GREEK
ORTHODOX
WEDDING RITUALS
A Day or Two Before
A day or two before the wedding date, it is customary to have a rehearsal
at the church. Anyone who will play a part in the ceremony should attend.
Following the rehearsal a dinner is hosted by the groom's parents. Often
this dinner is the opportunity for both families to meet the wedding party
and to invite the out of town guests (as a thank you for making the trip).
The format of the dinner depends on the groom's familly.
The
Day of...
On the day the ushers arrive early to seat the guests. They greet the guests
and conduct them to their seats. Facing the alter, the bride's family and
friends sit on the left side of the aisle and the groom's on the right
side. The last person to enter the Church (before the bridal party) should
be the bride's mother.
The next can vary depending on the preference of the Bride and Groom. The
groom and best man (normally) are standing and waiting to the right of
the Altar. The flowergirl, ring bearer, bridesmaids follow singly or in
pairs, followed by the maid/matron of honor. The organist then starts the
wedding march, the guests rise and the bride is accompanied by her father.
The groom turns to greet his fiancee, shakes her father's hand and accompanies
her to the alter. The maid of honor arranges the bride's veil, the train
and takes her bouquet
The marriage ceremony of the greek Orthodox Church is steeped in ritual
and symbolism. Each of the acts that are listed below have a special meaning
and significance.
THE
RINGS
The rings are blessed by the priest who takes them in his hand, and
making the sign of the cross over their heads, says: "The servant
of God, Robert, is bethrothed to the hand-maid of God, Maria, in
the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirt."
The best man, the Koumbaro, then exchanges the rings three times, taking the bride's ring and placing it on the groom's finger and vice-versa. The rings are the symbol of betrothal from the most ancient times. The exchange signifies that in married life the weaknesses of the one partner will be compensated for by the strength of the other, the imperfections of one by the perfections of the other. By themselves, the newly betrothed are incomplete; together they are made perfect. Thus the exchange of rings gives expression to the fact that the spouses in marriage will constantly be complementing each other. Each will be enriched by the union.
THE CANDLES
The
wedding service begins immediately following the Betrothal Service.
The bride and groom are handed candles which they hold throughtout
the service. The candles symbolize the lamps of the five wise maidens
of the Bible, who, because they had enough oil in them, were able to
receive the Bridegroom, Christ, when He came in the darkness of the
night. The candles symbolize the spiritual willingness of the couple
to receive Christ, who will bless them through this Sacrament.
THE JOINING OF THE RIGHT HANDS
The right hand of the bride and groom are joined when the priest reads
the prayer that beseeches God to "Join these thy servants, unite them
in one mind and one flesh." The hands are kept joined throughout the
service to symbolize the "oneness" of the couple.
THE
CROWNING
The office of the crowning, which follows, is the climax of the wedding
service. The crowns are signs of the glory and honor with which God crowns
them during the Sacrament. The groom and bride are crowned as the king
and queen of their own little kingdom, the home, which they rule with wisdom,
justice and integrity. When the crowning takes 
place the priest, taking
the crowns and holding them above the couple, says:
"The servant of god, Robert, is crowned to hand-maid of God, Maria,
in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." This
is done three times and the order is reversed; then the bride is crowned
to the groom. After the priest places the crowns on their heads, the Koumbaro
exchanges the crowns in the same manner as the rings, thus cementing the
bond of marriage.
THE
COMMON CUP
The rite of crowning is followed by the reading of the Epistle and
the Gospel. The Gospel reading describes the marriage at Cana of Galilee
which was attended and blessed by Christ, and for which He reserved
His first miracle. There He converted the water into wine and gave
of it to the newlyweds. In remembrance of this blessing, wine is given
to the couple. This is the "common
cup"
of life denoting the mutual sharing of joy and sorrow, the token of a life
of harmony. The drinking of wine from the common sup serves to impress
upon the couple that from that moment on they will share everything in
life, joys as well as sorrows, and that they are to "bear one another's
burdens". Their joys will be doubted and their sorrows halved because
they will be shared.
THE CEREMONIAL WALK
The
priest then leads the bride and groom in a circle around the table on which
are placed the Gospel and the Cross, the one containing the word of God,
the other being the symbol of our redemption by Jesus. The husband and wife
are taking their first steps as a married couple, and the church, in the
person of the priest, leads them in the way they must walk. The way is symbolized
by the circle at the centre of which are the Gospel and the Cross of our
Lord. This expresses the fact that the way of Christian living is a perfect
orbit around the centre of life, who is Jesus Christ our Lord.During this ceremonial walk around the table, a hymn is sung to the Holy Martyrs, reminding the newly married couple of the sacrificial love they are to have for each other in marriage-a love that seeks not its own but is willing to sacrifice its all for the one loved. Some interpreters consider this walk a religious dance expressing the joy of matrimony.
THE
BLESSING
The couple return to their places and the priest, blessing the groom,
says.
"Be thou magnified, O bridegroom, as Abraham, and blessed as Isaac, and
increased as Jacob, walking in pease and working in righteousness the commandments
of God," and blessing the bride he says, "And thou, O bride, be thou
magnified as Sarah, and glad as Rebecca, and thou increase like unto Rachael,
rejoicing in thine own husband, fulfilling the conditions of the law; for so
it is well pleasing unto God."
RECEPTION
Receptions vary depending on the bride and groom. speeches are an old tradition
of weddings that some couples choose to have at their reception. They may
come after the meal, during the meal and follow a set of sequence with
the bride's father, the groom and the best man all proposing a toast to
the couple, and a thanks to the guests.
Greek music is played and seldom is anyone found sitting, greek dancing is quite unique and beautiful.
A traditional "thank you", to the guests are bombonieres. This gift consists of five sugared almonds, usually enclosed in lace. The five sugared almonds represent Health, Wealth, Happiness, Good Luck and Fertility.
