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MARCH 3, 2012 www.thenationalherald.com
GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS
Democritou 1 and Academias Sts, Athens, 10671, Greece Tel: 011.30.210.3614.598, Fax: 011.30.210.3643.776, e-mail: athens@ekirikas.com
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with Greek citizenship. At every turnwe were delayed, stalled, and encountered several changes to the initial requirements, Mpras relates. Two weeks before the wedding, a priest actually told me I would have to fly to Karpathos to get a certain paper signed. Once I started crying in disbelief and exhaustion, he changed his tune and found another way to get my paper signed in Athens.
The couple skipped the tradition where people toss money (or a baby boy) on the wedding bed. However, they said yes to Greek dancing, lots of it. After our first dance at the reception, we danced the traditional Karpathiko and Kalamatiano dances for over an hour. ATTENTION TO DETAIL Mpras says there are more similarities than differences be-
GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS
ing little stars of the children in the family. A CLEAN LOOK Shopping for a bridal dress was no chore. It was fun looking for a dress, she recalls, though it took her a while to find something that was both traditional and modern. She went with a
white Ines Di Santo gown with Swarovski crystals and sequins, a drop waist and just the right amount of poof. When it came to her hair and makeup, Tsolis notes: I wanted a clean look. It helped to achieve a special glow by going to Helen Chiasson, the Greek woman who had cut her very thick hair since
morning, so my shoes really had to be comfortable! When it comes to her name, Mpras notes: I will be following the trend in Greece and will not legally change my last name. However, I will socially go by
my husband's last name. HEY, MR. DJ For a couple that is passionate about music, having control over the sounds heard on their big day was a big deal. No Greek
GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS
#2: TRADITION The next ingredient for a Greek wedding is tradition. Family and friends related to the groom met in Komiaki where Raki (Tsipouro), sweets and other offerings were laid out for guests. Like in any wedding of today, many photos are taken, video footage is shot, the old folks sit and wait and the sounds of young children can be heard. The groom-to-be started shooting off his rifle something I had previously only heard of happening in Greeces southernmost island, Crete. This was a Kodak moment and I lost count of how many shells were strewn on the ground. It was early evening and we had to get a move-on. Many of the men of the village bear the name, Agapitos. When it was time to get going, I heard a lot of Agapitos being called. The next ingredient needed for a Greek wedding is music. The bride-to-be was waiting in the Koronos. A procession was led by a traditional duo of lute and violin players. These guys played on our way to our vehicles, during the procession from the brides home to the church, then on to the reception and the band played on.to the wee hours of the morning. The lute and violin duo took breaks only between travel to and from the villages, during the wedding ceremony and only stopping when the glenti or wedding reception ended. #3: BEAUTIFUL BRIDE An important ingredient to any wedding, is a beautiful
bride. At Koronos, friends and family of the bride gathered and soon they were met with the grooms side of the family. Together we walked towards the church (also in Koronos) and although a small church (and overcrowded), most of us squeezed into the outdoor amphitheater-style courtyard.
guestslots of family and friends. After finding roadside parking, we walked to the reception hall, kind of. In attendance for this wedding were some 1,200 people! The reception was held outdoors in the courtyard of the towns school. The stage for the band was in the center, bride and groom seated up front with the Koumbaro and Koumbara and long tables were squeezed into the courtyard with immediate family nearby and other relations seated further and further back. #5: GREAT FOOD IN ABUNDANCE At a Greek Wedding, you know that you will be fedfed well! I was lucky enough to be seated with immediate family and each table had a tablecloth, bottles of water, bottles of homemade village wine, the tastiest crusty bread I had in years, plates of Myzithra and Feta cheeses (some of Greeces best cheeses are made in Naxos), olives and Greek salads. The main course would be what Mrs. Elisavet DegaitasFraboulopoulou would call a Goat Kokkinisto. In Greek cuisine, there are many variations on a Kokkinisto, which is a dish simmered in tomatoes and other aromatics. When I first arrived at the village, I had passed two large, simmering cauldrons that were cooking over burning embers and under the watchful eye of village elders. FIVE HUNDRED KILOS of goat meat were being cooked up for the 1200 guests. The main ingredients of the dish
Regardless if youve attended a Greek wedding or not, attending one in a remote village on a Greek island is as fairy-tale as they get. ..
