Greek Wedding Traditions Checklist for Brides

Written by Greek Boston in Greek Wedding Traditions Comments Off on Greek Wedding Traditions Checklist for Brides

Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming prospect. There is so much for a bride to think about that it can make the whole planning process feel incredibly stressful. For brides planning a Greek wedding, there is even more information to consider because of the traditions and expectations associated with the culture. Here is some advice on things to remember that are fairly unique to Greek weddings.

Greek Wedding Traditions Checklist for Brides

To Krevati – Bridal Bed Celebration

This is a fairly unique tradition to a Greek wedding. Before the wedding, there is a celebration in the couple’s home. This is either a surprise for the bride and groom, or the bride and groom can organize it. The celebration can be a small party or something more elaborate.

People bring things to decorate the bed, such as new linens, rose petals, and small trinkets. Money is thrown on the bed which is a symbol of good luck and prosperity. A child should lie down on the bed for at least a minute, as well, as a symbol of fertility.

Bridal Dress and Bridal Shoes

In traditional Greek weddings, the groom is supposed to purchase both the dress and the shoes. This can be a surprise to the bride. However, most brides like to pick out the dress and shoes themselves, which is perfectly acceptable.

On the day of the wedding, the groom puts the shoes on the bride’s feet. Before he does, though, all the single bridesmaids write their names on the shoes. At the end of the night, whoever’s name has faded the least will be the next person to get married.

Stefana – Greek Wedding Crowns

The stefana, or Greek wedding crowns, are an essential part of the Greek wedding ceremony. Most people believe that you need to buy your own stefana which have never been used. They believe that using someone else’s will bring bad luck. The basic belief is that for a new and successful beginning, you need to purchase your own wedding crowns.

However, there are instances where using someone else’s stefana does seem to be acceptable. For example, if you inherited your grandparents’ stefana and they had a long, happy marriage – it is perfectly okay to use their crowns. Basically, you can use whichever stefana you want as long as your priest approves of them.

Make Sure People Throw Rice

As the bride and groom leave the church, it is the tradition for the guests to throw rice as a symbol of fertility. These days, you may have noticed that a lot of people don’t do this anymore. People either skip this part, throw rose petals, or even blow bubbles as the bride and groom are exiting. If you want to stick with the traditions, you need to throw rice.

Though some cultures may have some of these traditions in some form, they are an important part of a Greek wedding. For example, many cultures do look at rice as a symbol of fertility. Even though times have changed since our parents and grandparents were married, these traditions have endured.

Categorized in: Greek Wedding Traditions

This post was written by Greek Boston