A Tradition from Romania

There are a treasure trove of rituals and traditions that originate from Romaniaand people from different regions practice these in varied forms. The important ceremonial rituals practiced as part of a wedding is heavily dependant upon which region the couple come from.

One ritual/tradition that we came across takes place in the hours leading up to the wedding when the bride is preparing for the day. While she is dressing, the bridesmaids and best friends all gather and assist her.  This is a very important part of the preparation and can be a very emotional and moving moment for the bride and those closest to her.

Song of the Bride:

Say goodbye bride to your mother, to your father

To your sisters, to your brothers, to your garden with flowers

To your friends and neighbours, to the games or lover

Cry bride, today is the day

It's time to forget your father and love your husband

To forget your mother and to love your mother- in- law

To forget about your sisters and to love your sisters-in-law

 

You will go with your husband and you will leave behind everything you had.

 

As they prepare her for her ceremony a song, "Say farewell bride to your family and house"- "Ia-ti mireasa ziua buna" is played and with an overflow of emotion, is often accompanied by tears and embraces  from all present. We found a rough translation of the lyrics:

Today with many couples living together before they are married, much of this significance can be lost, but for those who are coming from their parents home to join their husband in a new home and a new life, this rite of passage is still very special.

A family unity ritual - Exchanging Rings

With so many couples finding love later in life or when they already have children, Family Unity Rituals are fast becoming not only popular, but important in bringing a sense of commitment, readiness and togetherness to the wedding ceremony and to each member who is trying to find their places in the new family structure. This example is a simple way of including the children in making the commitment and leaving each member of the family with a lasting reminder of their inclusion. At the point in the ceremony where the couple have exchanged their rings the celebrant will say:   "Could I now ask Jasmine and Sarah to please come forward. Jake, can we please have the rings."   (The children can either know about this or it can be a surprise for them. For a boy who would prefer not to wear a ring,  he may be given the ring on a chain to wear around his neck or something else appropriate.)   "Jasmine and Sarah, today your parents are making a life-long commitment to share the rest of their lives with each other as a couple, but they could not make those promises wholeheartedly without including the two of you. Not only are they making their vows to each other, but also to both of you to live the rest of each of your lives connected to one another always. (Mum & dad to place the rings on the girl’s fingers)     The relationship that you each have with the other members of this family are symbolized with the rings that you each now wear. Each one is perfectly round with no beginning or end and is made of the strongest metal. Today they represent everything that your parents hope for this family. For there to be no end and for this family to be made of the strength, love and commitment that each of you bring to it today.   May this togetherness never be broken and may your lives always be blended and intertwined with each other’s in happiness, hope and prosperity."

Week 24 - 52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks - Wishing Stones

The Wishing Stone Ceremony

The ‘Wishing Stone' Ceremony is a wonderfully inclusive ritual to incorporate into your big day and is great for not just weddings, but any ceremony you may be considering.

I have performed it as part of a baby naming as well as for weddings. It basically involves using small polished stones, just large enough to write a small wish on if necessary.

Photo from: Intimateweddings.com

 Usually the stones are given out by someone selected to perform the task (can be a great way of including children, by getting them to walk around and make sure everyone has a stone).

As the ceremony commences the guests are asked to hold the stones tightly and make a loving wish for the couple’s life together.

The stones can later be collected in a vase for the couple to keep as a momento of all of the wishes their loved ones and friends made for them or each person can be invited to come forward as part of the ceremony and place their stone – making their wish for the couple, in the vase.

Each stone represents a special wish that the couple can take with them to reflect on throughout their married life together.

Some couples may wish to go a little further and ask guests to write their wish on the stone, offering felt tipped pens for the guests and family to write their names and add their wish.

Week 22: Handfasting with Children

Welcome to week 22 of our "52 traditions/rituals in 52 weeks".

Some time ago we brought you a version of a 'handfasting' (view here) which has been very popular on the blog, so we thought we would follow it up with a fabulous way of including children in this wonderfully meaningful ritual.

