The Greek Wedding Guide

Looking to have a replica of My Big Fat Greek Wedding? The Greek islands are the place to get hitched! Weddings don’t get more traditional than Greek Weddings! Weddings are a big deal in Greece, not to mention Greek Islands, where tradition and customs are part of the locals’ daily lives. Call them bizarre or fascinating, interesting or annoying, Greek weddings are made up of customs and rituals that go back thousands of years! Enjoy...

1^st step: Boy meets Girl

2^nd Step: Boy and Girl fall head over heels in love!

3^rd Step: Boy bends down on one knee and pops the question!

4^th Step: The Greek Drama begins...It’s time to meet the parents!

5^th Step: So, Boy and family-parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins (just close family) ring the girl’s doorbell!

6^th Step: Girl with parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins open the door!

7^th Step: Boy’s family come bearing gifts-anything from flowers and chocolates to homemade Zivania and Baklava!

8^th Step: Boy’s and Girl’s parents talk details. What details? Dowry for one!

9^th Step: Boy gives his word he will make an honest woman out of the Girl in front of her family...

10^th Step: If wedding negotiations go well...Boy and Girl are logiasmeni (betrothed) by the end of it all!

11^th Step: Boy and Girl are allowed to live together!

12^th Step: After a pre-Fat Greek Wedding meeting, the Wedding Date is Set!

13^th Step: Wedding preparations are on the way...

14^th Step: the list includes wedding dresses, wedding decorations, table centre pieces, wedding venues, wedding gifts and the list goes on and on...

15^th Step: Before the Wedding Day...friends and family gather to help the Boy and Girl prepare for their new life together!

16^th Step: Making the Boy and Girl’s Bed! All Single Ladies make the bed!

17^th Step: The Boy oversees and gives the final Ok.

18^th Step: Money and Rice are thrown on the Bed.

Why? Money brings wealth and prosperity while rice symbolise roots and marriage foundations.

19^th Step: There is more! A baby is thrown in the bed! It’s a symbol of fertility and according to folklore if a baby boy is thrown the Boy and Girl’s first child will be a boy and vice versa.

20^th Step: Wedding Day is here!

21^st Step: Grooming the Boy on the wedding day!

The Kumbaro (Best Man) shaves and dresses the Boy, relatives and friend dance around the Boy holding a basket and tie a red cloth around his waist three times.

22^nd Step: Boy is ready to be the Groom!

23^rd Step: Grooming the Girl on the wedding day!

The Kumera (Maid of Honour), friends and family beautify the Girl. The dress the Girl, dance around the Girl holding a basket, they tie a red cloth around the Girl’s waist.

24^th Step: The Girl is a Bride!

It’s Spitting Time! Greeks believe by spitting three times –Ptou, Ptou, Ptou-the Evil Eye is chased away!

25^th Step: Before the Bride leaves for the church, she writes the names of all her single friends under her shoe. Why? Apparently, the names that will get worn off by the end of the night will be next in line to get married.

26^th Step: Pre-Wedding Ceremony Time!

27^th Step: The Groom waits for the Bride’s Grand Arrival while holding her wedding bouquet!

28^th Step: The Bride walks down the aisle hand-in-hand with her father.

29^th Step: The Bride’s Father presents her to the Groom.

30^th Step: The Groom gives the Bride her wedding bouquet.

31^st Step: Wedding Ceremony Time!

32^nd Step: The Bride and Groom are crowned with the Stefana (Wedding Crowns). The two Stefana are joined together with a string, which symbolises their Union!

33^rd Step: Wine Drinking from the Common Cup (gold ecclesiastical wine cup). The Bride and Groom sip the wine three times from the same cup. Wine stands for life and the sharing of the cup is symbolic of the Bride and Groom’s life together.

34^th Step: Wedding Ring time! The Kumbaro and Kumera will exchange the wedding rings between the couple. If the drop them, the Bride and Groom’s union will be cursed.

35^th Step: Bride and Groom, Kumera and Kumbaro are then led around a central table by the priest. The Bride and Groom’s first stroll together as Husband and Wife! The round the table thing is called the Isaia Dance.

36^th Step: Bride and Groom are Husband and Wife!

Newlyweds are showered with rice-literally attacked by it!

37^th Step: Wedding Party Time!

38^th Step: the Royal Wedding Feast!

39^th Step: Don’t Forget the Royal Dessert Feast!

40^th Step: Dancing the night away!

Lots of drinking, traditional dancing like Tsamiko and Zembekiko, flower throwing and plate smashing!

41^st Step: Time to Leave!

Guests get leave with their Loukoumi (thick almond and nut sugar-coated cookie) and wedding almond wedding Koufeta (an almond sugar coated sweet) that symbolises the Husband and Wife’s sweet life and fertile marriage together. Single ladies place the Koufeta under their pillows and dream of the man they will marry!

42^nd Step: Wedding Recovery Time!