Your Wedding at Holy Trinity Cathedral
Your wedding is an important and deeply spiritual moment in your life, a day to be remembered forever. Our deep desire is to make this beautiful day everything you envision.
Setting the date
The first thing to do when planning your wedding at Holy Trinity is to contact the Cathedral Office at (503) 234-0468 to arrange for a wedding date. In order to have ample time for pre-marital classes and other preparations, the date should be set at least six months in advance. Please note the days when marriage is not permitted in the Orthodox Church.
Filling out the affidavit
Once a date has been set for your wedding, you will be asked to come to the Cathedral Office to fill out an affidavit for an ecclesiastical wedding license. This license, together with your civil marriage license, is required to conduct a wedding in the Orthodox Church. In the case of an inter-Christian marriage (marriage between an Orthodox person and another Christian baptized in the name of the Trinity), the non-Orthodox person will be asked to provide a copy of his/her baptismal certificate or some other verification of baptism.
Pre-marital classes
In order to help you prepare for the sacrament of marriage and better understand the Church's role in your new life together, Holy Trinity offers pre-marital classes for all engaged couples. Classes are offered once a quarter, and consist of two group sessions and a private consultation with one of the priests. You may register for pre-marital classes when you come in to fill out your ecclesial wedding affidavit. Additional support after marriage, including young married couples gatherings, Orthodox Marriage Encounter, and other resources are also available to you. For more information about these programs, contact the Cathedral Office.
Selecting a Sponsor
You will need to select a sponsor or "koumbaros/koumbara" for your wedding. He or she must be a member in good standing of the Orthodox Church. Typically but not always, he or she will be either the Best Man or Maid/Matron of Honor at the wedding. If the sponsor is not a member of Holy Trinity, the sponsor's parish priest must send a letter verifying that he or she is a member in good standing.
The Priest
Ordinarily, one or both of the current pastors of Holy Trinity presides over all weddings. If you would like another Orthodox priest to participate in your wedding, please discuss this with the pastor, who will then extend an invitation to the visiting Priest.
Items Needed for the Wedding
The following are the items necessary to perform a wedding in the Orthodox Church. Many of these items are available for purchase in the Ethos Bookstore. Ordinarily (with the exception of the rings), these are provided by the Sponsor:
- A tray with white Jordan almonds (Koufeta) and rice.
- Rings for the bride and groom.
- Floral crowns in the Orthodox traditional style
- Two white decorated candles.
Planning the Reception
If you would like to hold your reception at Holy Trinity, the St. Demetrios and St. Katherine Halls and the cathedral kitchen may be reserved for your use. Please contact the Cathedral Office for availability and prices.