What to wear for your wedding!? Of course, this has been and always will be a question of high importance in all times and all cultures. Although times have changed, it’s still very important to observe some traditions when getting ready for your Greek wedding. I am no wedding expert; however, I have attended quite a few weddings and have done some wedding photo sessions, so I might have a couple of pointers.
Of course, the bride is always the centre of attention, but there is some etiquette to be observed for the guys as well. There is a Greek tradition that the grooms friends gather to help get him ready on the big day. The most important friend – the best man of the koumbaro – will shave the groom. This symbolizes the mutual trust and friendship between them. All the other friends help the groom to get dressed – button his shirt, help him put the jacket on etc. to symbolically help him get ready to enter a new phase of his life. The CEREMONY of getting ready is a special one for men, other than that there usually are no special rules for WHAT to wear; a sleek dark suit will do, although you might skip wearing a tie. Usually you would get rid of the jacket during the party if your wedding is in the blistering summer heat. Be sure to wear comfortable, yet elegant shoes – there’s lots of dancing in Greek weddings!
There is also a special tradition the bride should observe while getting ready. It is customary that the friends help the bride to get dressed as well. The bride then writes the names of her unmarried friends on the soles of her shoes. The belief is that the friends whose names will have faded out till the end of the wedding party will soon get married themselves. Once the bride is dressed, she has to look back at her parent’s house when leaving – it is believed that so she can ensure that the children take after her side of the family. Brides usually wear simple, elegant, flowing Greek style dresses – it’s really the best choice for this weather. However, there is one piece of clothing which is the most important – SHOES! The ceremonies are usually held in small chapels to which you have to get through small, winding cobblestone streets (very often you have to walk), there is lots of walking and dancing throughout the day, you will most probably have a wedding photo session, very often it would involve some climbing etc. What I’m trying to say is – choose really comfortable shoes! Maybe it’s worth choosing a smaller heal, your feet will thank you later!
As you might have noticed, there are no strict rules governing WHAT to wear for your wedding, but what’s important is HOW you wear it and HOW you get ready. Of course, you should ask the church if they have some extra demands. Greeks usually do not get overly fancy, elegance and comfort is valued when choosing wedding gowns, and it’s for a reason. Believe me, love is beautiful enough, you don’t need to spend a million on your dress.
More posts about wedding traditions in Greece:
SOME OF THE MAIN GREEK WEDDING TRADITIONS
Photographer based in Santorini.
SANTORINI PHOTOGRAPHER ANNA SULTE 
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