Dear Friend,
Kolya and I crashed our first Greek wedding last night... The wedding was attended by over 800 people in the village and was held at the village church. The bride arrived in a procession from her childhood home with family and friends singing as they walked. It was a quintessential moment of village life. The already lavishly adorned church was also decorated for the occasion with flowers and candles. The altar was set with the wine, three candles to be held by the bridesmaids (they would be lit again at the Sunday service), the crowns and the rings. At the end of the service as the bride and groom were pronounced married, guests threw rice at them in celebration as they walked three times around the altar.
After the service, we all headed to a local restaurant with a huge lawn set for the occasion. As we walked in, we were handed two diples (thee-ples)... one from the bride's family and one from the grooms. Diples are always served on celebratory occasions. The bride's family had spent last weekend making 2,000 diples by hand... four women lined up to the fry the dough and four more to turn it as well as many more to knead and cut the dough. After our sweet treat, we were served bread and tzatziki, then kasseri cheese arrived followed by feta. After that, we were served a layered dish with ham, noodles and cheese. Then the Greek salad arrived followed by a huge plate of pulled pork, which I assumed was the main course... until the beef, rice pilaf and Greek potatoes arrived later. We washed that down with huge waterbottled filled with table wine. After the cutting of the cake and fireworks, there was fruit and cake and of course extra diples to bring home and enjoy the next day. The Greek dancing began and somewhere early in the morning, Kolya and I stumbled into the house with just enough energy to make it to our pillows...
Kolya and I crashed our first Greek wedding last night... The wedding was attended by over 800 people in the village and was held at the village church. The bride arrived in a procession from her childhood home with family and friends singing as they walked. It was a quintessential moment of village life. The already lavishly adorned church was also decorated for the occasion with flowers and candles. The altar was set with the wine, three candles to be held by the bridesmaids (they would be lit again at the Sunday service), the crowns and the rings. At the end of the service as the bride and groom were pronounced married, guests threw rice at them in celebration as they walked three times around the altar.
After the service, we all headed to a local restaurant with a huge lawn set for the occasion. As we walked in, we were handed two diples (thee-ples)... one from the bride's family and one from the grooms. Diples are always served on celebratory occasions. The bride's family had spent last weekend making 2,000 diples by hand... four women lined up to the fry the dough and four more to turn it as well as many more to knead and cut the dough. After our sweet treat, we were served bread and tzatziki, then kasseri cheese arrived followed by feta. After that, we were served a layered dish with ham, noodles and cheese. Then the Greek salad arrived followed by a huge plate of pulled pork, which I assumed was the main course... until the beef, rice pilaf and Greek potatoes arrived later. We washed that down with huge waterbottled filled with table wine. After the cutting of the cake and fireworks, there was fruit and cake and of course extra diples to bring home and enjoy the next day. The Greek dancing began and somewhere early in the morning, Kolya and I stumbled into the house with just enough energy to make it to our pillows...
Na zisete eftychismeni (May you live happily)!
XOXO,
Karen June
Maria and Vasilli ready for the wedding
The village church decorated for the occasion
Wedding favors for the guests... candy covered almonds are traditional
Maria, Kolya and myself waiting for the service to begin
The wine
The crowns and rings
The altar
Kolya lighting a candle
Father Michael performing part of the marriage ceremony
Inside the church
The bride arriving in procession
The bride and groom at the altar
Rice being thrown at the bride and groom
Me, Kolya, Maria and Father Michael at the Reception
What fun and Memories. It brings me back to when I was sixteen and on a trip of a life time where I also got to attend a greek wedding.