Stacy and Jimmy were married at the Sanibel Harbour Resort and Spa last weekend. Jimmy got ready at his home in Fort Myers and Stacy got ready at the Sanibel Harbour. This was a really fun wedding to be a part of because of the many Greek wedding traditions that took place during the ceremony and the reception. To help explain some of the pictures, I found this information on another blog about Greek wedding traditions (http://blog.thebrideandgroom.com/wedding-traditions/cultural-weddings-greek-wedding-traditions/)…
“The wedding ceremony itself consists of two parts which are distinct and separate from each other: The Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. Each thing in the ceremony has special meaning and significance, particularly the repetition of each act three times – symbolizing the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…
The exchanging of rings is the focus of the Service of Betrothal. The priest blesses 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 third fingers of their right hands. The Koumbaro , swaps the rings over between the bride and groom’s fingers, three times.
In the Greek Orthodox religion, the best man is replaced by a Koumbaros, who must be a member in good standing of the church, and has extended duties during the ceremony.
The Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage consists of several parts – petitions, prayers, the crowning, readings from the New Testament, the offering of the common cup, the circling of the ceremonial table and the benediction. At the conclusion of the prayers, the priest joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the end of the wedding ceremony, which symbolizes the couple’s union.
The crowning is the focal point of the marriage ceremony. The bride and groom are crowned with thin crowns, called stefana, which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor that is being bestowed on them by God, and the ribbon symbolizes their unity. The Koumbaro then exchanges the crowns between the heads of the couple, three times.
The Common Cup
The crowning is followed by a reading of the Gospel, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. It was at this wedding that Jesus performed his first miracle, changing water into wine, which was then given to the married couple. Wine is given to the couple and they each drink from it three times…
The priest blesses the couple, the crowns are removed and he then separates their previously joined hands with the bible, reminding them that only God can break the union which they have just entered into.
There is perhaps no more memorable element of a Greek wedding celebration than the dancing. The bride and groom dance together…Eventually, they invite others to join in the dancing, which can go on for hours.”
