Greek religious orthodox wedding
She said YES! Now what? Among other preparations you and your loved one need to make is about the ceremony. If you have decided that your marriage will be ecclesiastical-religious then this article will help you a lot.
Ecclesiastical-religious weddings take place in churches or monasteries under the auspices of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus and require some procedures.
Choosing the right date for your big day
First of all, let us inform you that the Greek Orthodox church does not hold weddings on any day. The Madewithlove team has gathered those dates and we are presenting them to you:
- Wednesdays and Fridays, except on the days meat-eating is allowed.
- Holy Spirit week
- Easter week
- During the first week of the Triodion (the week after Green Monday)
- A week before Green Monday and the Carnival
- From the Friday before Green Monday until Easter Sunday including both dates
- On the 5th and 6th of January (Epiphany Eve and Day)
- From 1st until 14th August inclusive of both dates
- On the 29th August (the celebration of St. John the Baptist)
- On 14th September, the World Exaltation of the Holy Cross
- From 13th until 25th December inclusive of both dates.
- Clean Monday 2017 is on 27th February
- Easter 2017 is on 16th April
- The celebration of the Holy Spirit is on 6th June 2017
Documentation required to get your wedding license
As in any other type of wedding ceremony, a number of documents must be presented before a marriage permit is issued. First of all, the couple must first visit the priest of the church that will perform their wedding ceremony and then they need to visit the Archdiocese or Diocese of their community.In order to be granted a marriage license two Orthodox Christians are required to have the following documents:
- Identity Cards
- Birth Certificates
- Thalassemia Certificates, which are issued by the State Hospitals, preceded by the relevant blood test.
- Freedom Certificates issued by place of birth of the person concerned. In cases where the individual originates from a refugee family, the certificate is issued by the Diocese and then is certified by the competent Cathedral.
- If the priest does not know the couple or they were abroad for a period of over six months, an affidavit certifying that they are not married is required before the priest issues the Freedom Certificate.
- If one of the two is a minor, then a written parental or a consent from the Diocese is required.
- A certificate issuing the marriage license which is administered by the priest who will perform the wedding ceremony.
- An engagement certificate is issued only when the couple has been engaged by the priest who has preformed the engagement ceremony and the wedding will be held in another parish.
- In cases where the wedding ceremony will not take place at the bride’s parish, proof of payment that the rights have been transferred is also required.
- After the wedding ceremony the couple sign a Mutual Consent document that is prepared by the priest who will perform the marriage and is signed by both the bride and groom.
For more information about the required certificates, fees and proceduresvisit the website of the Archdiocese, the Church of Cyprus and the Metropolises.
