Wedding traditions with crowns and wreaths

Crowns and wreaths turn the bride and groom into a king and queen for a day. Common in Orthodox Christian rites, in Scandinavia and in Central Europe, they are made of metal, flowers, leaves, myrtle or orange blossom.

Crowns in the rite

In Orthodox weddings crowns, called stefana in Greek, are placed on the heads of the couple, who become the king and queen of their own household, and in some traditions they stand for martyrdom as well as glory. In Sweden the bride may wear a crown, and in Norway a silver crown, the brudekrone, is lent by the church or family. In Poland a bride may be crowned at the oczepiny. In Korean weddings the bride might wear a jokduri, a small crown.

Wreaths of leaf and flower

Ancient Greeks and Romans wore wreaths of myrtle, marjoram and other leaves, and orange blossom became the Western bridal flower in the nineteenth century. In Ukraine the bride wears a vinok, a wreath of flowers and ribbons, and in Hungary and Germany myrtle wreaths are used. Today flower crowns appear in many styles of wedding.