Grand Luxe Event Boutique
This wedding reception was at The Grand Luxe Event Boutique in Toronto which was a spectacular venue with even more amazing service. The high ceilings and the gorgeous bar setup was a perfect backdrop for an elegant and classy themed wedding. If you’re going for modern sophistication and luxury, this is the place for you. The wedding coordinator was particularly helpful throughout the night, making sure to notify us when important events were taking place. The food was amazing. Everyone was raving about both the quality and the quantity. And customary with most Greek or Albanian wedding, no one leaves hungry.
An Albanian and Greek fusion wedding. Not really a mix you see too often. Full of family traditions, religious elements, dancing, and drinking… lots and lots of drinking. The reception dance floor was packed. Guests broke plates, ladies were ululating, and everyone embraced both cultures. This couple had a full Eastern Orthodox ceremony at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church. Definitely the biggest wedding I had this year.
If you’ve attended a Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony, you know these weddings are very significant. In fact, the ceremony is an important sacrament for the couple and goes beyond the standard wedding vows. The couple performs a series of rituals that’s sure to inspire your upcoming ceremony.
Greek Orthodox Wedding
The procession is a little different than Western weddings. Typically, the groom waits for the bride at the front of the church with her bouquet and they walk down the aisle together. However, since the bride was of a different background, she opted to walk down with her father. Following that, they exchange rings at the beginning of the ceremony. The priest blesses both rings before placing them on the third finger of their right hands. Next, the wedding sponsor swaps the rings between the bride and groom to symbolize their future connection.
The bride and groom are each given one white candle to hold for the remainder of the ceremony. When they light these candles, it signals the Sacrament of Marriage. The crowns symbolize the couple’s marriage as a blessing from God. Similar to the rings, they swap crowns between the bride and groom three times as well. The significance behind performing these rituals three times is the holy trinity. So the couple sips wine three times, and walk around the altar three times. Making circles around the wedding altar is a symbol of infinity and the couple’s eternity together. Finally, the officiant removes the Stefana crowns and says a prayer for the newly married couple.
If there is a first kiss, it’s often quick and unannounced. In fact, the highlight is after the ceremony when rice is thrown at couples as they exit. It means to wish fertility and wealth on the new family.
The second shooter was Michelle Paquot.
Theron Henry of Powerpack Images captured the video for this wedding.
