Most people’s idea of a Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony comes from the hit movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” Of course the traditions and the ceremony are far deeper than was shown on the big screen. The faith of the Greek Orthodoxy is very old and the wedding ceremony is a beautiful event in the life of the bride and groom.

One thing that should be realized is that the Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony is filled with symbolism. The wedding ceremony you see today is the same ceremony that has been practiced by the Greek Orthodoxy for hundreds of years. The biggest difference in a Greek ceremony and a traditional wedding ceremony is that the bride and groom don’t exchange vows. Their mere presence in the church together shows that they have taken the sacrament of marriage very seriously.

The Start of the Wedding

Most Greek Orthodox weddings take place in the summer. It is typical for the guests at the wedding to wait along with the groom outside until the arrival of the bride. In Greece, it is common practice for wedding ceremonies to be scheduled back to back. This allows guests who are waiting to attend a ceremony to mingle with the guests departing from the wedding previously.

The groom awaits his bride with a bit of sweat on his brow as he holds the bouquet he will present to his intended. Once he turns over the bouquet to the bride, they then enter the church and the guests follow behind. Unlike conventional western weddings, there is no separation of the guests as to who sits on the side of the bride and who will be seated on the groom’s side. Everyone sits wherever they can find a seat and when the ceremony is held in small venues, there are those who prefer to stand where they can have a first-rate view of the event.

The Betrothal and the Ceremony

There are two parts to the ceremony of a Greek Orthodox wedding. The first part is called the Service of Betrothal. The marrying couple exchanges their rings as the focal point of the Service of the Betrothal. The next part is the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. This part of the service has several aspects such as prayers and the joining of the right hands of both the bride and groom by the attending priest. Their hands will remain entwined for the rest of the ceremony to symbolize the newly wedded couple’s union.

By: Yolanda Nash

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If you are affectionate about nice looking and gorgeous dinnerware, then don’t overlook it as it’s a fabulous passion. If you are thinking to gift anyone a dinnerware, then wedding ceremony is the ideal circumstance for that and if you gift any couple a dinnerware on their wedding ceremony, then it brings lots of happiness for them and not only that however it is also measured more valuable than the gold or diamond ornaments even.

A marriage or wedding means the beginning of two lives or starting for a new family and as everyone knows that a family needs good looking dinner ware for their starting of innovative life journey. It is not like the costly ornaments which only can use in ceremony and the rest of time it always kept under locker. Dinnerware is much affordable and dazzling in appearance and not only that it has the power to change the whole decoration of a home through its own presentation. You can use this in ceremony as well as in your daily life also. In celebration certainly you will be appreciated by your guests and relatives for your stunning dinnerware.

In our daily life, if we use nice looking dinnerware, then it will seem that every day a special day and especially every night as an unforgettable and innovative night. It is only chance where all the members of a family get together, so it should be good and pretty and this can only be done by dinnerware.

There is numerous kind of dinnerware in the market and now these come with a number of designs even in a reasonable price. Overall, the importance of dinnerware is incredible and inconceivable and more than ever in case of marriage ceremony or in wedding ceremony it is the best gift than anything. Eventually, dinnerware gift in wedding ceremony is not only an ordinary gift; it is a tremendously surprising gift for the couple for beginning of their novel life.

By: Sandip Chandra

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Writing a good wedding ceremony speech is like writing any other kind of speech or presentation. It requires preparation and it must have a definite beginning, middle, and ending. According to your role in the marriage party, you are traditionally expected to cover certain formalities and say a few personal words about the couple. This can be stressful if you have never done it before. This article is going to help you write the perfect wedding ceremony speech.

1. The beginning of your wedding speech should start with a simple hello as well as an introduction and an explanation of how you know the bride or groom.

2. Next offer a short story about the bride or groom as a child. This is usually a humorous story about something they did or something you did with them.

3. You should then talk about the relationship of the bride and groom. If you are not good with words try to find a poem or song that describes their relationship.

