Wedding customs in Greece

For this article worked Chris N. and  Despoina.

The bridal bed

   Two days before the wedding day the single girls strew the bridal bed and they throw over it rice and coufeta (sugar almonds).Everyone puts money on the bed.

In Greek islands the girls sing traditional songs related to the custom.

Click on the following link to watch the video:

 The Greek custom of strewing the bridal bed

The bride writes the names of her unmarried girl friends under her shoe.

On the wedding day the preparations start early in the morning. On this day the bride won’t be alone at home; her family, friends and relatives will come with their presents. Her girlfriends will help her to put on the wedding dress and she will write their names on the sole of one of her shoes. Later, if a name gets erased that means that girl will be married soon. The bride’s father will help his daughter put on her right shoe.

A decorated weddeing car

Every bride must be on time at church, but she is usually late as it is nowadays a custom. The bride reaches the church inside a car, which is decorated with flowers. In some places the bride goes to the church on foot, while traditional instruments play traditional wedding songs.

The bride goes to the church on foot under the sounds of traditional instruments

The groom expects the bride

The groom expects her with a bouquet of flowers. Her father and her older brother, if she has one, will accompany her to the groom.






 

Throwing of rise

During the webbing the quests throw rice and rose petals to the couple. 

Offering of "bomboniera" to the guests

At the end of the ceremony all the guests will congratulate the couple, their parents and the best man and they will take a “bonboniera”, a small parcel filled with coufeta as a gift from the couple.

The bride throws her wedding bouquet

 After the wedding ceremony a party follows. Parents and guests get there before the couple. They wait for them with music and wine. Their wedding cake is also there and they will cut it and eat first.
   After that the orchestra will play a romantic song only for them the bride will throw her wedding bouquet to her friends who are singles.

When the couple goes back home they enter their home together; they step together on something made of iron so that their relation will be strong during the rest of their lives.

Then  the groom takes the bride up in his arms, one of the couple’s mothers give them  both a spoonful of honey to eat - so that their common life be “sweat”  like the honey- and then they enter their home.