St. Michaels Orthodox Church

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Our Wedding

Zak and Mary met working at a summer camp as camp counselors in 2017 and together they have been sharing adventures and memories ever since. Mary first caught Zak's eye during a hot day on the lifeguard stand. He tried impressing her with his vast (limited) knowledge of fungus. Fortunately, Mary thought this was adorable and the rest is history.

One of their favorite memories is hiking the Rainbow Falls trail in the Great Smokey Mountains and drinking from the waterfall. Mary and Zak currently live in Wilmington, NC and enjoy time by watching documentaries, going to flea markets, and taking their dog Gertrude for a walk. Zak proposed to Mary in front of their families on Christmas day of 2022. Mary had no idea Zak planned to surprised her with all of their family there to witness this magical moment. We are so excited for you to join us as we say "I do" at our wedding in September of 2023. See you soon!

Our Story

Photos

Zackery Umberg and Mary Cooper:The Groom and The Bride

MAID ﻿OF HONOR:- Relynne Wolf BRIDESMAIDS:- Kelly Vuthy- Sarah Ellis- Rachel Artz- Mara Bennett- Sophia Ellis

BEST MAN:- Christopher Vuthy GROOMSMEN:- Jadin Rahming- Sebastian Wagner- Alex Lindsey- Rufus Crane-Brandon Grant

Tanner Ellis: Ring Bearer (left)Dakota Bennett: Flower Boy (right)

Joshua Cooper (left) &amp; Jacob Cooper (right): The Ring Bearer Escort and The Flower Boy Escort

Lori Umberg: Mother Of The Groom

Shawn Cooper and Rebecca Cooper: Father And Mother Of The Bride

Wedding Party

Eastern Orthodox Wedding Ceremony Rituals

The Eastern Orthodox wedding ceremony is an ancient rite full of profound symbolism and meaning. The couple is led through the ceremony by their priest and their&nbsp;koumbaros, a best man who remains an important figure in the couple's life. Most rituals are performed three times to represent the Holy Trinity. Waiting of the Bride&nbsp;In a traditional Orthodox wedding, the bride’s father escorts her down the aisle to meet the groom in front of the altar. This is called the ‘Waiting of the Bride.’&nbsp; This processional custom is similar to the ‘presentation of the bride’ or ‘giving away the bride’ in other Christian wedding ceremonies.&nbsp; The Betrothal Ceremony&nbsp;&nbsp;The start of Orthodox weddings is the Betrothal Service.&nbsp;During this part of the ceremony, the priest formally asks the groom and bride if they wish to marry each other and if they’ve already committed themselves to anyone else. There are prayers and psalms. Then he blesses the wedding rings and places them on the couple’s right ring fingers to symbolize their union.&nbsp;&nbsp; The couple doesn’t exchange spoken vows&nbsp;like they might in other Christian wedding ceremonies. Instead, their presence at the ceremony declares their commitment to each other and their consent to God’s presence in their marriage.&nbsp; In ancient times,&nbsp;a couple’s betrothal ceremony happened separately from a wedding within the church, and was sometimes treated as a marriage itself. Over time, the Orthodox Church combined the Betrothal Ceremony with the Crowning Ceremony to create the unified Service of Marriage as it remains today.

Blessing of the rings&nbsp;in an Orthodox wedding is part of the Betrothal Service and is performed by a priest. If the ceremony includes an exchange of rings, it’s usually performed by the couple’s wedding sponsor.&nbsp;&nbsp; The priest makes a sign of the cross three times&nbsp;in front of the groom’s forehead, and then three times in front of the bride’s forehead, while reciting his blessing. Then, he’ll repeat this process, starting with the bride.&nbsp;&nbsp; The priest may say as a blessing,&nbsp;“The servant of God (Groom’s Name) is betrothed to (Bride’s Name) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”&nbsp; After blessing the couple’s marriage, the priest&nbsp;places the rings on their right ring fingers&nbsp;to symbolize their marriage.&nbsp;&nbsp; In Greek Orthodox weddings,&nbsp;the rings are then exchanged three times by the couple’s wedding sponsor (the koumbaros) to symbolize the give and take of a happy marriage and the ways in which the couple will balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The bride’s ring is placed on the groom’s finger three times, and vice versa.&nbsp; The Crowning Service&nbsp;&nbsp; The Crowning is the second half of the Eastern Orthodox wedding&nbsp;and contains its most recognizable and visually compelling rituals. During the Crowning Service, the couple are given lit candles to hold, join hands, and are crowned king and queen of their household before drinking from a cup of blessed wine.&nbsp;