The wedding ceremony took place just outside of the front entrance of the church and the couple-to-be were surrounded by all their family and friends. For anyone thats been to Greece, you know the evenings can still be hot and Im sure this amphitheater built just outside the church was Greek logic and its reply to the long hot summers. After the wedding ceremony, the many, many photos that were taken and the long procession of well-wishers that had passed the newly-wedded couple, we were off to Komiaki where the wedding reception was to take place. #4: MANY, MANY GUESTS Every Greek wedding needs
were goat meat, onions, garlic, tomatoes and famous potatoes from Naxos. The meat fell off the bone, it was succulent, it was delicious and it had a slight smoky finish. I was sure some smoked paprika was added into the mix but on second thought, cooking over burning embers will give such flavor. The band played on and on. I cut-out around 3am and slept with the sounds of wedding guests parting until sunrise. I want to leave you with my rendition, my ode to this Goat Kokkinisto that was such a delight to eat on the occasion of this marvelous Greek Island wedding. Ive substituted goat with lamb shanks. Im braising and then roasting the dish to best emulate the flavors I experienced that evening. Ive added some smoked paprika, browned some lamb shanks, deglazed with wine and placed them covered in the oven to braise for about an hour. After that, the potatoes are added into the mix and everything gets baked (uncovered) for another 45 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked and the meat flakes off the bone.
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makeup artist for the big day because of their natural approach. Im not a girl who wears a lot of makeup, notes the teacher, who usually only applies a bit of mascara and lip gloss.
PHOTOS: JOy Glenn
BACK TO THEIR ROOTS The religious service itself was invested with extra meaning due to the grooms long friendship with V. Rev. Fr. Damaskinos Ganas. It was great, because we have a real connection, notes the bride, who enjoyed the priests words about her husband and his sharing a photo of him as a boy - during the service.
Transported by a Rolls Royce limousine to the Botanic Garden, the couple continued their celebration at the gardens elegant, glass Palm House. With the exception of the fact that the cocktail hour had to be held inside and not alongside the lovely Lilly Pond (due to the sole, 15-minute stint of rain on their day), the event was flawless. The flowers are my favorite part, says the bride, adding: I didnt want to do just white. Guests first had a taste of the floral colors that would greet them in the brides bouquet of bold yellow calla lilies with a purple band.
GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS
adds: "Ultimately the choice of a wedding ring is like ice cream, with each customers taste guiding their choice. He notes that hap-
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holding the crown ribbons. This is called the Dance of Isaiah because it proclaims the churchs joy at the new union, similar to the joy of Isaiah the prophet who saw the Messiah in a vision 900 years before Christs birth. Couples should understand in advance that there is no option to personalise the sacrament. The ritual and language in Greek Orthodox sacrament of marriage was solidified at the end of the sixteenth century, and remains the same today. Couples cannot insert wording, change the order, or add a verse, poem, or song. If youve seen one Greek Orthodox wedding, youve seen them all and have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and symbolism more each time! I recommended that couples read the text of the entire service ahead of time, find beautiful words that express their contemporary sentiments, focus quietly together on these before the wedding, and include them in their wedding program. My favorite prayers are for a tranquil life, long years, mature judgment, love for each other in the bond of peace, long-lasting posterity, grace on their children, and a crown of everlasting glory and a prayer that the couple may
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The wedding of Rabbi Jessoula Levy's youngest daughter Rachel in 1942 in Kehila Kedosha Janina, on New Yorks Lower East Side. as the new couple passed. Are its origins from Ioannina? The Museum Director says it is very hard to know, as the citys Jewish population was decimated in World War II, with only 151 of a population of 2,000 surviving. No one can go back and ask, she regrets. The Ioannina Greeks in America, she explains, often married Jews from other groups and lost traditions along the way. But a
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wreaths are so incredibly inspirational. She has studied the ancient craftsmanship on display in Athens as well as in Thessaloniki, including the famous Macedonian royaltys gold wreaths of Vergina. Her Olive Leaf style stefana are among the most popular and symbolic of her creations. She says: Since the olive wreath generally symbolizes peace, it is a wonderful style to incorporate within a wedding. Antonopoulos may be in the Midwest, but her works are everywhere. It is gratifying to send a set of stefana to South Africa or a Byzantine cross to
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Demetrios now has two-in-one wedding gowns that allow the bride to remove her organza skirt to go mini. over the top, something cool with an edge. The Lalaounis jewelry (Sterling silver covered in gold) includes big cuffs and dangling earrings sculpted not for a
A still from one of Lee Bakogiannakis wedding videos, where details, texture, color and music set the tone.
