A Look at the various rituals of a Greek

wedding

Greek weddings are a great amalgamation of the religious rituals and the

ancient customs. If we delve into the customs and rituals which are followed

during the Greek weddings, we can surely say that their traditions have been

kept live by their wedding rituals.

In case you have not attended any Greek wedding in the past, we give you an

account of the rituals that are performed during the Greek wedding. Have a

look:

Engagement rings

Greek couples exchange rings in the presence of their families. The

engagement is signalled by the presence of a plain gold band on the left

hand of each of the partners. The gold bands are blessed at the time of

the marriage and then are switched to the right hands of the couple.

Even the wedding dresses of the bride and the groom are blessed by the

members of the family by taking turns to dance around them with the

wedding outfits.

Red ribbon at the waist

Once the bride as well as the groom puts on their wedding outfits, a red

ribbon is tied to their waist three times by the family members making

wishes for the couple's health, love, happiness and fertility. The ribbon

is tied three times as the number 3 is considered auspicious and is

symbolic of the Holy Trinity.

At beginning of wedding

Usually the wedding guests wait outside the church along with the

groom for the bride to arrive. The wedding videographer Berkshire

gets an exclusive moment to shoot when the groom waits with a

bouquet for the bride. The floral bouquet is handed over to the bride by

the groom as soon as she makes an appearance at the church's entrance.

The guests from the groom's and bride's sides gets seated together in

the church.

Service of Betrothal and Ceremony of Sacrament of Marriage

The above mentioned are the two parts in which the wedding ceremony

takes place in accordance with the Greek tradition. During the Service of

Betrothal the priest gives his blessings to the couple's rings which are

then placed on the 3rd finger of the couple's hands. Then Koumbaro

(religious sponsor of the couple) swaps the rings over the couple's

fingers three times. During the Ceremony of Sacrament of Marriage,

after reciting prayers the priest joins the right hands of the couple. The

couple is required to keep the hands joined till the last of the wedding

ceremonies as a symbol of their union.

Crowning

During the wedding, both the bride and the groom are adorned with

beautiful crowns. Capturing this crowning moment is considered a must

for wedding videographer UK. As per the Greek tradition, the crowns

are also exchanged three times. The crowns are considered as the

epitome of glory and the honor that the wedding brings to both the

families. A silver ribbon is used for joining both the crowns that

symbolizes the union of two people as one.

The common cup

Once the crowning is done, the priest reads the Gospel to the couple

telling about the marriage of Cana. During this wedding, the Jesus

performed his maiden miracle and converted water into wine and gave

it to a married couple. Similarly, the couple is provided with wine from

the common cup three times as a symbol of being partners and sharing

joy as well as sorrow.

Ceremonial walk

The couple then walks around the church altar three times. The

ceremonial walk is considered to be an important part of the wedding

ritual and symbolizes the first step of the couple as man and wife.

After the ceremony it’s time to party and celebrate the marriage of the

couple, and this is done to the full as only Greeks know how.