Including children in a handfasting:

Celebrant: 'When we think about marriage we immediately visualize the joining of two people. But this is not always so. Marriages unite families and as is the case in many families today, who already have children, they give us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and embrace some of the other important relationships in our lives.

During a wedding ceremony rings are sometimes exchanged with a promise. As (Bride) and (Groom) are not exchanging rings, but instead binding their hands, they thought appropriate that their children should also take part as a reminder of their promise to them on this day.

They wanted to find a way to let them know now how special and wonderful they are, and how privileged and blessed they feel to be their parents'.

Children step forward and their hands are bound with the parents

Celebrant addresses children:

'(Insert children’s names): These are the hands that will support encourage and protect you through all of life’s ups and downs, happy times, sad times, love and we hope, great joy. This binding is a reminder of the love and respect that each of you have for the others and that which will last for a lifetime'.

The Wedding Gurus x

Week 21: Silent Flower Ritual

Welcome to week 21 of our "52 traditions/rituals in 52 weeks".

The silent flower ritual is one of the simplest and most basic rituals that may be included in a wedding ceremony, but it’s significance and emotional depth are long remembered.

The silent flower ritual brings significance to the roles of the mothers on this special day, that may otherwise go unspoken and to all that they have contributed in the lives of the couple present. In nurturing, loving and caring for each of them and in being there to share this special day with them.

Once the guests are assembled and the groom and celebrant are waiting for the bride, the entrance music begins and the bride enters carrying her bouquet with 2 loose long stem flowers. As she approaches her groom on her father’s (or whoever is escorting her) arm, she lets go of him and walks silently over to her soon to be mother in law and hands her one of the flowers, giving her a kiss on the cheek. She then walks over to her own mother handing her a flower also and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

No words are said during the ritual and the bride then returns to her escort’s arm and continues to her groom.

The ritual, though silent, is very meaningful and brings a tear to the eyes of guests and of course the mothers.  It is a truly wonderful way of honouring the mothers role in the lives of the couple and their importance on this day. The mothers are always very pleased, particularly when they are not aware that it is going to take place.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

For other ways to include your mums please see our post "What about the Mothers?"

Week 18 - Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed & Something Blue

Welcome to week 18 of our "52 traditions/rituals in 52 weeks."

One of the most common and recognised wedding traditions has to be “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue” – and if you are going all the way then “And a Sliver Sixpence in her Shoe.”

Of the many thousands of traditions that have come and gone over the centuries, this old English rhyme from the Victorian era is one that has truly stood the test of time and for some reason is still the most popular of all rituals/traditions in our modern society.

"Something Old" is said to symbolise the special connection that the bride has with her own family and that she will maintain to them and to her origins and her past. ‘Something Old – usually gives rise for the bride to choose something that is meaningful from the family, perhaps an heirloom or a piece of her grandmother (or other family members) jewellery. Another option, far more popular in the past than in recent times, is the wearing of a wedding gown belonging to her mother or grandmother.

"Something New" signifies that if the bride has something new then  good fortune and success will be in abundance as she begins her new life with her husband. ‘Something new’ can be anything of her choosing, but if she is not wearing an old dress then her new wedding dress is often a good choice.

"Something Borrowed" is a reminder to the bride of her strong friendships and family bond. The borrowing of an item will give her a sense that she will have love and support whenever she may need it and always have others to lean on when times are tough. The borrowed item can be anything of her choosing, but is most often something that is easily concealed, worn or able to fit in a small purse.

"Something Blue" Is a symbol of love, faithfulness, modesty, fidelity and loyalty. In ancient Roman times the colour blue was the colour that represented all of these (Evidenced by the Virgin Mary in blue). Brides often wore blue wedding gowns in those times and a today still honour this by wearing a blue garter.

