Bahamas Orthodox Church Weddings:

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Christian Church is locate in Nassau Bahamas, you can celebrate your Eastern Orthodox  or Greek orthodox wedding, in this beautiful church. At Weddings Romantique, We will be glad to help you plan and coordinate your Bahamas Eastern or Greek Orthodox destination wedding. we will take care  of your destination wedding services from sourcing the right vendors, creating a stylish event that reflect your personality and budget to all the legal requirements for getting married on away from home in addition to providing you personalized group travel arrangements for all your guests.

Eastern Orthodox Ceremony Wedding 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 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.

• Betrothal Ceremony: Eastern Orthodox weddings begin with a betrothal ceremony in which the rings are blessed. After reciting blessings and Bible passages, the priest makes the sign of the cross while holding the rings and declaring the betrothal. The priest may hold the rings in his hands while pressing the the bride and groom's forehead three times each. Then, either the priest or the koumbaros exchanges the rings between the couple's fingers three times, signifying that the weakness of one will be compensated by the other. Because the right hand has a rich and symbolic history in the church, the rings are usually placed on the third finger of the right hand.
• Candles And Hand-Holding: After the rings are exchanged (or sometimes beforehand) the priest gives the couple lit candles to hold in their left hands for the remainder of the service. The burning flames symbolize the couple's spiritual willingness to receive God's blessings. The priest also joins the couple’s right hands together while praying for their marriage. The bride and groom continue to hold hands during the ceremony as a symbol of their oneness.
• Crowning: The Crowning is the centerpiece of the Eastern Orthodox marriage ceremony. Garland wreaths are often fashioned into ornate crowns as a symbol of glory and honor. Crowns can also be made of orange blossom, myrtle leaves, semiprecious stones and metals, or threads of gold and crimson, which represent the royalty of marriage. The koumbaros presents the couple with two crowns joined by a white ribbon, symbolizing the couple's unity. The priest places the crowns on the couple's heads while they face the altar, then the koumbaros swaps the crowns on the couple's heads three times. According to ancient custom, the crowns are to stay with the couple for life (some couples are even buried in them!)
• The Common Cup: After the priest reads additional Bible passages, the bride and groom take three sips of wine from a shared cup. The ritual of the common cup is based on the wedding of Cana of Galilee, where Jesus turned water into wine. The cup represents life and symbolizes the couple's mutual sharing of joy and sorrow. As they drink wine from the common cup, they are reminded that from that moment they will share everything, doubling their joys and dividing their sorrows.
• Circling The Table: Following the common cup ritual, the priest (and sometimes the koumbaros too) leads the couple three times around the altar on which a Bible and cross rest. This ritual dance predates Christianity, representing the dance around the Ark of the Covenant. The choir sings three hymns as the couple circles the table. In this act, the couple takes their first steps as a married couple, with the Church (through the priest) leading them.
• Traditional Blessings: At the ceremony's end, the priest recites parting blessings upon the newlyweds. To the groom he may say: "Be thou magnified O Bridegroom, as Abraham, and blessed as Isaac and multiply as Jacob. Walk in peace and work in righteousness, as the commandments of God." To the bride he may say: "And thou O Bride, be though magnified as Sarah, glad as Rebecca and multiply like unto Rachel, rejoicing in thine own husband, fulfilling the conditions of the law, for so it is well pleasing unto God." Finally the ancient phrase, "Na zisete!" ("May you live!"), is exclaimed.

Eastern Orthodox Ceremony Wedding Rituals article is courtesy of Robin Beth Schaer,  please visit the knot website for more information.

At Weddings Romantique, We will be glad to help you create your uniquely customized Bahamas Orthodox Church Weddings, we will take care  of your destination wedding services from sourcing the right vendors, creating a stylish event that reflect your personality and budget to all the legal requirements for getting married on away from home in addition to providing you personalized group travel arrangements for all your guests.

Our professional destination wedding planners are certified with over 10 years of experience in the industry, leaving no doubt that your wedding details will be handled with the utmost of care. We will manage your wedding planning process by providing snapshots of your stylish destination wedding design elements to all vendors and help them bring their parts forward, so the band plays on cue, plates are placed in perfect harmony, and the candles are lit to welcome you and start the celebration! 

Let us be your Destination Weddings Team, please fill our inquiry form and tell us about your ideas and vision and we will be glad to contact and set up your one hour complimentary consultation