Two doctors, one from South Africa, the other born in Bulgaria, met in New York and were married this summer at the Boat House in Central Park. It was a storybook wedding with the bride looking model-like in her Vera Wang and the groom handsome and admiring her. Relatives from both countries were there, and we had written the service to represent both Jewish and Greek Orthodox traditions.
In the Jewish religion, the bride and groom are considered king and queen for the day of their marriage. Guests are obliged to entertain them and make sure they are enjoying this special event. In European small towns, the bride was carried in a chair from her home to the courtyard where she was married. Thus, the raising of the bride and groom on chairs as if they were royalty.
In the Greek Orthodox tradition, the ceremony involves crowning. Again, the concept of the king and queen is created by placing crowns of flowers on the couple’s heads. At this wedding, the groom’s parents performed the crowning, and it was most touching. Following that, the groom’s father gave a magical blessing. The couple had their own table where guests would toast them and give homage to the king and queen in between dancing to live music that kept everyone on the dance floor.