4. You should end your speech with a toast to the bride and groom. Make sure that you covered all of the formalities earlier in the speech. Examples of these formalities would be if you are the father of the bride you would welcome the groom to the family. If you are the groom you would thank your new father-in-law for his well wishes.

This article was intended to help you write a great wedding ceremony speech. The most important thing is to stay calm and collected and to speak from the heart. As long as you do this, you will do great.

By: Angela Wade

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Not all songs are created equal. The type of wedding ceremony music that you choose will be quite different from the wedding reception music. There is also the consideration on the type of wedding you will be having – whether it is a traditional religious ceremony or a less formal occasion, such as a garden wedding or beach wedding. In this article, we are going to be looking at music choices that would fit into a more formal and religious atmosphere.

What Type Of Music Is Needed For Each Segment

In a traditional ceremony arrangement, low-key instrumental music is usually played and begins about a half hour before the ceremony begins. This is called the Prelude. Most times, if you don’t have any real choices in songs, the organist will play the typical wedding selections that other bride’s and groom’s have used. If you wish to pick your own Prelude songs, a few of the more popular choices are:

* Canon in D by Pachelbel
* Air From Water Music by Handel
* Ave Maria by Bach
* Greensleeves by David Chamberlain
* Waltz (from Sleeping Beauty) by Tchaikovsky
* We’ve Only Just Begun by The Carpenters
* Tonight I Celebrate My Love (For You) by Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
* Breathless by Kenny G

You will then need to choose what music you would prefer for your Processional (as you walk down the aisle). Some brides will elect to have traditional instrumental music such as Canon in D, Ave Maria, and of course the tune that everyone knows: The Wedding March (Here Comes The Bride). However, more and more of today’s brides are choosing tunes from popular song artists. Here is a short list of Processional songs that tend to be favorites:

* Power Of Love by Celine Dion
* What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong and Kenny G
* Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross
* Grow Old With Me by Mary Chapin Carpenter
* Look At You Girl by Chris Ledoux
* From This Moment On by Shania Twain
* Because you Loved me by Celine Dion
* Only Time by Enya
* This I Swear by Nick Lachey
* Nadia’s Theme by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr.

During the ceremony itself, there will be breaks when you will need to provide solos, hymns or instrumental music, such as when you are signing the register. Some common pieces sung by soloists are:

* Wedding (There Is Love) by Stookey
* Ave Maria by Schubert
* Evergreen by Barbra Streisand
* One Hand, One Heart (West Side Story) by Bernstein and Sondheim
* Sunrise, Sunset (Fiddler on the Roof) by Harnick and Bock
* Ode to Joy by Beethoven

Finally the ceremony ends and the bride and groom turn to leave to the sounds of the Recessional. Here you will want a vibrant, joyous song or instrumental to play. You may choose from classical music or the more popular pop songs of today. A few examples are:

* Wedding March from a Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn
* Overture from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart
* Bridal March by Hollins
* Ode to Joy by Beethoven
* Nothings Going To Stop Us Now by Jefferson Starship
* Beautiful Day by U2
* Walking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves
* Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis

Tips For Planning Your Music Selections

Before you select any music, soloists or instrumentalists, you will need to get the answers to certain questions as follows:

1) Speak with your clergy member to find out if the religious venue you are considering provides an organist and/or choir. What other types of musicians are allowed and can he/she recommend anyone? Are other types of musicians allowed such as a harpist, flutist, guitarist, etc.? Can he/she recommend any soloists?

2) You will also need to determine if there are any restrictions on the types of songs and music played during the ceremony. In a very strict, religious church, you may be prohibited from playing any non-religious songs.

3) If the church or synagogue provides an organist or other instrumentalist, what is the fee that is charged for using them? What if you wish to use a friend or a particular organist rather than the one provided, are you allowed to substitute?

