Levkas / Lefkáda :: Comparisson reports

“The bride is chosen with the help of a matchmaker. The proposal comes from the bride’s family, at least in the countryside. The groom chooses the godparents and appears at the bride’s house with a good part of the guests. He then goes with her and all the guests to his house. They then return to her house with a priest for a brief refreshment. They finally return to the groom’s house for the wedding. After the wedding and the celebration, everyone leaves except for the bride’s family and the closest relatives. For some years now, the custom in the city has been to hold the wedding in the church. In this case, the bride goes to the church following a different route than the wedding party and is only accompanied by her father or brother. It’s believed that by having two processions, one to the church and another to the groom’s house, the bride will marry a second time”.