Introduction
The Greek Orthodox Church believes it has preserved the historic Christian faith as originally taught by the Apostles, hence a certain air of antiquity surrounds the language and structure of all religious ceremonies. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, who centres much of its devotion on the Virgin Mary, Greek Orthodox faith centres around God and the fact that He revealed Himself to the world through his son, Jesus Christ

Legal Requirements
The legal requirements to be fulfilled for a Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony are those that apply to civil marriages. Most Greek Orthodox Church buildings in England and Wales are registered to perform wedding ceremonies in the same way as licenced venues. Usually your minister or a parishioner is authorised to perform the service, but where he is not, the registrar will attend. If your church is not registered you will need to have a civil ceremony at the register office first to conform to the legal requirements. Religious marriages held in Greece or Cyprus are, however, legally valid without a civil ceremony.

Religious Requirements

    * You must first obtain a civil marriage licence from the register office.
    * You must then obtain an ecclesiastical marriage licence from the diocese.
    * The Sacrament of marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox priest according to the liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church and in a canonical Orthodox Church.
    * Your priest must receive authorisation for your marriage from his diocesan Bishop.
    * If one of you is not a member of the Orthodox Church, then you must have been baptised in your own denomination in the name of the Holy Trinity. If neither of you are members of the church or where one of you is not a Trinitarian Christian, the church will not solemnise your wedding.
    * Your Sponsor (koumbaros/koumbara or best man) must be an Orthodox Christian in good standing with the Church.

Preparing for a Greek Orthodox Wedding
Before you can marry, according to Greek Orthodoxy, you must visit your Priest for counselling three times. The number three is very significant throughout all aspects of the entire wedding because it symbolises the Holy Trinity.

On the Wednesday night before a traditional wedding, their friends and relatives watch the bride's mother and bridesmaids as they bake breads and wedding cakes, tossing coins into a sieve as they sift the flour. Shouts of Kalrizika (good luck) accompany this ritual. While the bride and groom are having their faces smothered in dough by their relatives, a young girl hides a wedding ring and coins in the rest of the dough. Partying continues until daybreak - unless you have to go to work the next day!

There are two rituals involving bedding: one sees a baby being rolled onto the marital bed to symbolize fertility and happiness, with more traditional communities actually making a mattress with sweet smelling flowers. The second ritual involves the bride and groom having a quilt thrown over them, which symbolizes fertility and abundance. Some brides choose to carry a lump of sugar in their gloves on their wedding day as this symbolizes a sweet life. For more ideas, see our Ethnic and Cultural Traditions feature.

It is traditional for the groom to present the bride with flowers at the wedding venue.

Reception Traditions
A Greek wedding reception is very lively, with a meal followed by lots of wine and dancing. The best man is usually called upon to perform one last job - that is to begin the dancing. He gets the guests to form two circles around the bride then he starts the dance while the guests get down on one knee and clap along to the traditional Greek taverna music. Other guests break plates for good luck and shower the musicians with money Eventually every member of the wedding party gets an opportunity to lead the dance around the bride.

Unlike many western weddings, Greek guests do not tend to bring presents but dress the couple in money. Notes are pinned to the wedding attire and the couple are taken away, often into separate rooms, to have the money removed and counted. Depending on the number of people invited and if they can afford it, this can run into thousands of pounds - remember to put someone reliable in charge of the money before you go on your honeymoon.