Our Wedding Ceremony

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The Betrothal Ceremony

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Our wedding begins with the betrothal ceremony. In the time of our lord, this was a separate ceremony of Engagement. It is during this ceremony that the wedding rings are blessed. The priest will make the sign of the cross while holding the rings, pressing them to the bride and groom's foreheads three times. Then, the koumbara exchanges the rings between the couple's fingers three times, signifying that the weakness of one will be compensated by the other.

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The Candles

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After the conclusion of the betrothal ceremony, the priest will give the couple lit candles to hold in their left hands for the remainder of the service. The burning flames symbolize the Light of Christ, Who guides their steps. The couple enter the marriage ceremony together, as equals.

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Marriage Prayers and Joining of Hands

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In these prayers the priest remembers the origin of mankind and marriage in the Garden of Eden, and asks God to bless the couple as he did couples throughout the Old and New Testament. He asks the Heavenly Father to join the couple together and to grant them all of the good things and blessings that they will need to have a happy life. Through the prayers of this ceremony, the couple is joined together by the Lord Himself. As a sign of this divine joining together the priest joins the hands of the couple together. Thus he shows that Christ, the Great High Priest of the Church, is the real celebrant of the wedding ceremony.

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The Crowning

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The bride and groom are crowned, as both martyrs and as the king and queen of their new household, to rule and serve one another with sacrifice, wisdom, justice, and integrity which they pledge to God. St. John Chrysostom says that the crowns symbolize the victory of Christ over sin, death and evil. The couple, as baptized Christians joined in a sacramental marriage share in this victory. They are united together in the love of God and each other. After the crowning, the coronation hymn: "O Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor" is sung.

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The Epistle and Gospel Reading

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The Epistle to the Ephesians is the only place in the Bible that calls marriage a Sacrament or Mystery. The couple is called to incarnate the love of Christ for the Church proven by his death on the cross. In other words it is a total love and commitment. The Gospel is the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12). In this story Jesus turns water into wine. Water is good but wine is better. This is understood to be the point when Christ took Old Testament marriage, which was good, and made it into a Sacrament by which the couple brings the love of God into the world and grow in spiritual perfection.

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The Common Cup

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The Lord's prayer is recited with the blessing of the Common Cup of wine. In remembrance of the miracle in Cana, both the bride and groom sip wine from this shared cup, three times each. The common cup symbolizes the common life which they will both share. Historically, at this point the couple would have both received Holy Communion. The Common Cup points to the Eucharist as the essential food for spiritual life with Christ.

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The Dance of Isaiah

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The marriage ceremony ends with the Dance of Isaiah. In the wedding procession the couple takes their first steps together as man and wife. It is a pilgrimage that will end with death. They go around the table with the Gospel Book on it three times. Christ is their Sun around which their lives must revolve. Encouraging the couple in their dance are the prophets, martyrs, and apostles.

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(No) Vows

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There are no vows in our marriage service. In our tradition, marriage is not administered by the couple. The entirety of the service itself is focused on interceding for God's blessing upon the couple.