The matchmaking process was more common 50 to 100 years ago. Arranged marriages still occur today but nowhere near as frequent as they used to. This is attributed to the fact that women today go to school, work, etc. The common practice today is that a couple will meet on their own, and then tell the parents later in the relationship.
When the wedding plans are made, family members of the bride and groom go around their respective villages and pass out invitations to all their neighbors to join in the celebration. Invitations are usually handed out within a few weeks of the wedding.
Wedding Preparations
Today, on the day of the wedding, the tradition is for the bride to prepare at her house while her family gathers and watches. The bride-to-be comes out in front of her family wearing her dress, and the brides maids and maid of honor proceed to add accessories and put on the brides make up. While this is going on, there is usually a violin and a laouto being played. Typically, the grandmother sings by improvising words to sing to her granddaughter.
The groom goes through a preparation process as well. The groom prepares by getting dressed in his tuxedo or very formal suit by the best man. The groom also sits in a chair and best man proceeds to shave his face in what is referred to as "the last shave." Like the bride's preparation, the groom's family watches as well.
The groom and his family arrive at the church first and wait outside of the church. The groom's family stays to one side as he awaits his future bride. The bride then arrives, with flower girls and family accompanying her, to the church. She then walks to the steps of the church where her groom meets her. Click here to see the beauty of this meeting.
Traditionally, Cypriot weddings involved a week's worth of activities that led to the big day. For example, most villages had a "bed laying" service that the couple attended. The bed is surrounded by young girls who put sheets on the bed, singing and dancing the whole time. Family guests of the couple will then place money on the bed to ensure that the wedding will prosper. The money is then followed up with a baby (usually a boy) who is rolled on the bed representing fertility.The wedding itself occurred on Sunday and the bride was dressed all in white. The following Monday, the new bride wore a specially made, dark formal dress. This dress was made only to be worn for that day.In past years, the bride was required to hang sheets over the verandah the day after the wedding to prove she was a pure bride.
The Ceremony
After the bride and groom enter the church and the families are seated, the ceremony begins. The ceremony can typically last 45 minutes or more. Religious chants come from the Priest throughout the ceremony. Most sections Greek Orthodox religious ceremonies occur in threes to represent the God, the Son and the Holy Spirit. As part of the ceremony both the bride and groom wear headbands called stefena that are connected. The stefena are exchanged three times between the bride and the groom. The wedding rings, which are worn on the right hand, forth (ring) finger, are also exchanged three times.
At one point during the service, the priest will say (in Greek of course) "woman shall fear her husband." Then, the first one, bride or groom to put their foot on top of the other's will run the house. This is just a tradition and does not always result in the way this little contest ends. The Priest then leads the couple around the table 3 times. On the table are the Gospel and the Cross.
They drink from the common cup three times, followed by the reading of the Epistle and the Gospel. The ceremony consists of two parts which are distinct and separate from each other: The service of the Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage. After completing the trips around the table, the bride and groom will be garlanded with flowers. The priest and other participants then form a circle with the couple in the middle and perform a dance around the couple. The ceremony ends and as guests leave the church they are presented with koufetta, sugared Almonds, in a small bag. An odd number of almonds cannot be divided up and is meant to represent the unity of the couple.
Reception
On arrival the guests are greeted and given a small gift. This is usually a small piece of cake wrapped in wedding paper. Guests then form a line as they wait to congratulate the new couple, proud parents, and best man and maid of honor. The couple then greets the guests on a raised platform.
Dinners are usually a buffet style due to the large number of people that pass through the reception. It is not uncommon to see up to 3,000 people, or even more, due to the open invitations the parents extend to their villages.
The wedding is then naturally followed by the reception. The receptions tend to go on for many hours into the late evening. During the reception a steady stream of people will arrive to pay their respects to the married couple and their parents.
Here they will remain all evening until the last guest has come through the line. The couple will then go on to have their dinner, cake, and a dance, after the party is almost over.
Gifts
Guests typically bring money as a gift to the new couple. The typical amount donated is around $50-$100 (25-50 liras) placed in a small envelope placed in a basket or given to some family members who are manning the gift table. The gift table sits right after the greeting platform. Also, it is quite common for the father of the bride to give his daughter and new son-in-law a house as a wedding present. This may be on a separate plot of land or on part of the parents' existing home.
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