Marriage is one of the Sacraments of the Orthodox Christian Church. The Bride and Groom present themselves before Christ, the Priest, and the congregation, promising to be true to each other for life, seeking God’s grace, promising to live together in His love, and mutually fulfilling and perfecting each other. The couple is joined in Holy Matrimony with Christ as He is the Bridegroom, and the Church is His Bride.

Nowhere in the wedding service is the phrase “until death do us part.” Marriage is an eternal relationship that begins in this world and is perfected in God’s Kingdom. In Christ, marriage is restored to its original perfection and becomes eternal life of joy in union with Him. Christ destroyed death by His Cross and Resurrection; therefore, death has no power to separate the marriage.

The Marriage ceremony of the Orthodox Church is steeped in ritual and symbolism. Orthodox Christians believe that it is God who unites the couple; the Church recognizes and blesses the union God has begun in their lives. Without this Sacrament, the marriage will suffer pain, sin, and death.

The sacrament of Marriage includes two services: the Betrothal and the Wedding or Crowning.

The first part of the Sacrament is the Betrothal Service which originally took place at the time of engagement. Over the course of centuries, the Betrothal Service was included with the Sacrament of Marriage. The couple’s entrance into the Church from the narthex, the area closest to the outside world, represents that the relationship which began “in this world” will now move into the Church for blessing to enter “the world to come.” At this time the bride and groom each declare their willingness to be married to the other.

This part of the service recognizes the civil union through which a man and a woman come with free will to join each other. And yet, it is much more than a legal contract. In fact, in the Orthodox service the couple do not exchange vows. They have come to the Church to recognize God’s union in their relationship, not merely to make promises to each other. During the Betrothal, the priest prays for the couple to have a life of perfect love together, for salvation, and for the blessing of children from their union.

The Candles

At the beginning of the Service, the Bride and Groom are given white, lighted candles to hold. These symbolize the purity of their lives, which should shine with the light of virtue and spiritual willingness of the couple to receive Christ, Who will bless them through this Sacrament.

Exchange of Rings

The rings are blessed by the Priest over the couple’s heads three times in the name of the “Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” invoking the mystical presence of the Holy Trinity. The Koumbaro(a) exchanges the rings three times, taking the Bride’s ring and placing it on the Groom’s right ring finger and vice-versa. (Promises are made and oaths are taken with the right hand, symbolizing the right hand of God that blesses. Christ ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father. Finally, those who inherit eternal life will go to the right hand of God.) The exchange signifies that, in married life, the weakness of one partner will be compensated by the strength of the other, and the imperfections of one by the perfections of the other. Thus, this exchange of the rings represents that the couple will constantly complement each other.

The Koumbaroi (sponsors)

A close interwoven relationship exists among the Bride, Groom, and Koumbaro (male) or Koumbara (female). For an Orthodox Christian, it is considered a great honor to be invited to sponsor a couple in a marriage. The sponsors must be Orthodox Christians and give witness before God and the people that the Bride and Groom are committed to each other and to Christ.

At the beginning of the Wedding Service, the priest censes around the table before the altar as he chants Psalm 128, “Blessed are they that fear the Lord, and walk in His ways…” By coming to the altar, the couple offer their lives together to God for His blessing.

Joining of the Right Hands

In the Service of the Crowning and during the third prayer, the right hands of the couple are joined together by the Priest who calls upon God to unite them into one mind and one flesh. The hands are kept joined throughout the Service to symbolize the “oneness” of the couple.

The Crowning

The crowns are signs of glory and honor with which God crowns the couple during the Sacrament. The Groom and the Bride are crowned king and queen of their own kingdom, their home, which they will rule with love, wisdom, justice, and integrity. With the crowns, the Priest makes the sign of the Cross over the heads of the Bride and Groom and then places the crowns on their heads. The Koumbaro(a) then exchanges the crowns over their heads as witness to their union. Some interpret the crowns used as the crowns of martyrdom. The word “martyr” means “witness.” The couple bears witness to Christ’s presence in their lives, which requires both to die to themselves and to give of their lives for the other. The ribbon joining the crowns represents the unity of the couple.

Scripture Readings

The Epistle reading, Ephesians 5:20–33, explains the mystery and holiness of marriage, as well as the duties and responsibilities of a husband and wife. The love of the couple parallels the love of Christ and His Church. The couple becomes one in their submission to each other and to Christ. The Gospel reading, St. John 2:1–11, retells the story of the wedding at Cana, where Christ blessed marriage by turning the water into wine, symbolizing the turning of our passions into virtues.

The Common Cup

In remembrance of the miracle at Cana, wine is given to the couple. The husband and wife drink from this Common Cup, denoting the mutual sharing of joy and sorrow in their life as husband and wife. This is not Holy Communion, but it symbolizes that they will share all of life’s experiences together.

The Dance of Isaiah

The Priest then leads the Bride and Groom in a circle around the table on which are placed the Gospel and the Cross. The husband and wife take their first steps as a married couple and the Church, which is represented by the Priest, leads them in this walk. This walk represents their life together as a perfect orbit around the center of life, Christ our Lord. The hymns sung during the Dance of Isaiah recall the themes of blessing, martyrdom, and the setting apart of the couple from this world to a union with Christ. The Koumbaro(a) follow the bride and groom as witness, and pledge lifelong moral and spiritual support.

The Blessing

Finally, the Priest lifts the crowns from their heads with special words of blessings to the newlyweds. He then places the crowns on the Altar Table as an offering of the newly-formed Christian couple. The priest

prays that God will receive these crowns into His Kingdom. The couple now begin their journey together in Christ at the foot of His altar. They are an icon of Christ and His Church to the witnesses attending this sacrament of their threefold union.

Bobonieres (wedding favors)

A custom in the Greek Orthodox Church provides a wedding favor for everyone in attendance, as a remembrance of their presence at this wedding. These wedding favors contain candy-coated almonds (called koufeta), which symbolize the sweetness and bitterness of marriage. As they are eaten, the sweetness of the candy coating and the bitterness of the almond mingle and become inseparable.