 "A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe" A sixpence is an old British coin, which was said to bring the good wishes of loved ones to the bride for financial security and happiness if worn in her shoe. For the best of fortune, she should be sure to ware it in her left shoe. In modern times any other silver coin may be used as a substitute, but there are places that sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.

Superstition warns us that a bride who carries these objects will ensure that she is blessed with a happy, long and prosperous married life. While we love this tradition and all of its sentiment, every bride is beautiful and lucky on her big day and if you don’t manage to have all of these items then begin your own tradition with what you do have and find significance in them.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Marriage & the step parent dilemma

The society in which we live today is filled with wonderful blended families that come in all shapes and sizes.  We're not just talking about couples coming together from different cultural backgrounds, but also couples coming together, each with children of their own. (How could we forget The Brady Bunch - if only it was that easy). So many of the couples I see as a celebrant have families like this.

The joining of two families can be a really wonderful experience, but it would be remiss not to mention the fact that it can also be exceptionally difficult and fraught with potential disasters, particularly when combined with the stress of planning a wedding. Step parenting is never easy and we all know very well that planning a wedding can be overwhelming, even for the calmest of couples, but combining the two can see some couples in total despair.


To any of you who have successfully brought two families together while planning and executing an amazig wedding, we commend you. You truly deserve a round of applause.

BUT, for those of you (and I'm sure there are many) who are currently struggling with a suddenly much larger family, while trying to plan your big day and include children and step children, then we symapthise and are here to help.

In working with many couples in this situation I have put together a few ideas I wanted to share with you that may hopefully help you in finding ways to include children and step children and ease the stress of  any family tension that may be lingering.

I have found that finding ways to include and unite the family on such a public level really helps to strengthen the bond and puts the focus on inclusion and unity rather than exclusion and individuality.

Here are some ideas to help:

1. If the children are old enough allow them to act as junior bridesmaids/groomsmen. Asking them to stand beside you earns them a level of importance and respect that you may find helps them to feel apart of it all.

2. If you are each coming to the marriage with a couple of children it may not be practical to have them as attendant in the ceremony. I once did a ceremony for a couple where they each had 3 children and so they bought each of them a gold letter (the childs first initial) and as part of the ceremony each child was asked to come forward as the step parent placed the necklace on and gave them a kiss. All  the guests were crying and the children were so proud and pleased it was beautiful.

3. Include a unity ritual in your ceremony. A great way of making children feel included is by having a unifying ritual. A sand ceremony is a great example (see our sand ceremony for an example) I perform many sand ceremonies with families which usually requires a vase of coloured sand each different and representing the particular family member, They each then pour their sand into the large vase so the colours layer beautiful and then the vas eis then sealed. The glass can be engraved with the wedidng details or an engraved plaque put on the front. Once on display in the home the significance of the once single colours of sand that can now never be seperated again from the others is a constant reminder of the families bond.

4. If they are not wanting or confident enough to take part in the ceremony then give them a job. Ushering guests, handing out rose petals or bubbles. This will allow them to have a purpose on the day.

We really hope this helps and if you are still stuck feel free to contact us and we will be happy to help with more ideas.

The Wedding Gurus
xxx

Pagan Rituals - Significance of the Broom

Welcome to week 13 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

We are playing a bit of catch-up due to falling a little behind, but we are getting back on track by posting some rituals close together and for week 13 we have decided to look at ‘Pagan Rituals’.

A pagan wedding ceremony is often quite different from a normal civil wedding ceremony. It is rich with colour, natural elements and acknowledges the four directions East (Air), South (Fire), West (Water) and North (Earth) as being an essential component that requires recognition (usually at the very beginning of the ceremony) along with many other ritualistic sentiments.

For some, the idea of a Pagan ceremony is very appealing, although if only one party to the marriage (the bride for instance) is Pagan, then it can be problematic to engage in a full Pagan ceremony.

There are many options in such a case for simply incorporating Pagan elements into your ceremony while still maintaining the format of a ‘normal’ wedding ceremony. There are so many it is hard to just pick a few, but we have chosen some that can be easily adapted.

