Your Orthodox wedding, designed for you!
Orthodox weddings are among the most beautiful wedding ceremonies. The rituals and accessories that mark this ceremony make it a moment of intense emotion and spirituality. The Orthodox ceremony is based on the foundations and values of the couple, just like Jewish, Protestant, or Catholic weddings. Beyond the couple’s blessing, the future spouses receive one of the seven sacraments of the Church through Orthodox wedding: the man and woman are united before God. Treat yourself to one of the most beautiful wedding settings for this unique and sacred moment. Celebrate your love under God’s blessing in the heart of the magnificent Corsican or Italian landscapes!
WHAT PREPARATION IS NEEDED FOR AN ORTHODOX WEDDING?
Preparation for an Orthodox wedding must be done with the Orthodox priest of the spouses' religious parish. The priest meets with the future spouses during various interviews to discuss their approach. It is with him that the bride and groom will decide on the wedding date according to the religious calendar. The bride and groom will also inform the priest of their choice of wedding witnesses. They can choose one or two each, provided that the witnesses are baptized. During the wedding preparation period, the parents of the bride and groom must choose and bless an icon. This symbol of wisdom will watch over their home once the wedding is celebrated. Our team of wedding planners will take care of finding an Orthodox church and a priest to celebrate your religious wedding in Italy or Corsica. Once the religious preparation is completed with the priest from your home country, the file will be sent to the priest who will celebrate your Orthodox wedding in Italy or Corsica. In the event that the priest does not speak French, our team can provide an interpretation service.
HOW DOES THE ORTHODOX CEREMONY TAKE PLACE?
The particularity of an Orthodox wedding is that the engagement is celebrated on the wedding day. Thus, the Orthodox ceremony takes place in two stages: the engagement service and the Orthodox coronation service. The ceremony begins with the exchange of consent between the groom and bride. The engagement rite is characterized by the priest blessing the wedding rings before giving them to the bride and groom. One of the witnesses then comes to exchange the rings. The priest places a gold ring on the groom's finger and a silver ring on the bride's. The rings are blessed in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This ritual follows a very specific sequence, according to which the exchange of rings must take place three times between the future spouses. This is a symbolic number referring to the faith, harmony, and love of the spouses. Once the Orthodox engagement service has been celebrated, the wedding ceremony continues with the coronation rite. The priest presents each bride and groom with a candle and a crown tied with a ribbon, symbolizing the couple's unity. The coronation is symbolic of the royal sacrament of wedding. The service continues with a reading of a text and the sharing of a cup of wine, symbolizing the bride and groom's future life together. The coronation ceremony concludes with the wedding march, as the bride and groom circle the altar three times before kissing.
CHOOSING A WEDDING VENUE FOR AN ORTHODOX CEREMONY
A country estate perched on the hills of Tuscany, a glamorous restaurant on the heavenly beaches of Corsica, or a convivial meal in the typical trulli of Puglia to organize your wedding celebration, does that tempt you? Live an unforgettable experience in wedding venues in Italy and Corsica to celebrate this unique day. Our wedding planners open the doors to the most secret and breathtaking establishments in these dream destinations. Join in religious union in one of Italy's churches, authentic and full of history for a ceremony filled with emotion for you and your guests. The masseries of southern Italy are also perfect places to celebrate a wedding, and most have on-site accommodations to accommodate all or part of your guests. Their large outdoor spaces offer a direct connection with nature. Our agency also takes care of your wedding decorations so that your big day will be etched in your memory forever. Grecia Salentina is a region of Puglia whose dialect and architecture are deeply imbued with Greek culture. This unique region offers a dream setting for a Greek-Italian Orthodox wedding. Finally, the majestic Italian castles are romantic locations par excellence, where a magical atmosphere reigns for the most beautiful day of your life.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIAL FEATURES OF AN ORTHODOX WEDDING ?
First of all, Orthodox wedding is a Christian wedding. As such, it can only be celebrated between two baptized people. However, it is possible to celebrate a mixed religious wedding between an Orthodox and a non-Orthodox person. Furthermore, unlike Catholic wedding, it is possible to celebrate an Orthodox religious wedding between two divorced spouses. In this case, it will be necessary to provide a certificate of dissolution of the wedding and obtain the acceptance of the pope. Like other religious ceremonies, Orthodox wedding must be celebrated after the civil wedding. In the context of a wedding in Italy, it will be possible to celebrate the civil wedding at the same time as the religious wedding. Finally, the choice of wedding witnesses is important in the Orthodox religion, both in terms of their religious denomination, since it is essential that the witnesses be baptized, and in terms of their role and involvement during the wedding ceremony and in the couple's life.
ORTHODOX WEDDING RITUALS
Just like Jewish weddings, Orthodox ceremonies follow a set of well-codified rituals and traditions. Accessories and symbols are central to the ceremony and carry meaning. The wedding ceremony accessories must be chosen and offered by the parents and witnesses. These accessories will then be carefully kept in the bride and groom's home to ensure their commitment. The bride and groom's crowns are a hallmark of Orthodox weddings. They are tied with a ribbon to represent the couple's union. The style of the crowns depends on the bride and groom's cultures and traditions. Indeed, the materials used vary depending on their country of origin. A crown of leaves or flowers is used in Greek weddings, while a gold crown is customary in Russian weddings. Wedding favors must also meet very specific criteria. They must be simple, white in color as a symbol of purity, and oval in shape as a symbol of fertility. Orthodox wedding tradition dictates that each ballotin contains an odd number of sugared almonds for the indivisibility of the couple.
CELEBRATING AN ORTHODOX WEDDING IN ITALY, WHERE TO BEGIN?
Organizing an Orthodox wedding in Italy is entirely possible. Our team of wedding planners will help you prepare for this unique moment. From finding the wedding venue to choosing the church, they will be by your side throughout the preparation process. They will also assist you with the administrative procedures for a civil wedding. The administrative procedures are very simple and similar to those for a civil wedding in France. However, it is essential to obtain the Nulla Osta from the Consulate or Embassy, depending on your country of origin. Once your wedding has been celebrated in Italy, all that remains is to have the certificate transcribed in the French registers. Some Italian town halls send the complete wedding certificate directly to the French Embassy. All you have to do is go to your local town hall to obtain your family record book. Finally, the advantage of a religious or civil wedding in Italy is that you can choose the location of your wedding ceremony according to your wishes. Most of the buildings are historical monuments, offering breathtaking architecture and construction to host your wedding celebration.
DISCOVER OUR WEDDING CEREMONY DESTINATIONS
Orthodox wedding in Corsica
Orthodox wedding in Italy
