Thodoris & Afrodite’s

in GreeceVintage Wedding

Fabulous

Vintage weddings are timelessly

chic. Full of romance and

nostalgia, when they are prepared

with skill & flair, they become

unforgettable affairs.

The venue should be unique and

elegant. A classy mansion, a

wonderfully manicured garden, a

charming estate with a fantastic

back yard, a historic building, a

vineyard or a museum are great

places to host this affair. My niece,

Afrodite and her fiancé, chose the

historic church of Agia Marina to

host their wedding. The church

has been the family’s favorite

spiritual retreat for decades. It was

built in the 1900s in the heart of

the same mountain that holds our

small town on its feet.

A Forest Wedding

The color scheme the couple chose had mainly tones of ivory and gold. Accents of olive green and burgundy gave depth to the main colors. They decided to create their own party favors using the words Love or Hope . Fine lace complimented everything fabulously and gave it a polished look.

The ivory siphon and lace wedding dress Afrodite opted to wear was absolutely breathtaking. It fitted her slim body perfectly. My niece looked like an ivory vision. I thought she was the best looking bride I ever saw. (I was a little biased…of course.)

Tip: Chose your venue and official well in advance to ensure availability. Chose a dress that fits well with the era and brings out your individual style and personality well.

Greek weddings are strongly influenced by centuries of family traditions. The family members serve as the couple’s attendants, roles of honor & respect. The gowns the ladies wear represent the status each lady has in the family hierarchy, and they must be selected carefully and tailored impeccably.

Kiria Toula, as the seamstress is known in the region, is famous for her expertise and timely delivery. Dresses in all styles fabrics and colors filled the walls of her roomy studio. She designed & altered gowns for all of the women in the family, including myself.

The wedding invitations the couple chose represented the era marvelously.

Because all wedding festivities begin at the bride’s house, the entire family gets involved to prepare and decorate their home for the big celebration.

My sister loves plants, and they served as the focal point on the Wedding Day. She has quite a variety of them - some local plants, some from other parts of Greece and some tropical ones. The family began working on cleaning and organizing their residence a month before the wedding. Fresh paint covered all walls inside and outside the house.

Tip: If you plan pre-wedding celebrations at home, give yourselves enough time to clean, organize and decorate it. Make a list of things to be done to help you stay on track.

The upcoming nuptials was a

good excuse for a few casual

parties to pop up. Family and

friends gathered together at the

family’s vineyard for appetizers,

including Greek olives and

cheese, wine and of course

dancing.

The Wednesday before the

wedding we planned a formal

dinner dance for 50 people at

our mother’s home. Most of the

details were taken care of, and

we wanted a chance to enjoy the

wedding festivities!

A live band kept all of us dancing

well into the early morning

hours. Weddings in Greece are

sources of family pride and are

celebrated as such.

Following tradition, the groom

sends his best man and an

attendant to deliver the bride’s

shoes and the car she will ride

in to take her to the ceremony.

The best man gives the bride

her shoes, and she writes the

names of her single ladies

underneath them. According

to tradition, the girls whose

names disappear by the end

of the evening would get

married within the next year.

The groom’s attendant fills the

shoes with money

representing wishes of

prosperity for the couple

before he places them on her

feet. Now the bride is ready to

join the guests.

All eyes are on the bride, as she

makes her way down the stairs.

Family and friends celebrate the

life she had with her family

while wish her well as she

begins her journey to adulthood.

The celebration begins.

Tradition had it for unmarried

girls to move out of their father’s

home only when they got

married. Men continued to stay

at their family home after they

got married bringing along their

bride. The new couple assumes

responsibility to care for the

husband’s elderly parents.

With influences coming rapidly

from the west, many traditions

have already began to change.

The mile long ride through the forest to the historic church was sensational. Pine trees of all ages stood tall and strong like soldiers one next to the other. Huge gray rocks of all shapes seemed to hold the trees in place.

My mom’s worn sewing machine covered with delicate silk fabrics and elegant lace found its old glory. The wedding invitation gave it a soft personal touch.

Wreaths held a long olive green silk fabric flowing gracefully down the two poles that the couple would walk through to enter the church. Candelabras gave it a elegant look.

The groom’s antique red bicycle added finesse to the ambiance.

Underneath a huge open tent on

the historic church’s vast patio

were 25 tables dressed with white

tablecloths and complimented by

chairs with white chair covers. Set

with fine silverware and crystal

glasses

The centerpieces along with a

platter of traditional diples (a flaky

dessert dipped in honey) were set

in middle of each table.

The bar was assembled near the

edge of the tent. Before dinner

bartenders served each thirsty

guest a glass of water or fresh

squeezed lemonade garnished

with cucumber or mint.

Tip: Considering the copious amount of

details, the assistance of an event planner is priceless.

A lot of work and effort goes

into setting the 1900s stage.

With a long list of items from

the era, we worked hard all

morning to transform every

inch of the church’s grounds.

Elegant pieces dressed the

table that housed the

koufeta, (traditional Greek

almond and sugar candy),

some pictures and the book

where everyone logged their

good wishes.

The final result was a perfect

scene of a time long ago.

Tip: Resale shops are a great

resource for purchasing antique

items that allow us to transform a

venue to a past era fabulously

According to the Greek

Orthodox Faith a wedding is a

sacrament and the ceremony

is full of symbolism. A table

with white lace was set in the

middle of the historic church. It

held the lambades (unity

candles), three candles, the

Holy Bible and the crowns that

the bride and groom wear at

specific time of the ceremony

declaring them King and

Queen of their household.

Helping coordinate this

wedding was the opportunity

of a lifetime!

Crucial Tip: Event planners, before you

undertake the planning of an ethnic

wedding, study and know the traditions

well!

July 25, 2015