For example, a Pagan ceremony is conducted inside a sacred circle which can be created from rocks, stones or a combination of candles & crystals. The circle is symbolic of the cycles of life, and it is considered a sacred place in which any negativity form the outside world can be left behind while the couples immense love and happiness can be contained within.
The main theme we wanted to look at was the use of ‘Brooms’ in pagan ceremonies and there are at least two ways in which a broom can be used:

Firstly: The broom is used in a sweeping motion to purify the sacred circle. This can be done by the Celebrant (or the bride & groom themselves).

Once the guests have arrived and are in the circle, whoever is performing the ritual, circles the area in an anti-clockwise direction.

The circle is swept and the following words repeated.

“Sweep, sweep, sweep this place
By Power of Air, I cleanse this space.”

The sweeping, often used to begin the cleansing ritual, is then usually followed by other cleansing powers of Light, Liquid, Dirt and Spirit. These are done most often with a red candle; a chalice of water; a bowl of earth and then words that are spoken in the middle of the circle for Spirit.

Secondly: As the primary use of a broom is to clean and sweep, they are thought to represent a new, clean and fresh start for the couple. The bride and groom jump the broom at the end of the ceremony after all of the words have been spoken and this indicates that they are putting the past behind them and are jumping together into their future.

Pagan ceremonies are very moving and unforgettable to take part in. If you ever have the chance to see one, take it because it will be something that will stay with you forever. Many of today’s rituals are adaptations of original Pagan traditions, but to see them performed in their original context and within a ceremony that incorporates many of them is a great experience.

If you are interested in having a Pagan ceremony or even incorporating components into your own ceremony then there are lots of resources available and we would be happy to point you in the right direction.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Week 12 - Libation Ceremony

Welcome to week 12 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

This week we have decided to look at ‘libation’ in ceremony and how you can use it to create an interesting and heart felt ceremony.

Some traditions or rituals are not unique to just one culture and are in fact practised in many cultures throughout the world. These rituals are often similar in nature, but may have different relevance or meaning depending on who is practising them. This is certainly true for libation rituals.

The libation ritual is a traditional part of ceremony practised by the Greeks, Romans, Africans and Burmese Buddhists to name only a few. The term ‘libation’ actually means ‘the pouring of a liquid offering as a religious ritual’ and this liquid may be any number of things, again dependant upon who is performing it.

In some African cultures, an essential part of any ceremony is the pouring of libation. Sometimes water, but most often a traditional wine is used for the pouring which it is believed shows recognition and thanks to their ancestors and the Gods. A prayer calling all to attend and participate is given by an elder who through this tradition invokes both ancestors and Gods to be present.

The Ancient Romans were also big believers in the use of libation rituals in ceremony, usually consisting of wine and perfumed oil, it was considered an act of great worship.

These days we still see libation rituals used in ceremony and also in showing recognition to those no longer with us. If you live in the United States you may have heard of the term ‘tipping a forty to their memory’ which involves tipping a small amount of liquid (usually liquor) from the glass before drinking, paying respect to and in memory of those no longer with us.

If you are looking for a simple, easy ritual to use in your wedding ceremony that doesn’t cost anything and allows you to word it specifically to recognise something, then a libation ritual is a fabulous idea.

You could ask the head of either of your families,-a grandmother or grandfather, the celebrant or anyone you wish - to lead the ritual and say a few words as to the sentiment of the ritual.

An example of this may be where a loved one has passed away or unable to be present and you are looking for a way to acknowledge those unable to be with you. A libation is a simple, yet powerful way to pay your respect and honour their significance.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

52 Rituals/Traditions - Announcement

Over the next 5 weeks we are going to be doing something a little different in our ‘52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’.

Our next 5 posts will be some lesser known and more culturally diverse rituals from all over the world.

