My friend Nicola walked down the asile with both parents at her wedding.
She said “as far as my family and I were concerned both parents raised me so both can give me away – I’m glad I did it the way I did and wouldn’t change it – I kind of think it would be unfair to leave my mum standing there on her own watching me walk down the aisle”.
I have heard that walking down the asile with both parents is very common in many parts of Greece/Cyprus.
Do you have pictures of any other Greek/Cypriot brides who have done this in Australia?
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November 6, 2007 at 12:24 am
Anonymous
I suppose I’m of Greek herritage but we’re not very “Greeky Greeks” so as far as my family and I were concerned both parents raised me so both can give me away – I’m glad I did it the way I did and wouldn’t change it – I kind of think it would be unfair to leave my mum standing there on her own watching me walk down the aisle.
November 6, 2007 at 12:27 am
Sia
Im guessing that this is you commenting Nicola. My point is that it is the ‘Greeky Greek’ way to walk down the Asile with both parent. Apparently that is how they do it in Greece.
I think your wedding was beautiful!
November 6, 2007 at 1:36 am
maria
no they don’t it’s a patriarchial society if you like that aspect of the wedding will never change in a sense because it always has been father give out the bride and most of the time the case is nowadays that they skip that part altogether and the bride walks with the bridegroom down the aisle.
March 31, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Vicki
Hi- not entirely sure but I was under the impression that traditionally it is the priest who walks the bride down the aisle. In what combination I cannot recall- i.e. father & priest, parents & priest, or bridegroom & priest accompanying bride. The photos I have seen of my parents’ wedding, and the weddings of other relatives married in the 1960s in Australia, show the priest alone walking the bride down the aisle. Perhaps it is a regional tradition. I note that it has been commented that in Cyprus both parents accompany the bride- is this a recent western influence or a historically traditional aspect?
March 31, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Vicki
As a follow up I should note: my parents’ generation in Australia were often recent arrivals in Australia- so perhaps they walked down the aisle without parents because the parents were all back in Greece.
A lot of modern Greek brides do have fathers walking them down the aisle whether it is or isn’t a Greek tradition because…well…he is Dad, and it is an honour to have him do so. I also like the idea of Both parents doing this.
I love the tradition despite it’s patriarchal origins where a woman was chattel to be given away to a groom.
I think it has taken on a new meaning now– a bride is accompanied down the aisle by her dear Dad rather than actually being ‘given away’.
May 26, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Sousie
Actually……
The tradition of walking a bride down the aisle is not greek, or orthodox at all. In the Greek Orthodox tradition or rather Greek tradition, the groom and his family often pick up the bride from her house. She is walked out of her house by her Godfather (depending on region). At that point, the bride and groom proceed to the church together and walk down the aisle together. The bride and groom walk in first and all the guests behind them.
Remember too, churches in greece are not orgazined such as they are in the America’s or new worlds. Typically there are no pews so really there is no aisle, anyway.
Make sense? This of course is how it is done in Northern Greece for certain. I’ve seen the same tradition many times occur in Athens as well. Many times in fact, as I lived across from a church.
Hope this helps!
S
January 8, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Anonymous
The father takes the bride to the church and hands the bride to the groom in front of the church. Then, the bride and the groom are walked into the church by the priest after verbalizing “I Do” to the priests question “Will you take this man or women to be your blessed husband or wife”. I know, it is a bit different than the Western style. They are not proclaimed husband and wife at the door but at the end of the 1hour ceremony. Hope this helps!