Betrothed... rings: The Eastern Orthodox wedding ceremony consists of two parts: the exchange of rings and the "crowning" (rite performed while crowns are held, in the Russian tradition, over — not on — the head of the bride and groom). Today, the two parts are performed during the same ceremony, but the exchange of rings was once performed separately and thus had the function of a betrothal, a pledge as binding and almost as indissoluble as the full church wedding.

Close this window.