Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral Wedding – Anne Canon Photography
One of the best parts of being a wedding photographer is being able to learn about and witness weddings that involve different religions, cultures and traditions. Erica and Niko’s wedding at The Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Washington D.C. was nothing short of amazing! This was the first Greek Orthodox wedding that I had the pleasure of photographing so I made sure to visit the cathedral prior to the wedding to educate myself on the various components of the wedding ceremony as well as to familiarize myself on where I would be able to place myself and my 2nd shooter during the ceremony. In the Orthodox tradition, the wedding ceremony is actually composed of two services. The first is the Service of Betrothal, or Engagement ceremony, during which the rings are exchanged. The second is the Service of Marriage or Crowning, during which prayers are offered for the couple, the crowns of marriage are placed on their heads, the common cup is shared, and the ceremonial walk takes place around the table. The couple generally faces forward during the entirety of the ceremonies with the exception of when they take their ceremonial walk around the table. Because of this, I was allowed to stand at the front of the church which allowed for a completely different perspective of the actual ceremony then I typically take. I must admit that at first it felt very strange for me to be in such close proximity the couple and the priest, it was actually an experience I loved and will never forget! The entire day was filled with energy and excitement which carried through to the reception. As you can imagine, after 10 years of photographing weddings, I have seen a variety of entrances and first dances. This wedding currently holds the award for the best wedding party entrence as well as the most exciting first dance! Following the heartfelt toasts from family and friends it was time to kick off the party! Erica and Nico had not 1, but 2 bands! The evening was filled with a mixture of both Greek and American music and dancing!
