Armenian Wedding Traditions

Holy matrimony is a Sacrament of the Armenian Orthodox Church in which a man and a woman solemnly promise before Christ, the priest and the worshippers to be true to each other for life. Their marital union is blessed by Christ through the Church. God's grace is imparted to them to live together in His love, mutually fulfilling and perfecting each other.

Marriage is one of the seven sacraments of the Armenian Church in which the couple are called to make a vow before the Lord to be true to each other for life. Their matrimonial union is blessed by the Lord through the Church. The marriage ceremony of the Armenian Church is rich in ritual and symbolism.

The crowning is the climax of the wedding service . The crowns are the sign of the glory and honor with which God crowns them during the Sacrament. The groom and the bride are crowned as the king and the queen of their own little kingdom, the home, which they will rule with wisdom, justice, and integrity.

During the crowning, the bride and groom face one another and the best man stands between the two, holding a cross over their heads. The rite of crowning is followed by the blessing of the common cup when a goblet of wine is blessed in remembrance of the marriage at Cana of Galilee which was blessed by Christ's presence