Weddings affected by Crisis in Greece

Marriage was, especially for a Greek traditional family, truly a religious sacrament.  Weddings were anticipated in big ways personally and socially, from the family dreaming of a night that would always be remembered, to an opportunity to either subconsciously or outright emphasize social status to relatives, friends...and neighbors.

When the economy was good in Greece, the religious wedding ceremonies and receptions were characterized by grandeur, and in some cases excessiveness, starting from the decorations in the church, to the style of the banquet hall for the reception to follow.

As for political wedding ceremonies, not even a speech might be made, unless there were special circumstances allowing one. Besides, the other ceremony could always be saved for the following year when the couple wants to baptize their child.

On top of this all is the changing aspect of yesterday's Greece, because the Greece of today is been driven by a harsh reality. There are no more extravagant weddings, and, for those couples who actually chose to have a dinner reception, guest lists were cut down by half the number, 50% to 80%, compared to the amount recorded back when Greece was experiencing "good times."

In conclusion, weddings have moved further away from the devoted model of the Greek Orthodox religious ceremony. According to a report by Kathimerini Newspaper, for the first time in Greece, in 2012, the number of political weddings have actually surpassed the number of religious ones! A national study showed political weddings won favor 25,730 to 23,980.

There was also a 10% decrease in the total amount of weddings taking place. In 2011, there were 55,099 weddings in Greece, but in 2012 that number went down to 49,710. Twelve years earlier, in 2001, the respective number was 10,404 for political ceremonies and 48,087 for religious ones.

Another tradition of marriage that has changed in Greece is the timing of pregnancy. In the past, pregnancy before marriage was frowned upon, whereas now it is considered "the norm." Not only that, it is apt to progress into a new format, as many couples now look to combine the Christening of their first child with the religious wedding ceremony into one function, in order to get out paying extra expenses.

After all, a wedding at the town hall doesn't exceed 30-100 euros, whereas a modest church wedding can run close to 700 euros, thus explaining how this new tendency to marry politically was created.

This is a new order, but one that the Greek Orthodox Church is bothered by. In response to this, alot of Greek Metropolises are pursuing offering religious ceremonies for free to couples who are struggling economically.