4) Determine what type of mood you want for your ceremony. Some couples want a more serious, solemn service, while other couples want a fun-filled, vibrant atmosphere. This will help you in your selection of wedding music, as well as determining the best soloist and musicians to hire.

5) If you have any friends or family members that are gifted musicians, you may want to consider asking them to provide the songs and music. It will provide an added personal touch to your ceremony. Be sure to thank them by presenting them with a small gift. In some cases, you may need to hire them just as you would any other professional musician, but it is usually much less expensive to do so.

6) Once you determine what music and songs you will be using, make sure all soloists and musicians have a copy of the music list along with when they are to be sung/played. If any of the songs or music are new to your performers, make sure you provide sheet music and give it to them early so they can prepare.

7) Purchase tapes and CD’s of wedding music to listen to. This will help make your choices much easier.

As you can see, there are quite a few details to resolve when planning out your wedding ceremony music. The above song suggestions are the ones more traditionally chosen. However, there are always new popular songs by song artists that can also be wonderful choices for a wedding ceremony. Keep your ears open for them. Hopefully, the above guidelines should give you a good start toward picking the perfect music that will personalize your own wedding.

By: Rose Smith

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I am asked all the time to put together a wedding ceremony for couples who have lost someone special to them and they are always looking for ideas on ways to remember them within the ceremony. On a day when the couple brings together their beloved family and friends, this loss, no matter how much time has passed, is present within the day. It’s important for the couple, and the family and friends, to acknowledge these people in a spirit that represents them. There are lots of public ways to do this.

A short remembrance in the wedding program. This is pretty common as it allows the couple to list everyone in their lives who are there in spirit along with a heartfelt note and it can be used in conjunction with other memorials. A special flower arrangement. This is a lovely way to remember you loved ones, especially if they had a favorite flower or color. You can have minister make an announcement of what they represent or include it in the wedding program. A moment of silence. This is a wonderful public acknowledgement as people throughout the congregation will also use it to remember the ones that they loved who have gone as well. A special prayer. Usually used in conjunction with the moment of silence. Your minister probably has a few prayers on hand or may be able to help you write one for yourself that is both meaningful to you and your families. A framed picture. A very visual reminder of the person who you want to remember. Including it with your engagement picture and wedding pictures of your parents/grandparents/family etc. will keep everyone connected and yet still provide a lovely reminder of the loved ones. A candle lit in their honor. This is especially beautiful during a unity candle ceremony or after the two candles for the unity candle have been lit during the processional.

However, some couples may wish to remember the loss privately or would like some private reminder of someone special. There are a couple of ways to incorporate that into a wedding day.

Carrying a special memento. Carrying a handkerchief or other small item that is a reminder of that person keeps the connection you had to them without making it public. Small pieces of jewelry can be sewn onto the dress or woven into the bouquet or boutonniere. In one wedding, I saw the grandmother’s brooch pinned to the wrapped stems of the bridal bouquet. All three sisters had done the same thing at their own weddings. Writing a letter. Writing a letter to the person about how much they meant to you, how you miss them, and how they would be proud and wish they could be there helps bring a certain catharsis to the loss. This can also be incorporated into the wedding by carrying it with you in some way. Saying a prayer. This can be done privately with just you just talking to them as though they are there. Or you it can be done as a family along with the minister. A short prayer thanking them for the influence that they have had in your life and for showing you how to love, just as you now love your new spouse.

Any way you choose to do it, it’s important to remember to make it special to you. Just like your wedding is a reflection of you as a couple, how you remember your loved ones should be a reflection of your relationship as well.

One last note: It’s important to remember your loved ones, but it is also important to remember their lives and how you loved them. This is a wedding. It’s a day for joy and to joyfully remember their love, so you don’t to focus too much on their death. Your loved ones would want you, and your guests to be jubilant and not stuck on their death.

So go and be joyful in their loving memory!

By: Erica Adkins

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When you are getting married in a place like a church, you will not have much choice in the type of seating at the ceremony. For an outdoor wedding, however, you will bring everything in. This means that you can choose seating that will enhance the style and atmosphere of your wedding.

