I enjoyed photographing this Greek wedding which is a little different then most weddings I photograph. The Marriage Ceremony begins with the priest giving the bride and groom lighted candles which they hold throughout the ceremony. The lighted candles represent the Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, Who will light and bless the couple in their new life together. The ceremony continues with the crowning of the couple. The priest holds the wedding crowns, known in Greece as “stephana”, and makes the sign of cross with them three times over the bride and groom. The wedding crowns are linked together by a ribbon, representing the joining of two souls and that the couple is ready to create their own household, their own “kingdom”. The groom and the bride kiss the crowns before they are placed on their heads; the best man switches the “stephana” back and forth three times.