In Greece, fragrant local options may offer a unique alternative to the flashier flowers imported from The Netherlands. Gay points out: Imported out of season flowers can be a bit green 'blingish'. The native flora tends to be much more subtle and less showy. But you can make charming, delicate and intricate arrangements of great beauty with a little thought and
imagination. For instance, when a bride asked Gay for local flora suggestions for an early September wedding, there were many options. I suggested creating small herbal table arrangements, using rose-
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Yet Stella & Moscha also specialize in marriage events with 5-star hotel service on other Greek islands too. There is certainly an island for every style of wedding. They point to Paros, Mykonos or Rhodes for a cosmopolitan fete, Sifnos, Folegandros and Ios for those seeking tradition, Koufonisia, Amorgos and Chalki for off-the-beaten track events and The Venetian Castle in Naxos for the Romeo and Juliet-style romantic. Regardless of location, as the sisters explain, a planners job is the same: Ultimately, a wedding planners role is to ensure a couples wedding day is as imagined while minimizing stress throughout the process. They make a point of introducing ideas the couple may not have initially considered and helping them each step of the way, whether in selecting bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses or finding venues and vendors. The sisters add: We are also responsible for the not-so-fun aspects, such as managing the budget, planning the timelines and wrangling with vendors. On the wedding day, we make sure that we keeps everyone (wedding party, guests, and vendors) on schedule, orchestrate all the details and man-
age myriad other tasks. The difference with the competition, pledge the sisters, after two decades in the family business, is in a personal approach. They write: Youll find warmth, passion and pride in all we do, down to the smallest of details. We treasure every surprise entrance, blue-domed church I do, Caldera side reception, father of the bride speech and getaway under the stars. They take the historic significance of each special day seriously. Their mother remains very much a part of the business. GREEK STYLE IS IN In recent weddings, theyve noted a huge trend for All things Grecian, whether in bridal gown fashions, jewelry or venue dcor. The wedding planners note: Couples love the idea of introducing these into their wedding concept; they love the simplicity and elegance of a Grecian look. Grecian dresses and shoes as well as jewelry have dominated big fashion houses such as Versace, Dolce & Cabana and Diane Von Furstenberg. Todays couples are increasingly ecologically-conscious too. They skip printing and mailing invitations, preferring customized e-invitations instead.
Brides opt for silk or paper flowers in lieu of real ones and often go local when it comes to selecting menu ingredients. While the global and Greek crisis has affected the Greek tourism sectors and clients from abroad alike, word-of-mouth is spreading fast on the sisters weddings. They write: Through careful consideration of our product offering in relation to
our pricing, couples trust us with their weddings and we are proud to say that we have friends of past couples being referred to us over and over again. The buzz has been helped along with references to their work in the Style Me Pretty and Merci New York internet blogs. Apart from this PR reward for years of hard work, feedback from brides around the world is
a major job perk: There is nothing better and more rewarding than receiving an email from our brides when they get back home saying how much they miss our emails. They consider us part of their family and invite us into their homes; this is what keeps us going!
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GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS