Donkey ride to the church, originally uploaded by ellixirion.
In This Picture:
This Greek bride is riding a donkey to the Church. Her family and friends are walking closely behind her along with photographers, videographers and the band.
In Greece, the Church is usually within walking distance so it is fairly easy for family and friends (and the entire village) to celebrate the bride leaving home.
This is very different here in Australia and i don’t know of anyone who has ‘walked’ or ‘donkeyed’ to the Church.
How will/did you get to the Church?
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January 30, 2008 at 7:50 am
Dimitris
This is not entirely accurate. Nowadays, usually churches are located far away from the house and therefore the brides and grooms need to be driven to church. The custom is to drive the bride with a group of cars, making lots of noise on the way to church and also drive around the church 3 times before stopping to drop off the bride. The photos of the wedding you have posted are from a wedding on the island of Hydra. This is an island where no roads and therefore no cars exist. This is the main reason the bride was “donkeyed”. Probably also her high heals!
January 30, 2008 at 10:02 am
siamavris
Thanks for your comment Dimitris.
Many of my (older) relatives tell me stories about the weddings they went to in Greece. The traditions are probably as old as the stories but many of us still think that it is same today.
Im sure that brides in the busy cities of Greece wouldn’t dream of riding a donkey to the church…although i still think that would be kinda cool
January 31, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Andrew
Many years ago my friends mum wanted her daughter inlaw to go to church on a donkey in the suburbs of Melbourne. Now did that go down well LOL. It did not happen. But picture this. I am one side of the groom and his brother on the other. We carried a bucket of to collect water from all the neighbours houses while the grooms Nona and Mum followed us singing Greek songs. The water was then to be used to shave and wash the groom. We needed a few VB’s to go through with this as it was a rough neighberhood. Some beer ended up in the bucket, so the groom has a beer bath and shave.
January 31, 2008 at 10:58 pm
siamavris
Andrew: Thanks for that funny story. You have given me some inspiration for a new topic and i will soon write about the ‘dressing of the groom’ on his wedding day.
Can i just ask… Why did you go to your neighbours houses to get the bucket of water? Is that a common tradition?
January 31, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Andrew
Hello
I am not sure why we go to the neighbours houses I will try and find out. I have never seen it before. My friends parents come from the mountains up north so maybe its just that area of Greece.
March 29, 2009 at 12:01 pm
yvonne
hi guys,
This is tradition not happening here any more/ever is not entirely true. my sister and her groom went to church on two donkeys. they knew a donkey farmer not too far out of sydney and they hired two of them for the day.
the groom went over to my mums house to pick my sister up and they went to church together riding the donekys (although the church was only down the road for them).
they also hired bouzoukia and violin players to follow them. it was the best wedding arrival ever in our familys wedding history! me and my fiance are planning to do something similar too. it was great fun and lots of attention given to the bride and groom on their day.
March 12, 2010 at 10:02 am
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