"This day \ I will marry my best friend \ The one I laugh with, \ Live for, dream with, Love..." When I read the cover of my best friend's sister's wedding invitation, I knew the occasion would be magical - bringing two people who loved each other very much, together at last.I met Effie when I was about twelve. She had just come from Greece and joined our church. However, it was about four years after that she became more than just an acquaintance. In my junior year of high school, she came to my school and that gave us an opportunity to get very close. When we started driving, I went to her house a lot and I met her entire family, including her sister Litsa. I learned from Effie that ...view middle of the document...
However, the limo drivers told us that the bride and groom had just arrived and that we had not missed much. As we tiptoed inside, the wedding had already started so we quietly sat in the back. As I stood in the pew, I looked to the front of the church and saw all the bridesmaids on the left and all the groomsmen on the right. The bridesmaids were wearing pink gowns, but almost like a very deep orange color and the men were wearing regular black and white tuxedos. Everyone was lined up so perfectly. I could see Effie from where I was standing and she looked amazing. She was the maid of honor. All the maids had their hair done in a flat twist with curls at the top in a thick bun. They all looked so beautiful.The wedding was a traditional Greek Orthodox wedding. This consists of two parts: the service of the betrothal and the ceremony of the sacrament of marriage. First is the betrothal, which includes the exchange of rings. The rings are blessed over the heads of the bride and groom three times, after which they are placed on the fourth finger of the right hand. The "Koubara," the official sponsor, exchanges the rings three times signifying that in marriage the lives of two are entwined into one. Then, the wedding ceremony begins. The priest hands the bride and groom "lambathes," lighted candles, symbolizing spiritual willingness of the couple to receive Christ; who will bless them through the sacrament of holy matrimony. Next, the right hands 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 in one flesh." The hands are joined throughout most of the service to symbolize the "oneness" of the couple. Subsequently, the climax of the wedding is now performed. This significant part of the wedding is called the crowning. There are two "stefana," meaning the crowns. They are joined with a white ribbon, symbolizing that the two are now one. The priest holds the crowns over the couple and says: "The servants of God, Litsa and Mario, are crowned in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." At this point, the couple becomes husband and wife. The Koubara then exchanges the crowns three times, sealing the marriage. The Gospel and Epistle readings follow the crowning. The readings describe the marriage at Cana of Galilee, where Christ performed his first miracle, turning water into wine for newlyweds. In remembrance of this blessing, the couple shares wine from "the common cup of life," denoting the joy and sorrows that they will mutually share from now on. Lastly comes the ceremonial walk. The priest leads the bride and groom in a circle around the table as three songs are chanted. This represents the married couple's first steps together. The couple's circular path symbolizes the unity and eternity of the marriage through Christ. The couple can now begin a new life blessed by God. The crowns are removed and the ceremony concludes with special prayers...
