Do you want to honor your or your partner's Greek heritage at your wedding? I've put together some of the easiest Greek wedding traditions to integrate into your wedding day.
(I've broken these down based on who traditionally does them, but feel free and mix it up!)
For the Bride:
Not interested in a bouquet toss? Have your single friends write their names on the bottom of your shoes. At the end of the night, check to see whose name has worn off. They will supposedly be the next to get married. The best part? You don't have to make a huge spectacle of it all, it can just be a private moment with you and your friends.
If you are wearing gloves, put a small cube of sugar in to ensure a "sweet life". Alternatively, you could have sugar sewn into your clothing. I will say, I can foresee some melting if you get a little sweaty.
Depending on how comfortable your shoes are, put a coin in to secure a good fortune. Traditionally it would have been a gold coin, but I suppose you could fold up a dollar bill?
For the Groom:
Put a piece of iron in your pocket to ward off evil spirits. You could have fun with this and add iron elements to your boutonniere, tie clip, or other areas of clothing.
For Both:
Wedding crowns connected with a ribbon are placed on each partner's head during the ceremony. It could be floral, metal, or anything else you like! Plus, it gives you both an excuse to get crowns! This would also make a good replacement for a unity ceremony if you were wanting to have one.
Keep the Odds in your favor
It is traditional in Greek culture to have an odd number of wedding guests and an odd number in your wedding party. This is because odd numbers are not easily divided.
Dancing
Dancing is a must at Greek weddings, and there are even a few traditional ones. The basics are encircling one or both partners and dancing around them.
Have you heard of the dollar dance? The Greeks probably invented it. The last dance is typically just the couple while guests pin or throw money at them. I'm not too sure about the throwing, but I think some people would enjoy making it rain. Plus, you won't have to awkwardly wait for guests to come up with a dollar to dance with you for 3 seconds.
Jordan Almonds
I might be showing my age here, but back in the 90s and early 2000s, almost every reception had bags of candied almonds as favors. I know a lot of people didn't like them, but they have a sweet Greek origin. Traditionally, you would have 5 (odd number) almonds, each one representing what you want for the future: health, happiness, fertility, wealth, and long life. While the fertility aspect might be outdated, it does have a charming sentiment.
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