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I am always learning new things about Greek weddings and traditions. There are so many different customs depending on where you come from and what your family thinks is important.
How to Have a Traditional Greek Wedding by Norman Kolpas describes some traditions such as the Baby-Rolling Ceremony, Stephana and the Money Dance. He also writes about a tradition that I have never heard of before. This is called the Flamboro.
Apparently the Flamboro is when family and friends seek out a tree branch which has five twigs. An apple and red wool is tied to the twig and this is displayed outside the home of the bride for a week before the wedding. This twig becomes a ‘wedding flag’.
Before the wedding ceremony, the flamboro is detached from its spot outside the bride’s home and carried to the groom’s home. It is then carried in front of the groom to lead him back to his bride’s home. The brides mother welcomes and blesses the future son-in-law with wine, a ring-shaped cookie, and an herbal bombonniere.
Read more at Suite101: How to Have a Traditional Greek Wedding: Greek Marriage Traditions Help Ensure a Memorable Wedding Day
Can anyone tell me more about the traditions of the Flamboro? Is this tradition still practiced in Greece or by Greeks anywhere else in the world?
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My earliest memories of my Yaiyai is of her sitting in her chair sewing Greek doilies for all her grand-daughters who will one day be beautiful niffis. “They are for your proika” she would say, and then mum would tell me that i wouldn’t get them until i was married.
So what is a proika anyway?
Some people call it a Glory Box or and others know it as a Dowry. It can be an actual box that the bride takes with her when she is married, or just a name given to all of the stuff (tea towels, linen etc) that you get before you are married. I have attached a picture of my glory box which was once my mothers. It is a large hand-carved wooden box full of things that i am collecting for when i move out of home.
Gia from It’s All Greek To Me has written in her blog about the use of a dowry in a traditional Greek wedding:
“The Wednesday before the wedding is the day the bride invites her relatives to get the dowry ready. For those of you who do not know about dowries, basically they are made up of the linen for the new couple’s home, which the bride’s mother has collected over the years, while waiting for her daughter to marry. The bride’s sisters, friends and cousins separate the linen and tie it up in small parcels with colourful ribbons and again people arrive to gaze upon the beautiful bedding, the handmade tablecloths, the colourful towels, the expensive carpets that are all set up in one room for all to see.”
There is also an interesting history about dowry’s on wikipedia you may like to read. It explains in detail the purpose of a dowry how it has changed over time and how it is used differently in other cultures.
Do you have a Proika? What does it look like and what does it have inside?
I found this Greek wedding tradition on i-do.com.au:
“During the marriage ceremony it’s a tradition that after the Gospel has been read the groom or the bride will step on each others foot. Whoever steps first will be the dominant one.”
Haha, yeah right… everyone knows that “the man is the head of the house… but it is the woman who is the neck”.
But, I’ll step on his foot anyway 
In This Picture:
The father of the bride and the father of the groom are both holding a large round loaf of bread. According to JustLL , the one who grabs the larger piece has more say in this new family.
I have never heard about this tradition until i stumbled across this picture so i don’t know which island it comes from.
Do you know more about this tradition? What is the name of the bread that is broken… and do you know a recipe for it?
Watch this clip from youtube. Guests at this Greek wedding throw rice, rice and even more rice at the bride and groom.
Why do people throw so much rice?
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?
Untitled-70, originally uploaded by elinag.
In This Picture:
The groom is putting a shoe on his bride’s foot.
This is a true Cinderella moment. Whilst i don’t know the actual details of this particular wedding, it is tradition for the groom to buy the brides wedding shoes and offered it to her with money as a wedding gift. I thought it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before she walks down the aisle… maybe that’s just another superstition.
You can see a close up of the money and the shoes in another post called ‘Shoes With Money’ and read about another shoe ritual called ‘The Bridal Shoe’.
Do you know about any other shoe rituals?
Untitled-64, originally uploaded by elinag.
In this picture:
The groom is offering a gift to his bride. This gift is her wedding shoes with some money tucked inside.
Have a better look at this real Cinderella moment.
What did you get as a wedding gift from your groom?
Waiting for the bride…, originally uploaded by gestathi.
In This Picture:
This Greek Groom is waiting for his bride at the front of the church…
In Australia, Greek couples tend to follow the ‘Australian tradition’ of waiting for the bride at the alter. The groom and the groom’s men all line up at the front of the Church and wait for the bride to walk down the aisle with her father (or parents). This is different to the ‘Greek’ way but i don’t know why or when it changed.
Do all grooms in Greece wait for their bride at the front of the church?
Tradition, originally uploaded by Prêt à Voyager.
“Sleep with this under your pillow the night of the wedding and the person you will marry will be revealed to you” (Prêt à Voyager).
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