One of the first decisions to make about seating for an outdoor wedding is placement. In some sites, there will be only one good arrangement, but if you are in a more wide open type of space, you will get to choose where you want the chairs to be. Think about things such as maximizing the views and the time of day. Be sure to avoid an arrangement that would put the sun directly into your guests’ faces on a hot summer day. If there is no natural shade from trees, consider renting a tent for the guests to sit under. (Also a good insurance against rain if you do not have a backup location indoors.)

There are many types of seats from which to choose once you have determined your basic layout. You will want to pick ones that are in keeping with the feeling of your wedding. For example, if you are having a rustic autumn wedding, with the bride in a casual gown and very simple bridal jewelry, rows of haybales would look great instead of regular chairs. (Be sure to have a few conventional chairs on hand for any guests who need a little more support, such as the elderly.)

Destination weddings are very popular, and you would want an entirely different type of seating then you would for a rustic ceremony. For a wedding on the sand, the classic white folding chair will look light and fresh. They will be simple and not detract from the natural beauty of the ocean in front of them.

For a mountain top ceremony, think about using more rough-hewn looking chairs from a natural wood. They will complement the rugged beauty of your setting perfectly. If the bride and groom will be seated during the ceremony, you can even consider getting a pair of chairs that are made from actual tree branches. You can find some stunning artisan-made pieces that you will love adding to your home after the wedding.

An outdoor wedding doesn’t have to be informal. A beautiful style is to have a vintage garden wedding. The bride can wear a lace gown with romantic bridal jewelry. In keeping with this very feminine wedding style, the chairs can be covered with fabric to make them look like a boudoir slipper chair. A moire fabric would be lovely, as would a sheer organza over a chair with nice lines.

Small weddings will allow for even more creativity with the seating. If you do not need to arrange chairs in rows, it really opens up your options. For an intimate summer wedding on a porch in New England, Adirondack chairs would be ideal. A ceremony before thirty guests in a New York rooftop restaurant would be made even more chic by renting minimalist lounge seating, like sleek benches and ottomans. You can really make the seating a statement in and of itself.

Your seating may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you are planning your ceremony, but it can definitely make a major impact. Instead of just using something standard, take it as an opportunity to enhance the d?cor of your wedding. When you are having an outdoor ceremony, the possibilities for seating are as wide open as the blue skies above.

By: Guy Antonelli

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When guests arrive for your wedding ceremony, they should be greeted by a beautiful setting, a comfortable atmosphere, and appropriate wedding background music. These wedding songs are heard before the official start of the ceremony, which is usually keyed by the First Processional, or the parents processional (which will be covered later here at EzineArticles). Of course, Metallica and the Black Eyed Peas are probably not what you want to play here, but that doesn’t mean you have to use music that will put your guests to sleep!

A lot of people will go the classical route, playing string quartet or trio music from artists such as Bach, Brahams, and the like. Another typical route would be piano, guitar, or some other solo instrument playing the same. If this is what you have always dreamed of hearing before the start of your wedding, then go for it. Many couples use classical for their ceremony music or have that solo instrument playing classical. These are fine, but in today’s wedding arena, people are spreading their wings and branching out!

I recently had a string quartet playing love song arrangements from the Beatles, Journey and Dave Matthews. Of course, they needed to get the sheet music for these songs, but they did so for free, as an investment for their group. There’s also modern pianists, like Steve Siu, who recently put out his versions of contemporary songs from Toni Braxton, Josh Groban and even Coldplay! There is an electric harpist named Hillary Stagg that has some great pre-ceremony music on CD or on iTunes. Another popular artist is Enya. I know, seems a little too early 90′s but she’s always putting out new stuff that works great for before the ceremony.

Finally, picking love songs, old or new, works well if kept at the appropriate level. Just about every artist on the planet has recorded a love song so it shouldn’t be too hard to find the 5 to 10 artists that work for you. Give your list of 20 songs to your DJ or put them on a disc and you’re ready to go.