Some of these are century old customs and others are modern versions of long standing cultural traditions.

Many you may not have heard of before, but they are gorgeous and rich in their depth and sentiment and we really wanted to explore some of these ideas despite the fact that they may be a little more ‘out there’ than many would normally consider.

Remember, any tradition or custom can be modified to suit your particular use for it, however it is always a good idea to do your best to keep enough of the original meaning so as to be respectful to the culture to which it belongs. Rituals mean a great deal to those who practise them so we should always be mindful of this.

We are really looking forward to bringing you some really different ideas over the coming weeks and hope that you will join us in exploring some fun ideas.

The Wedding Guru’s

Week 6 - Traditional Smoking Ceremony

Welcome to week 6 of our '52 Traditions / Rituals in 52 weeks' this week we are bringing to you a 'Traditional Smoking Ceremony'. 


Indigenous Australian culture and its people are rich in ceremonial tradition and spiritual connection to their land. It is their spiritual connection to this land as ‘Mother’ that makes their ceremonies, rituals and traditions so absolutely spellbinding and magnificent. It is the perfect ritual to incorporate into a wedding ceremony.

A traditional ‘Smoking’ involves bringing together various native plants either in a fire or using a smudge stick and smoldering them to produce smoke. It is believed among indigenous Australians, that this smoke has cleansing and healing properties and also has the added ability to ward off any bad spirits that may be lurking around. Although performed at many events including building openings, births and deaths, it is a wonderful way of beginning a wedding ceremony, allowing the couple to go into the marriage feeling cleansed and free, with no bad spirits to bring them bad luck.

I (Susan) was lucky enough to see a ‘Smoking’ ceremony performed by an Aboriginal celebrant from the Northern Territory at a celebrant conference here in Adelaide a few years ago and its power was amazing. I immediately fell in love with the symbolism behind the ritual and its wonderful cleansing power.

There are a few options for conducting a smoking ritual as part of a wedding ceremony, however as many of us live in the city it can be difficult to find an adequate place to light a fire and we may need to consider an alternative.

Firstly, a ‘Smoking’ may be conducted by placing the chosen leaves on a small fire perhaps in a fire resistant trough or bowl and then allowing the smoke to cover the bride and groom and the other participants’ bodies, ridding them of what is not needed. The smoke can then be fanned around the area with the intention of also cleansing it before the marriage takes place.

The couple and their guests may feel a sense of leaving behind any troubles and beginning something new and the couple may like the Celebrant to say a few words about the significance of the smoking. There is no specific wording, but it is important to ask the couple what it means to them.

Another option is using a ‘Smudge stick’ (pictured left) which is a bundle of dried herbs, (quite often white sage and incorporating some other herbs or spices such as lavender and juniper, which give a pleasant odour when burnt). These are then bound into a small bundle with string and dried to later be used for the wedding ceremony. The ‘Smoking’ is conducted in much the same way as outlined above, however the celebrant may walk around the area spreading the smoke and wave the stick around the couple in order to cover them. Again the couple may like the celebrant to say a few words about the significance.

Conducting a traditional ‘Smoking’ is a great way of incorporating ritual in ceremony and regardless of your background or heritage, it’s significance crosses all boundaries of race or religion. If you are conducting a wedding ceremony in Australia or you are a bride or groom considering using a smoking as part of your ceremony, you may also like to begin the ceremony by paying tribute to the traditional owners of the land you are standing on. What a great way to enter your married life, with good luck, health and a clean slate. Only good can come of it!

Note: Smudge sticks can usually be purchased from stores that supply religious or ceremonial items or they can be made easily using fresh herbs. There are lots of instructional videos available on the internet.


The Wedding Gurus

Week 5 - Handfasting Ceremony

Welcome to week 5 of our '52 traditions / rituals in 52 week' this week we are bringing to you a demonstration of a 'Handfasting Ceremony'. The handfasting is a tradition which involves the tying or binding of the right hands of the bride and groom with a ribbon or similar for the duration of the wedding ceremony. It has many origins and has been used in dozens of different cultures all with a similar significance, but with different wording and where the binding is done at different times during the ceremony.

