FAQs
Question
WHAT IS THE ORTHODOX CHURCH?
Answer
The Orthodox Church is the original Christian Church, the Church founded by the Lord Jesus Christ and described in the pages of the New Testament. Her history can be traced in unbroken continuity all the way back to Christ and His Twelve Apostles. Incredible as it seems, for over twenty centuries she has continued in her undiminished and unaltered faith and practice. Today her apostolic doctrine, worship, and structure remain intact. The Orthodox Church maintains that the Church is the living Body of Jesus Christ. For more information, start with this article: http://ww1.antiochian.org/content/what-earth-orthodox-church Feel free to reach out to John or Photini if you have any additional questions!
Question
WHAT SHOULD I WEAR INSIDE THE CHURCH TEMPLE?
Answer
We do our best to manifest our reverence and love for God with our dress and behavior inside the church. Women should dress modestly in long dresses or skirts that are not tight and revealing. We kindly ask women to refrain from wearing pants and clothing that shows bared midriffs and shoulders, as well as plunging necklines or slits. Shawls and cardigans are acceptable covers for short sleeved dresses while inside the church. You are more than welcome to wear a headscarf, too! Men should wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and refrain from wearing short sleeves and short pants. Please reach out to Photini if you have any questions!
Question
THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
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A beautiful, must-read article detailing the Orthodox view of marriage: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/orthodoxchristianmarriage.aspx
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THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
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In the eyes of the Church, marriage is the sacramental union between a man and a woman that is used in the Bible as the image of God's faithful love for ancient (Israel Isaiah 54; Jeremiah 3; Ezekiel 16) and Christ's sacrificial relationship to the Church (Ephesians 5). When we say that marriage is a sacrament, we use that word to convey the depths of the covenantal bond the bride and groom are about to enter into: a sacramentum in the ancient Roman empire was the oath of loyalty unto death that a Roman soldier took to the emperor when entering the military. As Christians, the sacrament of marriage is the oath of loyalty unto death the bride and groom make to each other and - as a couple - their oath of loyalty unto death to our Lord Jesus Christ, "the King of kings and Lord of lords." Christian marriage is intended to be a sign of God's presence and love in this fallen and broken world.
Question
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT AT AN ORTHODOX WEDDING?
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Orthodox weddings are rich in tradition, symbolism, and communal spirit. Unlike many churches, you'll notice the absence of pews. Instead, there is limited seating along the periphery of the church, as well as reserved seating for the families of the bride & groom in the middle of the sanctuary. It's important to be aware that you may be standing for a significant portion of the ceremony, which can last up to 45 minutes to 1 hour. Please notify John and Photini ahead of the ceremony if you will need a handicapped space for seating. Should you arrive at the ceremony late, please use the entrances to the left and right of the main large temple doors. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, everything done embodies mystical truths and realities of the ancient Christian Faith. Every item, every gesture, every scent and sound, has its purpose. There are two main parts in an Orthodox wedding ceremony: the Betrothal (engagement) and the Crowning (marriage). Within the marriage ceremony, several other things take place, including the tying of hands, partaking of the common cup, and performing the dance of Isaiah.
Question
WAITING OF THE BRIDE
Answer
In a traditional Orthodox wedding, the bride’s father escorts her down the aisle to meet the groom in front of the altar. This is called the ‘Waiting of the Bride.’ This processional custom is similar to the ‘presentation of the bride’ or ‘giving away the bride’ in other wedding ceremonies.
Question
THE BETROTHAL CEREMONY
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The start of Orthodox weddings is the Betrothal Service. During this part of the ceremony, the priest formally asks the groom and bride if they wish to marry each other and if they’ve already committed themselves to anyone else. The couple officially becomes engaged. Prayers and psalms are chanted. Then he blesses the wedding rings and places them on the couple’s right ring fingers to symbolize their union. The couple doesn’t exchange spoken vows like in other wedding ceremonies. Instead, their presence at the ceremony declares their commitment to each other and their consent to God’s presence in their marriage. In ancient times, a couple’s betrothal ceremony happened separately from a wedding within the church. Over time, the Orthodox Church combined the Betrothal Ceremony with the Crowning Ceremony to create the unified Service of Marriage as it remains today.
Question
BLESSING OF THE RINGS
Answer
Blessing of the rings in an Orthodox wedding is part of the Betrothal Service and is performed by a priest. If the ceremony includes an exchange of rings, it’s usually performed by the couple’s wedding sponsor. The priest makes a sign of the cross three times in front of the groom’s forehead, and then three times in front of the bride’s forehead, while reciting his blessing. Then, he’ll repeat this process, starting with the bride. The priest may say as a blessing, “The servant of God (Groom’s Name) is betrothed to (Bride’s Name) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” After blessing the couple’s marriage, the priest places the rings on their right ring fingers to symbolize their marriage. The rings are then exchanged three times by the couple’s wedding sponsor (the koumbaros) to symbolize the give and take of a happy marriage and the ways in which the couple will balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The bride’s ring is placed on the groom’s finger three times, and vice versa.
Question
THE RINGS
Answer
The rings are an ancient symbol of the couple's commitment to one another and their desire to enter into the covenant relationship of marriage. As the Prayer of Betrothal indicates, in the Scriptures, rings were given as signs of commitment, authority and forgiveness. After being blessed by the priest the rings are exchanged between bride and groom. This exchange signifies that in married life the weakness of one partner will be compensated for by the strengths of the other.
Question
WHY DO YOU WEAR YOUR RING ON YOUR RIGHT HAND?
Answer
This will probably come as a surprise, but wedding rings have always been worn on the right hand! Check out this article for a detailed explanation: https://catalog.obitel-minsk.com/blog/2018/01/why-on-right-hand-meaning-of-rings-in
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THE CROWNING
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The Crowning is the second half of the Orthodox wedding and contains its most recognizable and visually compelling rituals. During the Crowning Service, the couple are given lit candles to hold, join hands, and are crowned king and queen of their household before drinking from a cup of blessed wine.
Question
THE WEDDING CANDLES
Answer
After the betrothal prayer, a traditional candle lighting ceremony is performed. This marks the start of the Crowning Service, or the second half of a traditional Orthodox wedding. The priest hands the bride and groom each a lit candle, which they will carry for the rest of the ceremony. These two candles symbolize the couple’s individual promises to center Christ in their married lives, as he is referred to in John 8:12 as the “Light of the World.” The couple might join their right hands together during this part of the ceremony, or they may wait to hold hands during the crowning.
Question
JOINING OF HANDS
Answer
The priest joins together the couple’s right hands during the ceremony as a sign of their oneness in both mind and heart. This might happen after the couple receives their candles or when the wedding crowns are exchanged. The priest recites a prayer, and the couple will continue to hold hands throughout the ceremony. This symbolic act reflects their willingness and desire to become ‘one flesh'.
Question
THE WEDDING CROWNS
Answer
Wedding crowns are the most memorable symbol of Orthodox weddings and an integral part of the wedding rite. These crowns symbolize many things, including the ‘crowns’ that await the couple in Heaven, the Christian ‘crown of martyrdom,’ and the couple’s royal status as king and queen of their household in marriage. The crowns are symbols of the glory and honor that God bestows upon His faithful people. They are attached to each other by a white ribbon symbolizing the marital unity being entered into by the bride and groom. They are the "crowns of righteousness" spoken of by the apostle Paul in his Second Letter to Timothy, given on the Day of Judgment to those who are faithful to Christ. A couple’s wedding crowns will be made of different materials depending on their local traditions. Some cultures link the crowns together with a white ribbon, but some don’t. For example, Greek Orthodox wedding crowns (called stefana) are usually made from thin bands of woven silver or gold, and tied together with white satin. Russian Orthodox crowns are larger and more ornate, decorated with red velvet lining and thick golden arches. These are rarely connected together with ribbon. Chinese Orthodox brides may wear a fengguan or ‘phoenix crown,’ or red silk headpiece. Other Orthodox couples may wear garland or head wreaths made of flowers, herbs, or olive branches; crowns of woven satin or fabric; or other designs.
Question
THE COMMON CUP AND SCRIPTURE READINGS
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After the crowning ceremony, the priest will recite The Lord’s Prayer and read Scripture while the couple drinks from a cup of blessed wine. This cup, called The Common Cup, serves as a reminder of the first miracle performed by Jesus at the wedding at Cana of Galilee, when he is said to have turned water into wine. The couple drinks from the cup to symbolize the fullness of a life lived in Christ and their commitment to share life’s many blessings, inevitable sorrows, and joys with each other. During the Common Cup ritual, the priest reads from the Scriptures. The first is from the apostle Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 5:20-33, which describes the relationship between the bride and groom as an image of the relationship of sacrificial love that Christ has for the Church. The second reading is taken from the Gospel of John 2:1-11, which describes the first miracle of the Lord Jesus as taking place at a wedding in Cana of Galilee to which He, His mother Mary and His disciples had been invited. It is here, at the urging of His mother, the Theotokos, that He changes water into wine so that the celebration of the marriage feast may continue, thus beginning His ministry and the revelation of His glory. The bride and groom will each sip from the cup three times, symbolizing the Holy Trinity.
Question
THE DISMISSAL
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The service ends (as all Orthodox services do) with the dismissal. The priest removes the crowns, separates the couple’s hands, and bestows blessings from God upon the newly-weds. He tells them to “Go forth in peace” – a reminder that no one but God can separate them. After this, the people sing “God grant you many years”.
Question
WHAT FOOD WILL BE SERVED?
Answer
High-quality, nutrient-dense, organic food free of GMOs and seed oils is really important to us. For adults, we will be offering charcuterie (meats, cheeses, fruits), chicken, beef, salmon, salad, squash, potatoes, and pasta. For children, we will be offering fruit, chicken, and pasta. For dessert, we will be serving Panna Cotta. There will also be wine, mixed drinks, and sparkling cider. If you have any dietary limitations, food intolerances, need to know about ingredients, etc. please do not hesitate to reach out to Photini because she has the most problematic stomach ever and totally gets it! We want you fed, happy, and, most importantly, without a tummy ache.