The wedding songs you pick for before the ceremony should reflect your music ideas, style and taste. Don’t be afraid to express yourself. It is, after all your wedding. Choose your wedding songs. Your music ideas. Be yourself and your guests will love you for that!

By: James Loram

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Weddings are so much fun! Not only do many couples feel like they never want the celebration to end, some also want to get the festivities started as soon as possible. In addition to the post-wedding brunch, one of the ways to make even more of your wedding weekend is to kick things off with a cocktail hour before the ceremony.

There are a variety of reasons why the concept of a pre-wedding cocktail hour has taken off. The main one is that it is just plain fun. Your guests will love the chance to mix and mingle while sipping a cool beverage before the formal service begins. It can be a great way for people from the bride’s side and the groom’s side to get to know one another a bit before the reception later on. In addition, it is just a very hospitable way to welcome your guests to your wedding.

There can be some practical advantages to having a little cocktail hour before your wedding, as well. These days, many couples are choosing to have their formal wedding portraits taken before the ceremony, and the cocktail hour would give you the perfect opportunity to do so while your guests are otherwise engaged. The nice thing is that everyone will look their freshest, with the bride in her un-wrinkled wedding gown and fabulous bridal jewelry, and the bridesmaids still feeling fresh in their crisp dresses and pretty bridal jewelry. This can be particularly smart if the bride and her attendants are wearing fabrics that crease easily.

If you are one of those people who is always running fifteen minutes late, this can be another benefit to a pre-wedding cocktail hour! At least your guests will not mind being kept waiting as much. Guests who are chatting and enjoying a drink or a glass of Champagne are going to be a lot less antsy than those sitting impatiently in their seats wondering if the bride has made a break for it.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you do decide to have cocktails served before your wedding ceremony. The first is that the bride should definitely plan to save her grand entrance for the ceremony. You will have plenty of time to mix and mingle with your guests after the service, especially if you take care of most of the photos beforehand.

Another thing to remember is that you do not have to make your pre-wedding cocktail hour very elaborate. You can choose just a few drinks to serve, and save the full bar for the start of the reception. A nice idea would be to choose a signature drink, perhaps in one of your wedding colors. You can round things out with glasses of Champagne, and a non-alcoholic “mocktail” for those who are hoping to remember the wedding ceremony.

The pre-wedding cocktail hour is a trend that is only going to get more popular. This is especially true for brides and grooms who have their ceremony and reception all in one location, as it is very easy to set up. How wonderful to begin your wedding festivities in such a hospitable fashion!

By: Guy Antonelli

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Many people planning a wedding are doing it for the initial time no expertise in wedding planning. Of course, you want your special day to be perfect and with all the things you have to worry about it, can be very stressful. But, if you get well organized and keep on the right path, your wedding ceremony can be smooth sailing.

Here are key points things to consider when planning your wedding ceremony:

1. You and your future partner need to construct your lists and see the number of people you are going to invite. If you are over your estimate, start to crossing out people. Go back and forth until you have the number you are comfortable with. Remember, everyone that you will invite to your wedding ceremony, you will need to invite to the wedding party.

2. Determine how big your wedding party is going to be. Again, you and the future partner are going to have to construct a list of who is important to you and work out your wedding party.

3. Decide on the final count. Religious or non-religious, you will have to make a decision and then determine the church or location that you are going use. This will decide the type of ceremony that you will have. If you go the route of a church or other official religious ceremony, it is going to more formal and you will want to get people to participate (readings), if you are going less formal, it will be easier to organize that particular segment of it.

4. Pick your flowers. You will need flowers for the ceremony (sometimes these are reused during the wedding party as center pieces, everyone will do it so don’t think you are being cheap), for the cocktail wedding party, for the wedding party, bouquets, boutonniere’s and or corsage’s.

