Day Three - Sunday Afternoon
The wedding was scheduled for 2:30 on Sunday afternoon at the Greek Orthodox Church. We've been to many weddings, but this was our first Greek Orthodox wedding! The church was small and beautiful and reminded me of the chapels and churches we've seen on the other side of the world.
There was a sign in the narthex about the use of cell phones - it said DO NOT unless you were texting with Jesus hahaha! We took it seriously and all of us turned our completely off. During the bridal procession, I turned my head . . .and across the aisle . . .all those of Greek descent were filming! I didn't take a single picture of the inside of the church or of the wedding.
We grabbed a few photos outside the church.
Mark is on the left and his identical twin brother is on the right. Bob, the father of the groom, is in the middle.
The bride only wanted immediate family in the wedding photos so we grabbed this one before Susie and Bob had to go back inside. Mark and I are on the left. I was very pleased with my dress! Susie and Bob are in the middle and Alice and George are on the right. Our niece, daughter of Alice and George, is getting married in June so we will all don our finery again soon!
The wedding was in an enormous building on the hotel grounds which was very convenient.
There was a mirror right inside the door with Maria and Paul's names etched on it. You can see our reflection.
The ballroom was spectacular. There was an atrium surrounding the ballroom and there were tables laden with appetizers plus the bar. As appetizers, they served everything from crab cakes and mini crab cake sandwiches to lamb chops!!
Everyone had a favor at their seat (it was assigned seating). It was an evil eye like we brought back from Greece!! We also had Jordan Almonds and a luggage tag thanking us for "traveling" to the wedding.
These are slightly out of order - you can see Paul and Maria - straight through the middle - on the dance floor.
Maria's father is the man with white hair to the left and he is throwing money all around them on the dance floor. This continued throughout the night.
Below is a picture of Susie and Paul for the mother-son dance.
Below is the father-daughter dance.
Their whole family ended up on the dance floor and there was more money for the couple. We live in Alabama and we've never seen anyone throw money at the reception. I think it is a Greek custom.
We had ordered the beef and it was the perfect selection. It was delicious!
Paul and Maria cut the wedding cake and were sharing a bite or two. There was not a groom's cake. I wonder if that is a southern tradition only?
This was one of the Greek dances and it was so fun to watch!!
They had an awesome photo booth set up. Back row on the left is Thomas (he is moving to Alabama in June - yay!!) and then Susie. Paul, the groom, is the one with the boutonniere. Bob is on the right and Ben, the doctor in NYC, is in front.
George and Alice at the photo booth (below)
Mark and me at the photo booth. I have the one in motion, too.
I think most everyone had too much to eat and too much to drink haha! After dinner, they had those same tables in the atrium (where there were originally appetizers) full of desserts. They even had a woman making Bananas Foster fresh to order. Mark had two orders of Bananas Foster with vanilla ice cream . . .but who is counting, right?
It was so nice to just walk back to the hotel and fall in the bed!
ZZZZZ!
Do they serve Groom's cake where you live? Have you ever been to a wedding where they shower the couple with money?
What a delightful and lively recap of a truly unique wedding experience! The Greek Orthodox ceremony, vibrant cultural traditions like showering the couple with money, and the extravagant reception details—from lamb chops to Bananas Foster—paint a vivid picture. I loved the personal touches, like the evil eye favors and etched mirror. It's clear the writer had a great time, and the warmth of family shines through every paragraph. I’ve never seen money tossed at a wedding, but it sounds like such a fun and meaningful custom! And yes—groom’s cake is definitely a Southern thing!
ReplyDeleteMy younger daughter had a fun groom's cake but we served it at the rehearsal dinner. My oldest did not have a groom's cake...we had banana pudding at the rehearsal dinner which was a very southern meal with lots of people traveling from all over. I've seen groom's cakes in all parts of the country. I also think having some dessert other than cake is becoming more common too. Looks like a fun wedding and fun weekend! I do think the money dance is mostly a Greek custom.
ReplyDeleteI emailed a response to you about my lapse in memory from our own daughter's wedding and the mini pecan pie "groom's cake."
DeleteGrooms' cakes are a thing here in Florida. I'm from Ohio, though, and never heard of it until I moved here 36 years ago. I've never been to a wedding where they threw money, but have been where you could dance with the bride for money, and one where there was a money purse to put cash in. I enjoyed your photos!! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of a money tree at a wedding reception, but I don't think I've ever been to a wedding where any money changed hands. It is always so interesting to see how different folks handle different parts of the wedding and reception.
DeleteLooks like a fun wedding with good food and how nice they had favors for everyone. Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteGroom's cake is definitely a thing in Texas. I've never heard of showering a couple with cash but I have been to a wedding reception where they had the "dollar dance" which was where anyone who wanted to dance a few steps with the bride or groom had to "pay" for it - with a dollar or two or ten.
ReplyDelete