symbolize good luck and happiness and the permanence of marriage
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