Greek Wedding Traditions

Greek wedding traditions have changed through the years, becoming a bit less elaborate as time has passed. This doesn’t mean, however, that Greek weddings aren’t times to celebrate. The heart of most Greek weddings is, in fact, celebration of family, with the union of two people being one of the most joyous occasions in that culture.

The evolution of the Greek wedding began literally thousands of years in the past. Ancient Greek weddings involved some fairly elaborate rituals that included having the bride wear veils of bright red or yellow to scare off bad spirits or demons. They also wore diamonds to symbolize the flames of love. In an ancient Greek wedding, a bride might also carry sugar or ivy to ensure good luck. These ceremonies celebrated the old ways and the old gods of the Greek isles. Time has changed, but the importance of the marriage ceremony has not.

While the times of ancient Greece weddings have passed, the rituals surrounding the ceremonies remain rather special. Greek Orthodox weddings, for example, are still major events that involve much celebration. They’ve been characterized in the movies and on television as elaborate events involving much revelry with the family included at every turn. That depiction is rather spot on the mark in most cases today.

In a traditional Greek wedding, the groom must ask for his bride’s hand in marriage on the day of the ceremony. The best man and the priest typically lead the ceremony, during which the bride and groom are given crowns of orange blossoms to wear on their heads. The newlywed couple wear the crowns throughout the ceremony and at the reception to symbols their status as king and queen for the day.

Greek wedding flowers are as big a part of this tradition as the standard bouquet is in a typical American wedding. Other traditions include such things as Greek wedding bread, Greek wedding dresses and the Greek wedding ceremony itself. While ancient Greek wedding laws are no longer the norm to recognize, the Greek wedding ceremony remains a big reason to celebrate.

Bringing family and friends together for such a joyous occasion is a very big deal in Greek culture. Greek wedding songs and even Greek wedding favors are festive by nature.

An inexpensive Greek wedding ceremony can be observed. The key to hosting a true Greek ceremony is the inclusion of family. While Greek Orthodox and Catholic wedding ceremonies themselves are rather steeped in somber and ancient tradition, the events following the ceremony are generally blissful celebration.