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British couples flock to Greek islands for Mamma Mia! weddings
More than 200 British fans of ‘Mamma Mia!’ are getting married on
Greek islands this summer to recreate the wedding scene in their
favourite film.
A travel agency offering a special ‘Mamma Mia! marriage’ package is
flying couples to Greece for custom-made ceremonies with the same
rustic charm as the one featured in the romantic comedy featuring
Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan.
Jane and Andreas Palikiras, who run London-based Ionian Weddings, say
Greek weddings are a “growth industry” and that they had organised
more than 100 such ceremonies this summer.
They told the Sunday Times that many British couples are choosing the
islands of Skiathos or Skopelos, both of which featured in the box
office hit film, and some are insisting on an Abba soundtrack to
complete the experience.
Sharon Lawrence, 28, a business travel consultant from Colchester, who
got married on Skiathos, said: “As soon as I saw the film I thought
‘this is it’ but I didn’t even know which part of Greece it was in. So
I got on the internet and did some research.”
She wed Kevin, a 33 year-old printer, at the town hall on June 2
followed by a reception for 30 similar to the one in the film, which
is an adaptation of the successful West End show.
Mr Palikiras said it was not possible to get married in the exact same
hilltop chapel on Skopelos used in the film because it is too small
and is reserved for members of the Greek Orthodox religion.
He said the film had driven up tourism on the islands featured in the
films but conceded locals were “probably getting a bit sick of it”.
He added that bookings rose 60 per cent after the DVD of the film was
released just before Christmas last year.
If you live in Australia, then you would have seen the wedding pictures of Yanna & Kosta’s Wedding. An email was sent around to all most every Greek person i know and it was all over the news. This wedding was certainly an extravagant Greek Wedding.
Here are some more of Yanna & Kosta’s Wedding Photos:
Click here to be directed to the Sydney Morning Herald’s article about Yanna & Kosta’s Big Fat Greek Wedding
What is the most extravagant Greek wedding that you have seen?
This embarrasing special moment was captured by Christos Hcuntas who is a photographer in New York. He specialises in Greek weddings, christenings and many other cultural events. Check out more of his work by visiting his website or blog.
In This Picture:
The groom has successfully smashed wedding cake in to the brides face.
The Wedding Cake
Sharing the first piece of wedding cake is a tradition that has evolved since the ancient Roman times. The Romans believed that by eating the wedding cake together, a special bond was created between the couple. The wedding cake back then was more like a special bread made from wheat.
This ‘wedding cake’ was broken over the head of the new bride to bestow fertility and good luck for her married life. The wheat used to bake the cake was symbolic of fertility and a fruitful union, while the cake’s sweetness was thought to bring sweetness to all areas of the couple’s new life.
Today ’cutting the cake’ is a very important part of any wedding, including Greek weddings. For the newlywed couple it is often considered a very special moment. For photographers and guests it is a great kodak moment. And for the groom it is ‘the moment’ to have a bit of cheeky fun.
How will you eat your wedding cake?
This picture was taken by a fantastic photographer Andrew Van Gundy and you can see more of his work on his website or on his blog.
In This Picture:
The Bride and Groom are standing at the alter in a beautiful Greek Orthodox Church. Next to them stands the wedding party along with the Koumbara and Koumbaro.
The Koumbara is the name given to the couples sponsor if she is female, sort of like a ‘maid of honour’.
The Koumbaro is the name given to the couples sponsor if he is male, sort of like a ‘best man’.
The Koumbara and Koumbaro have a very important role in a Greek wedding ceramony and they do a lot more than just plan the hen’s night/buck’s night (I plan to write more about this in an upcoming blog).
At some of the Greek weddings i have been to, the Koumaro is the best man. At other weddings the bride and groom separated the roles and had both a Koumbaro and a maid of honour. Sometimes there are two Koumbari and sometimes there is a Koumbara, a Koumaro, a best man and a maid of honour.
In fact i have seen so many different combinations at weddings these days, because the Greek couple try to keep the Orthodox custom of having Koumbare but still wanting to be ‘Australian’ and call someone their best man.
So what do you think? Is the role of a Koumbara the same as the maid of honour?
After writing the blog post ‘The wedding ring goes on the left…right?’ i sarted to do a bit of research. Here is what i found @ wikipedia.org:
“In some Western countries (UK, other Commonwealth nations, Ireland, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Iran, Chile, Italy, France, Sweden, and Slovenia), the wedding ring is worn on the left hand.
This choice of finger relates to traditions purportedly dating to classical times, from an early usage reportedly referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or “vein of love”[4]. At least in part due to this tradition, it became acceptable to wear the wedding ring on this finger. By wearing rings on the fourth finger of their left hands, a married couple symbolically declares their eternal love for each other. This has now become a matter of tradition and etiquette in these countries.
In other countries such as Germany, Greece, Russia, Spain, India, Colombia, Venezuela, and Poland, however, it is worn on the right hand. Orthodox Christians and Eastern Europeans also traditionally wear the wedding band on the right hand. Jewish couples wear the wedding ring on the left hand, even though it is placed on the right hand during the marriage ceremony. In The Netherlands, Catholic people wear it on the left, all others on the right; in Austria, Catholic people wear it on the right. In Belgium, the choice of hand depends on the region of the country.
Greek people, many being Orthodox Christians, also wear the wedding rings on the right hand in keeping with Greek tradition. A traditional reason to wear the wedding ring on the right hand stems from Roman custom. The Latin word for left is “sinister”, which in addition to this sense also has the same senses as the English word. The Latin word for right is “dexter”, a word that evolved into “dexterity”. Hence, the left hand had a negative connotation and the right a good one.”
When you get married in a Greek Orthodox Church, the Priest will put the wedding band on your right hand and then you change it to your left hand… right?
Almost every young Greek-Australian bride that I know has swapped hands to be like other Australians. I think that if the Priest puts it on your right hand then there would be a justified reason for it. When I get married, I think I will leave it on the right.
Do/Will you wear your wedding band on your left, or on your right?
You know the saying:
“Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”
Is this superstition practiced by Greek Australian brides?
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