We hope you enjoy this hand fasting ritual

You can find the Handfasting Wording by clicking here

Week 4 – The Giving of the Bride

Welcome to ritual number 4 in our ‘52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 weeks’

We’re pretty sure that all of you would be familiar with this one, but even though you’ve probably seen it done at most wedding ceremonies you have attended, you might be surprised by how many variations there can be to this common tradition.

The Giving Away of the bride has a long history. Nowadays we often like to make it the perfect occasion when the father- daughter relationship is acknowledged. It also allows the families and friends of the bride and groom show their approval of the marriage. In Roman times though, it was the custom for a young woman to be under the authority and protection of the man who was the head of her household — this would usually have been her father or elder brother.

When she married, the responsibility that was theirs, then passed to her husband. This was the origin of the “Giving away” ceremony. Clearly times certainly have changed but we retain this ancient custom with a somewhat new cultural meaning and that is to honour the role of the father and allow the family and friends to clearly show their support.

Some examples of possible wording for the Giving of the Bride:

1. Celebrant/Priest addresses person giving bride away: Who brings this woman to be married to this man?

Person replies: I do (He then steps forward and joins the other guests.)

            2. If both parents are involved, the Celebrant/Priest addresses the guests as follows: Who brings this man to stand beside this woman?

Groom’s Parents We do

The question is repeated for the bride’s parents: Are you willing now and always to support and strengthen this marriage by upholding both Lindsay and Lisa with your love and support?

All parents: We are

            3. When the father is the giving the bride away, the Celebrant/Priest says: When thinking people conclude what are the real values in life, and come to decide what really matters — it is human relationships.
One of the most understated but deepest relationships in human life is that between the caring father and the loving daughter. One of the rare occasions this relationship is acknowledged is at a wedding ceremony. (Insert Father’s name) represents all of us, he particularly represents his family, but today in a special gesture he symbolises his own personal love for is daughter. So mindful of these values I now ask him,
— who brings this woman to be married to this man?
Father

I do

The Importance of Rituals

Seeing as we are going to be spending the entire year bringing you Wedding Rituals/Traditions, I wanted to tell you a little about why this was so important to us.

Across the world ceremonies or rituals are used to define the more important stages of our lives and a wedding ceremony is the perfect example of one of those stages being at the height of tradition and formality.

From superstition and myth to etiquette, dress and both ancient and modern rituals, wedding ceremonies are steeped in tradition and symbolism.

Many cultures still actively practise ancient traditions or may have adapted some to suit a more modern environment, but nonetheless they still hold the same meaning and importance to those who practise them.

While as a modern society we may have somewhat moved away from some of the more outlandish rituals of stealing a bride away from her family or slapping each other with fish for good luck, it has become very ‘trendy’ of late to incorporate more of the common and meaningful traditions into today’s wedding ceremony.

Adding a ritual to your ceremony can provide the perfect opportunity to include all of your guests or even a select few whom you really want to play a part. Including a ritual is also a great way of blending families in a really unique way and allows wedding guests to actually see something interesting and heart felt.

If you honestly sat down and thought about all of the ceremonies that you have attended (and for me as a celebrant that is one heck of a lot!) they can often all blend into a distant fond memory, but if the couple did something that was unique, different or that evoked in you an emotional response, then chances are this will be a ceremony that will stay with you always.

For me, doing ceremony after ceremony every weekend is a wonderful experience and opportunity to see people from all different backgrounds, but officiating so many ceremonies often leaves them as a bit of a blurr in my distant memory.

There are, however, probably 4 or 5 out of all that I have done that have stuck with me as clear as if they were yesterday and that was simply because they used a ritual or tradition that touched or inspired me and because of that their exchange was etched in my mind forever.

