Dear Friends,
First of all, take your time choosing your future wife.
And don't marry for money. If you do, you will "suffer in comfort!"
Now to your questions . . .
In the Byzantine tradition, there is no need for the father to accompany the bride down the aisle - and he cannot do so for a very good reason.
When I was married, we had the Rite of Engagement ("Zaruchyny" however you translate that) at the front doors of the Church of the Faithful.
This Rite, as I understand it, can be held separately from the Mystery of Crowning or "marriage" and my brother had it when he got engaged to his future bride in advance of marriage.
It is at that point that we had the questions posed to us.
Now, my wife insisted that her father take her from the front doors of the Church up to the doors that signify the entrance into the main part of the Church (Church of the Faithful). But that is the exception to the rule.
After that, we were standing together and went down the aisle together.
In the West, the man and woman "marry each other" or give the Sacrament of Matrimony to each other with the priest there as a witness to give the Church's blessing.
This hearkens to the pagan Roman times in which the Western Church lived where the bride and groom had the civil marriage ceremony performed and then went to the church already "man and wife" to have the Church bless what was already a "fait accomplit."
In the East, however, the Mystery of Crowning is given to the man and woman by the priest or bishop, as any other Mystery (or Sacrament) is given.
There is, I believe, a more egalitarian "feel" to the Eastern tradition without the father of the bride being part of the ceremony.
In pre-Christian times, this signified the father "handing over" his daughter to her next master, her future husband.
There is also in our tradition a greater emphasis on the relationship between Christ and His Bride the Church, the sacramental drinking of the wine (which, for me, symbolizes the miracle at the wedding at Cana in Galilee) the exchange of the icons of the Mother of God who interceded on behalf of the bride and groom at Cana in Galilee, the invocation of the Old Testament married saints including Joseph and Aseneth and the tying of the hands of the bride and groom by the priest or bishop as they are led in the "Dance of Isaiah" around the Tetrapod.
The crowning ceremony is the heart and essence of the mystery and all other parts pale by comparison and significance.
It is a true coronation signifying the establishment of a new household in Christ, a new home Church where the young couple are empowered with authority to lead a new family unit of the
Body of Christ, as stewards of God's Divine Gifts, especially the Grace of the Holy Spirit.
The crowns of myrtle are ideally used and these also signify the crowns of athletic champions of old and also of martyrs.
The Great Martyr Procopius is invoked to signify the "dying to self" that must accompany the life-long process of married love in Christ.
The "Holy Crowned Ones" Sts Constantine and Helen are invoked to signify the above connotation of authority to rule over a new household, dispensing God's Gifts etc.
Very nice over all, wouldn't you say?
Alex