Joining of Hands&nbsp;&nbsp; The priest joins together the couple’s right hands&nbsp;during the ceremony as a sign of their oneness in both mind and heart. This might happen after the couple receives their candles or when the wedding crowns are exchanged.&nbsp;&nbsp; The priest recites a prayer, and the couple will&nbsp;continue to hold hands throughout the ceremony.&nbsp;This symbolic act reflects their willingness and desire to become ‘one flesh,' and is common to many Christian marriage ceremonies.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Wedding Crowns&nbsp; Wedding crowns&nbsp;are the most memorable symbol of Orthodox weddings and an integral part of the wedding rite.&nbsp; These crowns symbolize many things,&nbsp;including the ‘crowns’ that await the couple in Heaven, the Christian ‘crown of martyrdom,’ and the couple’s royal status as king and queen of their household in marriage.&nbsp; A couple’s wedding crowns will be made of different materials depending on their local traditions. Some cultures&nbsp;link the crowns together with a white ribbon,&nbsp;but some don’t.&nbsp;&nbsp; For example,&nbsp;Greek Orthodox wedding crowns&nbsp;(called&nbsp;stefana) are usually made from thin bands of woven silver or gold, and tied together with white satin.&nbsp;Russian Orthodox crowns&nbsp;are larger and more ornate, decorated with red velvet lining and thick golden arches. These are rarely connected together with ribbon.&nbsp;Coptic wedding crowns&nbsp;can resemble elaborate tiaras, with embellished points at the front, and&nbsp;Chinese Orthodox&nbsp;brides may wear a&nbsp;fengguan&nbsp;or ‘phoenix crown,’ or red silk headpiece.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Common Cup&nbsp;&nbsp; After the crowning ceremony, the priest will recite The Lord’s Prayer and read scripture from the Bible while&nbsp;the couple drinks from a cup of blessed wine.&nbsp;&nbsp; This cup, called&nbsp;The Common Cup,&nbsp;serves as a reminder of the first miracle performed by Jesus at the wedding at Cana of Galilee, when he is said to have turned water into wine.&nbsp;&nbsp; The couple drinks from the cup to symbolize the fullness of a life lived in Christ&nbsp;and their commitment to share life’s many blessings, inevitable sorrows, and joys with each other.&nbsp; During the Common Cup ritual, the priest reads from scripture, including Ephesians 5:20-33 and the Gospel of John 2:1-11.&nbsp; In the Greek Orthodox tradition, the bride and groom will each sip from the cup three times, symbolizing the Holy Trinity.&nbsp; Ceremonial walk around the table&nbsp;&nbsp; One of the final rituals&nbsp;in an Eastern Orthodox wedding is a couple’s joyful walk, or ‘dance’ around the table, led by the priest.&nbsp;&nbsp; Sometimes called the ‘Dance of Isaiah,’ this ceremonial procession symbolizes&nbsp;the couple’s first steps as husband and wife in the eyes of God.&nbsp;&nbsp; The priest will sing hymns as they make their way around the ceremonial table (or&nbsp;analogion), followed by their wedding sponsors. These hymns (or&nbsp;troparion) usually include&nbsp;Rejoice, O Isaiah&nbsp;and&nbsp;Troparion of the Holy Martyrs.&nbsp;&nbsp; After the procession,&nbsp;the wedding crowns are removed and the priest recites a final nuptial blessing, and the ceremony ends. In some traditions, the couple will return to the church several days later with their crowns for another&nbsp;final blessing from the priest.&nbsp;

Zackery & Mary

Zackery & Mary

Wedding Party