Greek Wedding Announcements

Some couples opt to have Greek weddings. This is usually the choice of couples who are fascinated with Greece and its culture. It may also be the choice of couples whose romance developed in Greece. This wedding follows several traditions that are unique to Greece and have been observed through the years. A typical Greek wedding starts with Greek wedding announcements.

Greek wedding announcements are made after a couple exchanges wedding rings in front of their families and friends. An engagement feast typically follows this ceremony which is considered as binding as the actual wedding.

Greek weddings are usually held on Sundays with some native ceremonies like the “starting the leaven” and the “filling of the sacks” taking place days before it. “Starting the leaven” takes place on the Wednesday before the wedding. In this ceremony, a boy and a girl sieve flour while relatives who witness the ceremony, throw coins into the sieve and shouts out good luck wishes for the soon-to-be wedded couple. “Filling of the sacks,” on the other hand, takes place on the Friday before the wedding and Greek wedding announcements. In this ceremony, the bride places her possessions in a sack and the visitors will throw coins in them. The groom, on the other hand, meets and offers wine to family and friends and invites them to the wedding feast. This is also done by the father of the bride. The bride then does this on the following day which is a Saturday. Instead of wine, she offers sweets to families and friends.

After the Greek wedding announcements have been sent out, the bride and groom are obliged to visit a priest three times for marriage counseling before the wedding date itself. This is a prerequisite for a priest to officiate the marriage ceremony. In Greek weddings, the Bordon Koumbaro, or a designated male relative or godfather of the groom, has important duties to fulfill. This role is traditionally held in great honor and is considered as important as the priest and the wedded couple. It is his job to lead the wedding party to the church and he acts as the director or sponsor of the ceremony. A Greek wedding ceremony usually lasts an hour or more with most part involving chanting. Many wedding customs are observed signifying the values of love, mutual respect, equality and sacrifice. Usually, these are conducted using the Greek language or the language of the country where the wedding takes place.

Today, certain documents would have to be submitted to certain agencies before a Greek wedding date could be set. Moreover, all required documents for the wedding should be translated in Greek. For plans to be carried out without hitches, preparations should commence as soon as Greek wedding announcements are made to allow ample time for other wedding matters.