Karin and Theo’s wedding was a first for me: a traditional Greek wedding at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Columbia, SC. Once we met, I combed Greek wedding websites to learn all I could about the traditions and ceremonies of a Greek wedding. Karin, an organizer par excellence, provided me with plenty of notes about the blending of those traditions into their ceremony and reception along with a hugely helpful schedule of what was happening when so I wouldn’t miss a beat.
As a photographer, I was like a kid in a candy shop: the sites and sounds and even smells were all so fabulously different than anything I had experienced at a wedding. The biggest surprise was that I was encouraged to photograph from the front of the church, such a novelty that I insisted on confirming that fact with the priests before the ceremony began.
Always respectful of the sanctity of the ceremony, I did my best to stay quiet and behind the wedding party so as not to distract from the hour-long ceremony. It felt odd, at first, to be up at that level, but, the vantage point was amazing! It felt so special to see everything in such detail and I was riveted by the holiness of the ceremony that’s continued unchanged for centuries.
I felt transformed back in time as the bearded priests, speaking in Greek, guided the couple through the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. Symbolism abounds in this holy ceremony as the priest blesses the rings and makes the sign of the cross over the bride and groom’s head. The “Koumbaro,” the couple’s religious sponsor, who is to guide them throughout their marriage, then swaps the rings three times between the bride and groom’s fingers.
Many rituals, like drinking from the common cup and the placing of the crowns on the couple, symbolizing the glory and honor placed on them by God, are repeated three times to denote the Holy Trinity. The couple then takes their first steps as husband and wife by walking around the altar (can you guess how many times?) as the Koumbaro walks close behind holding the crowns in place.
I could go on and on about this ancient and gloriously tradition-laden ceremony, but since pictures speak louder than words, let me give you just a glimpse of my first Greek wedding:
Photos by Renee Ittner McManus/RIM Photography
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