5. Your wedding music will have to be arranged for the ceremony. You are going to have to decide what music you want played as the guests are arriving, during the procession and at certain times during the ceremony. Also you will need to decide on music as the wedding party leaves and as the guests leave the church or hall.

6. You will also need to determine the arrangement for the receiving line as people are leaving. It is important that everyone knows their place.

7. Photographs. You will want to capture the entire day as the bride gets prepared, the ceremony, the wedding party and surely the bridal party pictures. You may actually want to decide on also securing a videographer to capture your ceremony forever.

8. Transportation. Most times, the groom will arrive at the church by one of the drivers and the bride will make her way a limo but you can decide on the final details. Be sure that all your guests have a way to get to the church!

9. Final point, DON’T FORGET THE RINGS!

By: Lisa Longport

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Let’s face it; the day you get married is probably the biggest day in your life, and one which you’ll no doubt remember forever. Of course, we all have our own ideas as to what makes a wedding day special, but that doesn’t change the fact that a key decision in planning a wedding will involve the choice between a civil or religious ceremony.

There is a growing number of people discovering that civil ceremonies offer a lot of flexibility compared to traditional marriage ceremonies. Interestingly enough, approximately 60% of marriages in Australia nowadays are carried out by a registrar. It should be mentioned however that this doesn’t suggest that people are shunning religion, but instead, this new trend is largely due to the fact that there are nowadays more opportunities than ever before when it comes to civil marriages.

Bear in mind that traditional religious weddings can only be performed at specific locations, and of course they also tend to follow a set routine. Admittedly, there are still thousands of couples choosing to have religious weddings, but the amount of people opting for civil ceremonies has been increasing steadily, largely because more and more couples prefer the flexibility rather than the boundaries and restrictions which are common with traditional religious ceremonies. Also, because civil ceremonies don’t include any form of religious teachings, all guests can feel comfortable, irrespective of their own individual beliefs.

Another huge advantage of civil ceremonies is that a couple can tie the knot practically anywhere they wish. In other words, you can get married to each other on a boat, in a hot air balloon, underwater, or even at a luxury resort. As you can see, civil ceremonies allow far more flexibility in terms of location when compared to religious ceremonies.

Another contributing factor to the increase in the number of civil ceremonies is that many people are now getting married for the second or third time, and of course, people who have gone through a divorce can often encounter obstacles which prevent them from being able to get married with a religious ceremony. Even those who are free to marry again by their respective churches may choose to have a civil ceremony instead, simply so that they can get to enjoy a different kind of celebration. Lastly, it is believed that the increase in civil ceremonies also has something to do with the fact that many couples nowadays to prefer to live with each other for a number of years before actually getting married.

Simply put, civil ceremonies are undeniably an easier option for many couples. Obviously, if you choose to have a religious ceremony you’ll probably be required to attend the church in question, and you may even be required to undergo a certain amount of marriage counseling prior to the actual wedding. Also, you’ll need to comply with various religious traditions during the service. These are all things which can be avoided if a couple chooses to have a civil wedding, hence the growing popularity.

More and more people are looking to have a Sunshine Coast wedding in Queensland, Australia as it provides ideal religious or civil ceremony settings for two people who are in love.

Of course, when one considers the fact that wedding packages can nowadays include a civil ceremony together with a wonderful reception, and that everything can take place at one location, Sunshine Coast wedding venues have all the more reason to market increasingly enticing package deals. In fact, many people simply cannot resist the opportunity of such a package, considering that such ceremonies take place in amazing locations, accommodation is right there on site or nearby, you have a personal wedding planner at your disposal, and of course, you have the flexibility to include any other special features you’d like to see.

Irrespective of whether you and your partner choose to have a traditional religious wedding, or whether you prefer to have a civil ceremony, Sunshine Coast weddings are able to cater to your every need. In fact, no matter where you choose to get married, there are nowadays more options available to you than ever before in order to ensure that your wedding day will indeed be the biggest day of your life.

By: Mary Hubbard

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