One of these was something I hadn’t seen a couple do before and it was called the ‘silent rose ceremony’.

As I stood with the groom at the front of the assembled guests under a gorgeous flower lined gazebo, the music began playing and the bride appeared at the end of the garden. She walked up slowly on her brothers arm and when she reached the front of the group the groom walked forward and joined her, taking her arm.

Together they walked over to his mother first, and silently handed her a single gorgeous white rose. Nothing was said, they just each kissed her cheek and embraced her and then walked silently over to the bride’s mother and did the same to her. As the mothers were each unaware that this was going to take place they were both sobbing gorgeously and I think every guest including myself had a tear in their eye. The bride and groom then walked back to stand before me and the ceremony began. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen done and yet so simple.

I’m not saying that including a ritual or tradition in your ceremony is right for everyone, but if you can find something that suits who you are then you should absolutely go for it. Make sure your ceremony is one that will be etched in your guests memories forever.

For inspiring ideas, don’t forget to look out for our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

The wedding gurus

The Wedding of Carla and James

Welcome to the wedding of the gorgeous Carla and James.

In October 2009 James proposed to his beautiful girlfriend Carla on top of the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas. 2 years later in November 2011 they said 'i do' amongst their family and friends in their hometown of Adelaide.

Carla Waye is a solo singer / songwriter (www.carlawaye.com) and has worked with renowned producers such as Darryl Anthony and Isreal who has produced for the likes of Jessica Mauboy, Stan Walker, Ricky Lee and Jay Sean. Carla comes from a very close Filipino family while James is from a proud Greek background, as you will see from the beautiful photo story to follow they were able to incorporate some of both their Filipino & Greek traditions throughout.

It has been a true pleasure for the team at the Wedding Gurus to bring this to you and we hope you enjoy the inspriring and breathtaking story of how their beautiful wedding day unfolded. The couple can’t speak highly enough of their fabulous photographer Jackie Tran who captured all the truly spectacular and memorable moments of the days events.

The sweet and classically simple flower girl dresses are from Tea Princess

 

Carla with her proud mum. The Jewelery including headpiece, custom brooch and earrings,

by Maria Elena Headpieces

 James with his handsome groomsmen and page boys

Carla's overwhelmingly beautiful wedding dress is by San Patrick purchased at

Anastasia Bridal Couture

The colourful & breathtakingly beautiful Church, St Dimitrios of Adelaide

In a traditional Greek wedding ceremony the bride and groom are crowned with a Stefana. 2 Crowns are linked together with a single length of ribbon symbolising the joining of two souls and the creation of a new household. It is a symbol of combining two people as one.

The stunning bridal procession of all white Jags courtesy of Jags With Grace

The Classic Jets Fighter Museum at Parafield Airport was the perfect location to capture these unique and timeless shots

The bridesmaid dresses were individually designed by each bridesmaid and crafted by

Adriana Loro Designs on Port Road, Adelaide

 

The elegant and intricately crafted 8 tier wedding cake was created by the talented team at

Sugar and Spice Cakes on Goodwood Road

The couple share their first dance at the spectacular Sunrise ballroom of
Sfera's Park Suites & Convention Centre, Adelaide

Carla Waye is an acclaimed singer / songwriter and amazed her guests with a beutiful vocal performance with the help of David Fitzgerald. Carla sang a medley of songs including 'make you feel my love', 'angel of mine', 'heaven' and 'even when im sleeping'

As part of James' Greek Background, his family and friends pin money and lucky charms on him as a sign of good luck and fortune for the couples lives together.

Carla performs a traditional Filipino dance 'Tinkiling'. The two parralel bamboo poles are hit together and raised into the air and back to the ground to the rythmn of the music, as this is done Carla hops over and around the them in a skillful graceful manner.

We saved the most magnificent awe-inspiring photo till last.

As Carla and James embark upon their future together, we wish them a marriage filled with blissful and everlasting love, laughter and happiness.