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 story book 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 with both the Jewish and the Greek Orthodox traditions represented.
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 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 heads of the couple. At this wedding the parents of the groom did the crowning and it was most touching. Following that crowning the groom’s father gave a blessing which was magical. 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.