What happened to”Here Comes the Bride”?
In the Byzantine Tradition, there is no “Bride walking down the aisle on the arms of her father” ritual. Instead the Priest, who has already joined them at the Betrothal (in the Narthex of the Temple), lead the Bride and Groom in procession from the Narthex (symbolic of the World fallen under sin since Adam) into the Sanctuary of the Temple (symbolic of the World redeemed by the Christ) – the Procession demonstrating that the marriage transcends mere a human contractual relationship (as fundamental as that may be) to become an instance of theosis and opportunity to participate in the life of the Holy Trinity. The “Giving away of the Bride” ritual practiced in some non-Orthodox churches comes from the ancient Germanic marital ritual of conveyancing. This ritual is based on the concept that women were the property of men. As a “maiden”, she “belonged” to her father. At marriage, her husband contracted with her father to have the bride “given” to him – presumably in return for some sort o
