The following is a typical Greek Orthodox Wedding Ceremony from our experience and understanding. While specific aspects and events may vary, the following should serve as a general guideline for those interested learning about and photographing Greek Orthodox Weddings.
There are two parts of the ceremony: the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage.
The Service of Betrothal
Shot at the Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara, CA with a Canon 40D
on a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM
at ISO 400 f/3.5 1/80
The primary focus of this portion of the ceremony is the exchanging of rings. The ceremony begins with the priest blessing both the rings and the couple by holding the rings in his right hand and, with the other hand, signaling a cross over the heads of the bride and groom.
The rings are exchanged and placed on the third fingers right hands, symbolizing the right hand of God. The bride and groom’s religious sponsor within the Greek Orthodox Church (thekoumbaro or koumbara)then exchanges the rings between the bride and groom’s fingers, three times. An interesting aspect of Greek Orthodox Weddings is that most significant events happen in sets of three, symbolizing God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
Shot at the Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church in Santa Barbara, CA with a Canon 40D on a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L Lens
at ISO 800 f/2.8 1/250
The Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage
After several prayers, the Priest joins the right hands together of the Bride and Groom, and they stay joined for the rest of the ceremony, tosignify the union of the couple.
The Crowning – The priest places crowns (stefana) on the heads of the Bride and Groom wear headbands (such as in the picture to the left, shot with a Canon 40D on a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L Zoom Lensat ISO 1000 f2.8 1/160); and thekoumbaro/koumbara exchange these crowns, as they did the rings, three times. The stefana symbolises the glory and honour bestowed upon them by God, while the white ribbon used to tie the crowns together symbolize unity between the Bride and the Groom.
The Common Cup – The Bride and Groom then drink from the common cup three times, after which there is a reading of the Epistle and the Gospel. Wine is then given to the couple and they each drink from it three times.
The Ceremonial Walk
The Priest will lead the couple round the table three times on which are placed the Gospel and the Cross. The Koumbaro or Koumbara walks behind the married couple holding the Stefana in place. Often called the dance of Isaiah.
The Removal of the Crowns
After the ceremonial walk, the Priest blesses the couple, removes the crowns, and asks God to grant the couple a long, happy life together. Then the priest separates the couples joined hands with a bible, reminding the couple that no one but God can separate the couple.
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GENERAL CHRISTOPHER JANUARY 5TH 2009 1:36 AM 5 COMMENTS READ SAVE
Click last one (save ) and it is in a list for later reference.
Great info. I wish you guys had a way to save favorite articles so that we can pull them back up through the site. I do bookmark with hopes that the url will not change.
What I was thinking as well
Thank you for the article, it’s a great breakdown for people who do not do these normally.
As someone who shoots many Greek weddings, your summarization of the ceremony is spot on. At least the good thing is that things do happen in three’s so if you miss something the first time around you have two more chances.
great article for wedding photographers not familiar with the Orthodox tradition…
you forgot to mention that the ceremonies last at least an hour!
;)