They are used to traditionally describe every aspect of our lives, from birth to death and they extract valuable lessons learned by the Greeks since, oh well… forever!
Eleni and Ross married on 29 June 2013 at Saint Stephens Catholic Church and also at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church in Brisbane, Australia
Eleni (the gorgeous bride in this photo) is a primary school friend of mine. We go way back to grade three together and I vividly remember how envious I was of Eleni and her sticker book. She had the best stickers any eight year old girl could ever imagine. Detailed and perfectly organised pages and pages of stickers. The kind that no one else had. The kind that every girl wanted. Twenty-something years on, Eleni is still a lover of beautiful things and she has an amazing attention to detail.
Eleni and her handsome hubby Ross had two ceremonies on their wedding day. Eleni is Greek Orthodox and Ross is Italian Catholic. Rather than choosing one religion, the beautiful couple decided to get married in two different Churches. I was very excited to learn more about their unique wedding story, so I asked Eleni for an interview. Here is what she said:
Evan and Raquel married on the Greek Island of Crete.
This Aussie couple were married on the Greek Islands. They have some beautiful wedding photos and heaps of advice about planning a destination wedding. I asked Evan & Raquel if I could share their Wedding Story here on the blog. They told me how they avoided all the fuss of a BFGW (big fat Greek wedding) and enjoyed the Greek Islands…. read on to find out how they did it!
The Marion Gown from SimplyBridal.com
When I was shopping for my wedding dress, I was really worried about showing my shoulders. Often Greek brides need to cover up and wear a dress that is somewhat conservative. If a Greek bride falls in love with a strapless dress, then she will have a whole lot of explaining to do to Yiayia before walking down the aisle.
Our friends at Simply Bridal know how to solve this dilemma. Here is a guest post with a few ideas on how to Cover Up For A Greek Wedding…
The moment you put on your dream dress, you knew it was the one. You cried, laughed and spun around to your entourage who gleefully agreed. What an amazing moment! But there’s a catch: it has no sleeves and your Greek heritage requires you to cover up your arms during the ceremony! Well, have no fear… you can still walk down the aisle in the dress of your dreams by wearing a stylish cover-up. Here are a few options to inspire you:
Taffeta Shawl from SimplyBridal.com
O-M-Onassis First Lady Kennedy was renowned for her style. Iconic, beautiful and elegant, she popularized the bolero jacket. A bolero jacket has the traditional long sleeves, but is cropped either beneath the bust or at the waist. This retro look will cover you up without hiding your feminine beauty, as the hemline will highlight your slender waist and hourglass figure. Jackie Kennedy is at the top of the style stakes for choosing to wear this beauty!
“I am sure many of you have seen “My Big Fat Greek Wedding“, and speaking like a true Greek, I can tell you that it’s aaaaaaaall true! The huge family, the loud voices, the eating, family intervening in the kids lives, all of it, true. There was one thing though, I didn’t see in the film, and it is a major tradition that takes place in every Greek Wedding…“
Ioanna, Rhodes 2013
The guests who are present at a Greek wedding ceremony throw rice at the newly married couple during the dance of the Isaiah in order for them to grow old together, grow common roots as the Greeks say. Rice is a symbol of fertility and prosperity, throwing rice at a couple is seen as one way to wish them a happy and blessed life together.
In Greece, up till today, rice throwing is an integral part of the wedding ceremony. From a touching moment when the bride and groom make their first steps as a couple together, it has become a rather funny moment everyone is waiting for… The moment people wait to “get back at the new couple”, to tease them and throw a rain of rice on their heads making everyone laugh!
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Would you have rice throwing at your wedding?
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Ioanna Aggelidaki is the Social Media Manager and Contributor of the Greek Weddings and Traditions Blog.
You can connect with Ioanna on Twitter, check her creative Cow Art and follow her blog, life portfolio.
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