Please look at the end of the page for a link to some of the wedding photos.

The Marriage of

To

2^nd January 1999

St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church

Queanbeyan

Parents of the Bride

Bride

Matron of Honour

Flower Girls

Parents of the Groom

Groom

The marriage ceremony of the Greek Orthodox Church is rich in ritual and symbolism. Each of the acts observed today has a special meaning and significance.

The priest who performs the ceremony stands before a table appropriately covered for the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Behind him is the Royal Door of the Iconostasis - the screen that carries the Holy Icons. Upon the table are placed the Holy Gospel, the Precious Cross, two candlesticks, a cup of wine, the wedding rings and the wedding crowns. The couple stand facing the priest and the Royal Door, the groom on the right and the bride on the left.

The ceremony has two parts:

The Priest begins the service, intoning.' "Blessed is our God always, now and ever and unto ages of ages." He then recites the Litany in which he beseeches the Lord for the salvation of both the bride and groom - to: "send down upon them perfect and peaceful love, to preserve them with a blameless life, to grant them an honourable marriage." He concludes the Litany with: "For unto Thee are due all glory, honour and worship to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost."

Prayers are then recited asking God to bless Rebecca and Dimitri, to establish and make stable their betrothal in faith, oneness of mind, in truth and in love.

The Greek Orthodox wedding is a double ring ceremony. The priest takes the rings and with them makes the sign of the Cross on the forehead of the groom and then the bride saying;

"The Servant of the Lord, Dimitri, is betrothed to the handmaid of the Lord, Rebecca, in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit Amen." (three times).

The same process is repeated, first making the sign of the Cross over the Bride's head. At the conclusion the rings are placed on the little fingers of the right hands of both the bride and groom. The best man steps forward and changes the rings three times while the priest recites a prayer beseeching God to:

"bless this putting on of rings with a heavenly blessing and may the Angel of the Lord go before these Thy servants all the days of their lives. For Thou art He who blesseth and halloweth all things and to Thee we ascribe glory. Amen."

Here ends the betrothal service.

The crowning is the climax of the wedding service. The marriage ceremony takes its name from the word "Stepsis" meaning crowning". Engaged couples are greeted with the expression "Kala Stephana" which is a wish for a happy wedding The crowns are tied together with a white ribbon. They are symbolic of the bond between newlyweds and the glory and honour which crowns them during the Sacrament. They represent honour and rewards bestowed upon the pair for the purity of their lives.

The priest begins the crowning by singing the 127th Psalm while the Choir responds with the refrain "Glory to Thee, our God, Glory to Thee."

Taking the Holy Bible the priest says; "Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, always, now and forever." He recites a series of petitions and three long prayers beseeching the Lord to:

The crowning proceeds and the priest crowns the groom three times saying:

In similar manner the priest crowns the bride saying:

"The handmaid of the Lord…"

The best man then exchanges the crowns three times while the Choir sings: "Lord our God crown them with glory and honour."

With the crowns on the heads of the bridal couple the Epistle Lesson is read (Ephesians 5:2O-23) followed by the Gospel reading (John 2.1-11). The Gospel reading describes the wedding at Cana of Galilee and, in remembrance of Christ's blessing at that wedding wine is given to the couple, not for consecration but for blessing. This is the "common cup" of life, denoting the mutual sharing of joy and sorrow, the token of a life of harmony. The priest offers the cup first to the groom and then to the bride.

Followed by the best man and the bridal party, the priest leads the bridal couple around the lectern three times while the Choir sings; "Rejoice, O Isaiah, the Virgin hath conceived and hath brought forth a son, Emmanuel both God and Man. Orient His Name, as we magnify Him we call the Virgin blessed."

The couple return to their places and the priest takes the crown from the bridegroom's head, saying:

As he takes the crown from the bride, he says:

The priest prays, asking God:

"Who did come to Cana and blessed there the marriage feast, bless also His servants who, through His good providence are now united together in Holy Wedlock; bless their going out and coming in, replenish their lives with good things, receive their crowns into His Kingdom and preserve them spotless, blameless and without reproach unto the ages of ages."

The Service closes with the Benediction:

"Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers have mercy upon us.

O Lord Jesus, Our Lord. Amen."