The National Herald

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MARCH 3, 2012www.thenationalherald.com

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS2 THE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012

The National HeraldA weekly publication of the NATIONAL HERALD, INC.

(ΕΘΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΞ),reporting the news and address-

ing the issues of paramountinterest to the Greek American

community of the United States of America.

Publisher-Editor Antonis H. Diamataris

Assistant to Publisher, Advertising Veta H. Diamataris

PapadopoulosSpecial Section Editor

Angelike ContisProduction Manager

Chrysoula Karametros

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By Angelike Contis

As a filmmaker, Greek-Amer-ican bride Evie Michael Mprasknew a thing or two about set-ting a perfect scene. When itcame to her own marriage toGreek-born economist NikosVasilarakis – on January 21st ofthis year in Athens – she wantedeverything to be perfect.

The National Herald caughtup with the Greece-based new-lywed – via email from Greece -to hear more about how shepulled it all together. Mpras ex-plains: “Our theme was 'OldWorld Glamour.' We both loveRenaissance and Medieval peri-ods and channeled those eraswhen stylizing our weddingday.”

The winter wedding cere-mony was held at Saint Dionys-ios Church in Kolonaki with anintimate (for Greece) receptionfor the couple’s 280 nearest anddearest at the city’s most historicand central luxury hotel, theGrande Bretagne in SyntagmaSquare.

TRADITION, THEIR WAYThat this was a bride with a

vision was clear to all. She had,for starters, a wedding book pre-pared months in advance, withinspirations and examples ofwhat she had in mind. Mpras re-calls: “My wedding coordinatorat the Grande Bretagne eyed my

very detailed and organized wed-ding book and asked what myprofession was. I answered that Iwas a director. She said, ‘Oh, thatmakes sense!’ I took great carewith every detail, always keepingin mind the overall effect. This issimilar to the work of a directorwho tries to construct a scenewith a particular atmosphere,mood, and structure.”

Mpras is currently workingon a documentary about the leg-endary experimental Greek-American filmmaker, GregoryMarkopoulos.

When it came to Greek tra-ditions, the bride and groomwere wary of some things.Mpras notes: “When I was sevenyears old, I attended a weddingin a Greek village and swore tomyself that I would never havea traditional Greek village wed-ding. I did not like the loudchatter and shouting during thechurch ceremony and the over-all chaotic nature of the event.”

The couple – who both coin-cidentally hail from the villageof Menetes on Karpathos island- wanted a religious ceremony,however. The bride notes: “Weboth love the Greek Orthodoxceremony, which is so rich inmeaning, symbolism, and deepfaith.”

Though the religious servicewas a solemn highpoint, acquir-ing the license for it was frus-trating, even for two individuals

with Greek citizenship. “Atevery turn…we were delayed,stalled, and encountered severalchanges to the initial require-ments,” Mpras relates. “Twoweeks before the wedding, apriest actually told me I wouldhave to fly to Karpathos to get acertain paper signed. Once Istarted crying in disbelief andexhaustion, he changed his tuneand found another way to getmy paper signed in Athens.”

The couple skipped the tra-dition where people toss money(or a baby boy) on the weddingbed. However, they said yes toGreek dancing, lots of it. “Afterour first dance at the reception,we danced the traditionalKarpathiko and Kalamatianodances for over an hour.”

ATTENTION TO DETAILMpras says there are more

similarities than differences be-

tween weddings in the U.S. andAthens. However, her eye for de-tail gave away her Americanside, or so many guests ob-served. Among personalizedtouches were invitations de-signed by the bride and groom.

The bride lauds the creativehelp from Kolonaki’s DrizosFlorists. She says: “Our floristwas fantastic. She helped to cre-ate a very romantic and lushlook at both the church and thereception.” Delicate orchidshanging from chandeliers wereamong the special touches.

THE BRIDE’S LOOKWhen it came to her own ap-

pearance – for the starring role–Mpras prepped for the big daynot by dieting, but by observinga healthier diet. The recentbride notes: “Adopting a healthylifestyle is always important,whether a wedding is comingup or not. The wedding was agreat motivator for me to getdisciplined. I did not follow astrict diet. I ate more vegetablesand whole grains, and limitedwhite bread, white pasta, andwhite rice.”

The bridal gown, a ReemAcra ballgown, came from NewYork. Mpras chose a tulle of silk,which she points out is morecommon in Europe than the“nylon tulle veil with body” fa-

Old World Glamour in Heart of Athens

Continued on page 3

PHOTOS: STamOS abaTiS

Going way beyond the usual bridalchecklist, we speak to the pros – includingthree recent Greek-American brides (pp.2, 3 & 5)– to cover all aspects of tying theknot.

Something Old… Flowers with ancientGreek symbolism (p. 13), Greek Orthodoxwedding etiquette (p. 7), and early Greek-Jewish-American wedding photos (p. 8).

Something New… The latest in fashion,jewelry, cakes/desserts, venues, music,videography and photography (pp. 6, 8,9, 11, 12).

Something Borrowed…Tasty weddingrecipes from Crete and Naxos (pp. 4 & 8).

Something Blue… The Mediterraneanof course, with tips on getting to Greecefor weddings and honeymoons (p. 13).

Greek AmericanWeddings

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012 3

By Angelike Contis

Real estate attorney StephanieTsolis had met her future hus-band, Greek-born computer en-gineer Nick Makos, throughfriends years ago, she recalls. Andthey would sometimes meet inplaces like Astoria and say hello.Then finally, she recalls, “Onenight, we spoke a little more.”She thought to herself: “Wow,he’s interesting.”

Flash forward to June 25thand the couple were wed at theSt. Nicholas Greek OrthodoxChurch in Flushing, a place notfar from where the bride grewup in Bayside, New York, whereshe had been baptized and at-tended GOYA. On that day, Tsolis,with her elongated features anddark tresses was every bit theGrecian beauty, but this was nocookie cutter bride – she wantedto do things a little differently.

“I knew I’d be a very hands-on bride,” the attorney explains,noting that no detail was toosmall to avoid her attention. Forone, she explains: “I wanted tra-ditional, with a twist.” In search-ing for a term to describe herwedding, she decides on “neo-traditional.”

Her unique touches beganwith the invitations, which shecrafted together with Anastasiaof Anastasia’s Giftshop. The bridetook a design and changed theribbons, adding a brooch (atheme that would follow on lam-bades candles, flower girls andeven the personalized WeddingCake by Jay).

One memorable differencewith 99% of weddings in the U.S.was that there were no brides-maids. She skipped having acrowd at the altar in lieu of mak-

ing little stars of the children inthe family.

A CLEAN LOOKShopping for a bridal dress

was no chore. “It was fun lookingfor a dress,” she recalls, thoughit took her a while to find some-thing that was both traditionaland modern. She went with a

white Ines Di Santo gown withSwarovski crystals and sequins,a drop waist and just the rightamount of “poof.”

When it came to her hair andmakeup, Tsolis notes: “I wanteda clean look.” It helped to achievea special glow by going to HelenChiasson, the Greek woman whohad cut her very thick hair since

she was 12 years old, for her hair(kept comfortably up) andmakeup. A colorful side head-piece with rhinestones replaceda traditional crown

The bride kept her jewelrysimple, due to the sparkles onher dress – chosing dramaticdrop earrings and a bracelet.When it came to her feet, how-ever, the shoes were eye-catch-ing. “I have a shoe obsession,”the newlywed confesses. Sheskipped the usual white shoes fora pair of pewter-colored strappyGiuiseppe Zanotti sandles thatshe has enjoyed wearing severaltimes since the wedding.

THE VENUEWhile doing her venue re-

search, it was love at first site forthe bride when she walked intothe Garden City Hotel GrandBallroom. “I said, this is it,” she

says. The room’s chandeliers andits palette of gold, warm colors,cream and silver fit perfectly intothe wedding image in her head.

Amidst the inevitable flurry ofactivity as the bride and groomcelebrated with 350 guests,everything went smoothly, andthe couple appreciated that at alltimes they each had a staffershadowing them to help out. Be-fore the big day, having a Greekplanner at Garden City made itless stressful to plan an eventwith mostly Greek guests. (Ac-cepting help from family mem-bers proved vital too.)

The tunes – supplied by pop-ular DJs Power Station/ChristosLambropoulos - were almost allGreek too. “There is more passion

and power in Greek songs,” saysthe bride whose first dance pickwas Marinella’s dramatic “Για Σέ-νανε Μπορώ (For You, I Can).”

After their big day the couplespent a few days with guests (al-though they wish there was moretime to have enjoyed them) be-fore flying to the French Polyne-sian islands of Tahiti and BoraBora. In retrospect, the bride isglad she followed one piece ofadvice on her big day. A friendurged the couple to make sure –in the chaos of the day -to con-sciously sit back, be still and en-joy for a full two minutes. Amidstthe noise, the talking and move-ment that inevitably fill a wed-ding, Stephanie and Nick will for-ever cherish those 120 seconds.

vored in America. When it cameto “something old,” Mpras wasdelighted to use her grand-mother’s wedding purse fromthe 1950’s. “That was a specialsentimental touch in my acces-sories.”

Her shoes were handcraftedin Greece, notes the bride: “Ibought my shoes from Kozatsacreations in Athens. They makeshoes by hand and are incredi-bly comfortable! The store wasfounded in 1936 and used tomake shoes for stars such asJayne Mansfield.”

There was a practical side tothe choice. “Greek receptionhalls never have a time limit asAmerican reception halls do. Wedance all night long into the

morning, so my shoes really hadto be comfortable!”

When it comes to her name,Mpras notes: “I will be followingthe trend in Greece and will notlegally change my last name.However, I will socially go by

my husband's last name.”

HEY, MR. DJFor a couple that is passion-

ate about music, having controlover the sounds heard on theirbig day was a big deal. No Greek

pop or requests were allowed.Kefi was abundant.

“Nikos and I chose every sin-gle song on our playlist. Love ofmusic is one of the things thatbrought us together, so it was aspecial part of the reception forus. We tried to make a playlistthat reflected our tastes, butthat also would be fun and en-joyable for our guests. It wasmostly old-school: 60s and 70srock, jazz, and pop. Our favoritesongs were (our first dancesong) Chet Baker's 'My FunnyValentine', Al Green's 'I Can't GetNext to You,' Jethro Tull's 'TheWhistler,' Etta James 'If I Can'tHave You,' and Led Zeppelin's'Whole Lotta Love.'”

Among the memorable audiotreats was the scratchy, vinylrecording the groom discovered

of first dance song, 'My FunnyValentine'. Mpras recalls: “Eventhough we were in the middleof a crowded ballroom we feltlike we were having an intimatemoment.”

Icelandic wonder Bjork’s"Like Someone in Love" was re-served for the end, with only ahandful of people left. The briderecalls: “I sang along and sere-naded to my husband who wasboth embarrassed and laughinguncontrollably.”

The event was documented ondigital and film by photographerfriends led by Stamos Abatis. AGreek filmmaker pro shot theevent on Super 8 black and whitefilm, lending an antique look.Having returned from a honey-moon that extended the OldWorld Glamour theme to Prague

and Vienna, the bride now hasthe pleasant task of editing themovie of her big day herself.

As the Greek-American inGreece enjoys the afterglow ofher successful celebration, she hasno regrets about things she couldhave done differently. Apart fromhaving had an extra taste of thewedding cake, the newlywed whoplanned out every last detailnotes: “I honestly can't think ofanything in particular that Iwould have done differently.”

TIPS• Though Greece’s crisis al-

lows for some negotiatingpower, don’t expect all venuesto be open to bargaining.

• It is becoming increasinglycommon for couples to registerat a bank in Greece.

Old World Glamour in Heart of AthensContinued from page 2

A Neo-Traditional Greek Wedding

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS4 THE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012

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By Peter Minakis,www.kalofagas.ca

In less than two weeks, I’llbe back in Greece again for myvacation. This will be my 20thtime and I still get excited aboutgoing.

I still have some experiencesto share from last year’s trip.One of the most cherished mem-ories has to be when I attendeda traditional Greek wedding onthe island of Naxos.

Naxos is located in the Cy-clades cluster of islands in theAegean Sea. I was cordially in-vited by a reader of my blog,Maria Degaitas. I would like toalso thank the Fragoulopoulosfamily for their endless hospi-tality during my brief stay.

Regardless if you’ve attendeda Greek wedding or not, attend-ing one in a remote village on aGreek island is as fairy-tale asthey get.

I’ve attended numerousGreek weddings in my lifetimeand the memory of the day (andlong night) will be etched in mymind forever.

For those that haven’t at-tended a Greek wedding, I urgeyou to happily accept the inviteand DO attend the church ser-vice and the ensuing reception.The wedding service is movingwith it’s rituals, the ceremonyancient, historical, spiritual – al-ways reminds me of how specialit is to be Greek.

There are many, many detailsto relate about the Greek wed-ding. I share with you the“recipe for a Greek Wedding”,as the day unfolded in Naxos,last summer.

#1: FAMILYThe first thing you need is

family. The Fragoulopoulos clan in

Naxos is from Komiaki, a villageclear on the opposite side of theisland’s port town. Komiaki isthe village of the groom. Thisold village is 700 meters abovesea level and it was built barelyin view of the sea, so as to notbe a target of pirates.

The bride comes from theneighboring village of Koronos,for years dependent on emerymining. Today, agriculture, wineproduction and tourism are themain economic concerns of Ko-ronos. It is written that Dionysusindulged and enjoyed the wineof Naxos most.

#2: TRADITIONThe next ingredient for a

Greek wedding is tradition.Family and friends related to thegroom met in Komiaki whereRaki (Tsipouro), sweets andother offerings were laid out forguests. Like in any wedding oftoday, many photos are taken,video footage is shot, the oldfolks sit and wait and thesounds of young children can beheard.

The groom-to-be startedshooting off his rifle – some-thing I had previously onlyheard of happening in Greece’ssouthernmost island, Crete. Thiswas a Kodak moment and I lostcount of how many shells werestrewn on the ground.

It was early evening and wehad to get a move-on. Many ofthe men of the village bear thename, Agapitos. When it wastime to get going, I heard a lotof “Agapitos” being called.

The next ingredient neededfor a Greek wedding is music.The bride-to-be was waiting inthe Koronos.

A procession was led by atraditional duo of lute and violinplayers. These guys played onour way to our vehicles, duringthe procession from the bride’shome to the church, then on tothe reception and the bandplayed on….to the wee hours ofthe morning.

The lute and violin duo tookbreaks only between travel toand from the villages, duringthe wedding ceremony and onlystopping when the “glenti” orwedding reception ended.

#3: BEAUTIFUL BRIDEAn important ingredient to

any wedding, is a beautiful

bride. At Koronos, friends and fam-

ily of the bride gathered andsoon they were met with thegroom’s side of the family. To-gether we walked towards thechurch (also in Koronos) and al-though a small church (andovercrowded), most of ussqueezed into the outdoor am-phitheater-style courtyard.

The wedding ceremony tookplace just outside of the frontentrance of the church and thecouple-to-be were surroundedby all their family and friends.

For anyone that’s been toGreece, you know the eveningscan still be hot and I’m sure thisamphitheater built just outsidethe church was Greek logic andits reply to the long hot sum-mers.

After the wedding ceremony,the many, many photos thatwere taken and the long proces-sion of well-wishers that hadpassed the newly-wedded cou-ple, we were off to Komiakiwhere the wedding receptionwas to take place.

#4: MANY, MANY GUESTSEvery Greek wedding needs

guests…lots of family andfriends.

After finding roadside park-ing, we walked to the receptionhall, kind of. In attendance forthis wedding were some 1,200people! The reception was heldoutdoors in the courtyard of thetown’s school.

The stage for the band wasin the center, bride and groomseated up front with the “Koum-baro” and “Koumbara” and longtables were squeezed into thecourtyard with immediate fam-ily nearby and other relationsseated further and further back.

#5: GREAT FOOD IN ABUNDANCE

At a Greek Wedding, youknow that you will be fed…fedwell!

I was lucky enough to beseated with immediate familyand each table had a tablecloth,bottles of water, bottles ofhomemade village wine, thetastiest crusty bread I had inyears, plates of Myzithra andFeta cheeses (some of Greece’sbest cheeses are made inNaxos), olives and Greek salads.

The main course would bewhat Mrs. Elisavet Degaitas-Fraboulopoulou would call aGoat Kokkinisto. In Greek cui-sine, there are many variationson a Kokkinisto, which is a dishsimmered in tomatoes and otheraromatics.

When I first arrived at thevillage, I had passed two large,simmering cauldrons that werecooking over burning embersand under the watchful eye ofvillage elders. FIVE HUNDREDKILOS of goat meat were beingcooked up for the 1200 guests.The main ingredients of the dish

were goat meat, onions, garlic,tomatoes and famous potatoesfrom Naxos.

The meat fell off the bone, itwas succulent, it was deliciousand it had a slight smoky finish.I was sure some smoked paprikawas added into the mix but onsecond thought, cooking overburning embers will give suchflavor.

The band played on and on.I cut-out around 3am and sleptwith the sounds of weddingguests parting until sunrise.

I want to leave you with myrendition, my ode to this GoatKokkinisto that was such a de-light to eat on the occasion ofthis marvelous Greek Islandwedding. I’ve substituted goatwith lamb shanks. I’m braisingand then roasting the dish tobest emulate the flavors I expe-rienced that evening.

I’ve added some smoked pa-prika, browned some lambshanks, deglazed with wine andplaced them covered in the ovento braise for about an hour. Af-ter that, the potatoes are addedinto the mix and everything getsbaked (uncovered) for another45 minutes or until the potatoesare cooked and the meat flakesoff the bone.

Braised Lamb ShanksWith Potatoes (serves 4) • 4 large lamb shanks• 1/4 cup olive oil • 2 large onions• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced• 1 tsp. smoked paprika• 3 bay leaves• 1 cup of dry red wine• 2 Tbsp. of tomato paste• 2 cups of vegetable stock• 6 large potatoes, peeled and

cut into wedges• salt and pepper to tastePre-heated 350F oven

Season your lamb shankswith salt and pepper. Place yourolive oil in a large skillet andover medium-high heat, brownyour shanks on all sides. Reservein a baking vessel/Dutch oven.

Deglaze the brown bits skilletby adding your stock and redwine and bring to a boil whilescraping/lifting with a woodenspoon. Reduce to medium, addyour onions, garlic, peppers andbay leaves and simmer for 5-7minutes.

Transfer the liquid to the ves-sel where your lamb shanks layand pour it in (should just coveryour lamb shanks). Put thecover on and place in your pre-heated oven for an hour.

Take the cover off, take outyour lamb shanks and place thepotato wedges in the sauce.Gently toss the potatoes to coatand adjust seasoning with saltand pepper.

Place the lamb shanks on topof the potatoes.

Place back in the oven andbake uncovered for another 30-40 minutes. The lamb shankswill turn a deep-brown, yourpotatoes will cook through andyour sauce will thicken.

Remove the bay leafs andtaste to see if any adjustmentsin seasoning are needed. Serveeach plate with some potatoesand a lamb shank and spoonsome sauce over.

Serve with a dry red wine,like a Paros Moraiti.

This piece first appeared onPeter Minakis’ websitewww.kalofagas.ca on July 23,2009. It is reprinted with per-mission of the author. Minakisis a Canadian of Greek descentborn in Toronto. He is afinancial advisor with a passionfor travel (especially to Greece)as well as food. His websiteKalofagas.ca: Greek Food andBeyond focuses on Greek andMediterranean food. He con-tributes to publicationsincluding the Nostimies Greekgastronomy web portal.

Recipe for a Greek Wedding

Regardless if you’veattended a Greek weddingor not, attending one in aremote village on a Greekisland is as fairy-tale asthey get. ..

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A SOPHISTICATED TOUCH OF MANHATTAN ON LONG ISLAND

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012 5

By Angelike Contis

Opting to hold their weddingat the Brooklyn Botanic Gardenwas an easy choice for ChrysoulaKoukiotis and George Savidis.Says the recent bride: “I thoughtit was like renting 52 acres inBrooklyn for your wedding,pretty amazing.”

The choice of church waseasy too, Brooklyn’s KimisisTheotokou Greek OrthodoxChurch, due to their connectionto it.

Brooklyn is home for bothKoukiotis, a kindergartenteacher who was born in Greeceand came to the U.S. at age oneand Savidis, an investmentbanker born in Manhattan andraised in Brooklyn.

In fact, the couple knew eachother growing up only a fewblocks from each other. They gotto know each other better, how-ever, while chatting as fellowcommuters on the X28 bus intoManhattan. Recalls Koukiotis,then, a few years later, he askedher out. “At a mutual friend’sbirthday party, he asked to goout to dinner the next night.”

The two were wed five years– to the day- after that first date:October 2, 2011. Working as ateam, they did all the planningthemselves, together, in just sixmonths.

PANIGIRI PRACTICEWith many family members

flying in from Greece and theneed to show non-Greek friendsa few Greek dance moves, thebride and groom held a back-yard “panigiri,” or party, twodays before the wedding. Therewas goat on the spit, lots of greatGreek food and a terrific chancefor everyone to mingle – plus achance for neighbors and col-leagues alike to learn Greekdancing basics.

Then, the morning of thewedding, the bride’s quiet streetin Brooklyn learned the big dayhad arrived – as the bride’s fam-ily danced in front of her house.Koukiotis explains that she hadseen her cousin do the same inGreece before his wedding. “Iknew that if I ever got married,I wanted to bring that traditionand do the same.” So out camethe iPod, the speakers and the40 guests – to perform a tradi-tional Greek Kalamatiano danceof joy with the bride.

The bride wore a Badgley

Mischka dress she had spottedat a bridal trunk show. A fan ofthe designer, she had originallyconsidered a drop-waist cut,

then went for the A-line “Lex-ington” strapless dress of laceand organza.

She chose a Bobbi Brown

makeup artist for the big day be-cause of their natural approach.“I’m not a girl who wears a lotof makeup,” notes the teacher,who usually only applies a bit ofmascara and lip gloss.

BACK TO THEIR ROOTSThe religious service itself

was invested with extra meaningdue to the groom’s long friend-ship with V. Rev. Fr. DamaskinosGanas. “It was great, because wehave a real connection,” notesthe bride, who enjoyed thepriest’s words about her hus-band – and his sharing a photoof him as a boy - during the ser-vice.

Transported by a Rolls Roycelimousine to the Botanic Garden,the couple continued their cele-bration at the garden’s elegant,glass Palm House. With the ex-ception of the fact that the cock-tail hour had to be held insideand not alongside the lovely LillyPond (due to the sole, 15-minutestint of rain on their day), theevent was flawless.

“The flowers are my favoritepart,” says the bride, adding: “Ididn’t want to do just white.”Guests first had a taste of thefloral colors that would greetthem in the bride’s bouquet ofbold yellow calla lilies with apurple band.

When they entered The PalmHouse, the 275 guests weregreeted by yellow and purplefloral décor. At alternating ta-bles, first yellow, then purple,orchids, roses, hydrangeas, callalilies and other flowers wereplaced in varying sized vases byAriston Flowers of Chelsea. Thecolors were not by chance: theyellow was inspired by thebride’s yellow diamond Tiffanyengagement ring and the purplewas inspired by the purpleamethyst gold ring she wore onthat day, a gift that had belongedto the grandmother of thegroom.

The couple also arranged fora host of lanterns to be placedthroughout The Palm House andthe pond outside – which set thetone and also made great gifts,along with bunches of flowers,for the guests as they left. Therewere also Lenox ice buckets asboubonieres.

GREAT MOMENTSOne of the evening’s special

moments was when the brideand groom took to the floor fortheir first dance - and surprisedeveryone with some dancemoves, to the tune of Nat KingCole’s “L-O-V-E.” A friend hadcoached them. “We did a basicswing, but we pulled it off,” re-calls Koukiotis.

The food and cake were great– provided by the garden’s cater-ers, Charles, Sally & Charles–but the action was largely on thedance floor. The DJ and bandof Mylos Entertainment pro-vided a 60% to 40% mix ofGreek and non-Greek tunes. Thebride lauds them for the highenergy of the event, noting:“They knew when to slow downand start up again.”

After being pampered whilehoneymooning on what thebride calls “Paradise on Earth” -Sandy Lane, Barbados and fivemonths of post-wedding life, twowedding memories stand out themost for newlywed Koukiotis.The first is, she says, “this bigfeeling of just being surroundedby love.” The second is the lastsong, which was "Time of MyLife" by The Black Eyed Peas.“There was still so much energyon the dance floor, so much hap-piness and love. Even after thelast song played, people werestill on the dance floor wantingmore… They literally had to re-mind us it was over.”

Wedding Blossoms in Brooklyn

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GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS6 THE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012

TNH Staff Writers

Whether you want a massiveivory cake with edible gold-beads and floral touches for anIndian wedding of 1,000 guests,or a cake for a smaller marriagedecorated with hearts and theManhattan skyline, Artopolisbakery/patisserie can create it.

Regina Katopodis, co-ownerand manager of the Astoria es-tablishment explains: “When Isit down with a couple, I want

to know their background, whatthey like and I try to incorporateit into the wedding cake some-how.”

She quizzes them on venues,colors, and flowers in order tocreate the perfect cake.

Katopodis promises: “I askwhat you want to spend and I’llmake you the cake of yourdreams with what you have inyour pocket.”

One solution is a beautifuldummy cake, with a pier of real

cake and another of Styrofoam,and guests served from a sheetcake. However, she says, Greeksdon’t tend to go for that. “Theygo more towards the real cake.”

And when it comes to wed-ding day sweets, she notes ofher compatriotes, “They don’tskimp.” Greek couples tend toorder tray after tray of Artopolis’traditional Greek sweets, frommini-baklavadakia to melo-makarona.

With regards to cake flavors,Katopodis has observed thatGreeks tend to go for traditionaloptions, though she tries totempt them with the likes of ex-otic passion fruit.

However they exhibit moreexperimentation when selectingArtopolis’ imported Hatziyian-nakis koufeta (sugar-covered al-monds), with everything fromtiramisu to island-inspired fla-vors, like Corfu kumquat.

“Edible” boubonieres (wed-ding favors with koufeta) arepopular. Artopolis makes littlepackages of mini-pastries, spoonsweets or amygdalota (almond

cookies) for them. Since opening in 2003,

Katopodis has noted a trend to-wards smaller cakes and wed-dings.

While extravagance is stillaround, there is plenty of cost-cutting too. Nonetheless Artopo-lis’ co-owner was surprised by ado-it-yourself bride who showedup in jeans to pop her elegantcake in the car, between the cen-terpieces.

But regardless of the econ-omy, Katopodis remarks, “Peo-ple are still getting married.”

And whether or not yourcake is big or small, it will bemade from scratch and when itcomes to chocolate, only Bel-gian chocolate is used.

The bottom line, toKatopodis, is: “When anybodywalks out of here, bride, groom,mother of the bride, I wantthem to be smiling - with thewedding cake of their dreams.”

Artopolis, Agora Plaza 23 -18 31 Street, Astoria, New York11105, Toll Free: 800-553-2270,www.artopolis.net

Have the perfect proposal ideain your mind, but need help inmaking it happen? Or do youhave the perfect guy or gal towed, but no clear idea on how toget them to say “Yes?”

Then you need a professional.Marriage Proposal Concierge Ro-cio Jimenez, of the Garden CityHotel in Long Island has helped25 guests with their dream mar-riage proposals in recent years.

Whether it’s freezing an en-gagement ring in a cocktail ice-cube, projecting a videotaped pro-posal, or spelling out “Will YouMarry Me” in rose petals on abed, Jimenez makes it happen.“Everything is customized to whatthe guest wants,” she explains.

Jimenez, who meets with thegroom-to-be in advance to brain-storm about ideas and/or logis-tics, can work with as little or asmuch time is available. With twodecades plus of experience at thehotel (her other title is Rooms Di-vision Director), she can cover allthe details.

Some grooms-to-be have aclear idea of what they want,while others need guidance, shenotes. One masterful plot in-volved a fluffy Akita pup, withthe ring in a box attached to a

red ribbon around its neck. “Thegirl went crazy,” Jimenez recalls.

It’s all about taste and the de-tails. Jimenez points to a romanticwintry scene the hotel staged re-cently in their Grand Salon,where candles, a fireplace, dimlighting and roses set the perfectscene.

Sometimes she must steers ea-ger proposers away from awk-wardness. “Everyone wants to putthe ring inside food,” she sayswith a chuckle. Instead of plop-ping the ring inside a drink, shenudges them towards more ele-gant choices, like specially-madedesserts showcasing rings.

Guests are only responsible forextra costs, such limos or major“props.”

While until now, she has con-sulted men popping the question,Jimenez says her specialty can beuseful to a broader group. Shewelcomes proactive brides-to-beas well as same sex marriage cou-ples.

The site of a teary-eyed bride-to-be is Jimenez’s reward for ajob well done. Creative romanceruns in the proposal concierge’sown life. After all, her husbandproposed to her via a fortunecookie.

TNH Staff Writers

We spoke to the experts atVenus Jewelers in Somerset,New Jersey, about the latesttrends and tips when it comesto wedding rings and other jew-elry and accessories – which notonly are important on that bigday, but for many years to come.

RINGSThe experts at Venus Jewel-

ers report that platinum andwhite gold are much more pop-ular today than yellow gold. Forwedding bands, men are in-

creasingly matching the color ofgold, but not necessarily the de-sign, with their bride-to-be. Themen often skip the more intri-cate designs for simplicity al-though, as the experts at VenusJewelers note, some of themprefer designs specificallymade for today's profes-sional man who wantsto make a statementwith his jewelry in asubtle but elegant andmasculine way.

Designer engage-ment rings – by com-panies such as Verra-gio, Ritani, Gelin andAbaci - to mention a few- are very much in de-mand with the roundbrilliant cut diamondbeing the most popular,closely followed by theprincess cut diamond. As VenusJewelers principal owner PeterStavrianides, a.k.a Peter Sam-

son, points out: “Millennial cou-ples want a high level of cus-tomization. They don’t wantwhat everybody else has andthey love our ability to customdesign one-of-a-kind pieceswhich symbolize their unique

commitment toeach other.”

Stavrianides

a d d s :"Ultimately the choice of a wed-ding ring is like ice cream, witheach customer’s taste guidingtheir choice.” He notes that hap-

pily, the recession has not af-fected long term investments inengagement rings, weddingbands and bridal jewelry. Thejeweler underscores: “VenusJewelers is a direct diamond im-porter with unprecedented cus-tomer service and quality prod-ucts for the most competitiveprices making this legendary es-tablishment a true destinationstore with distinguished clientsall over the tri-state area andbeyond.”

BRIDAL PEARLSThe popularity of pearls con-

tinues to give brides that glam-orous final touch. Extravagant,drop style freshwater pearl ear-rings are popular for brides atVenus Jewelers. Especially whentheir gowns are strapless, manywomen opt to skip wearing anecklace, leaving the necklinebare.

While tiaras seem to be

trendingout, the experts at Venus Jewel-ers point to an increasing popu-larity of bejeweled hair piecesthat are worn on the side of thehead.

GIFTSCuff links are as popular as

ever for presents for the men inwedding parties, while brideshave a range of choices for giftsto their bridal party. Color-co-

ordinated earrings, necklacesand bracelets are great options.Venus Jewelers has a line of

items for flower girls too.Many grooms tradition-

ally present their fianceeswith a bridal gift of jew-elry – be it a pair of dia-mond stud earrings,pearl earrings or a neck-

lace - the day before thewedding, to be worn onthe couple’s big day. Inturn, the bride-to-be of-

ten reciprocates with a wed-ding watch.

LAST-MINUTE SHINEVenus Jewelers recommends

that all the pieces are broughtto your favorite jeweler to becleaned and polished the daybefore the wedding. Engage-ment rings especially - whichhave been worn, often formonths, may look scratched un-less prepped for the big day.

Maximizing the Wedding Sparkles

Popping the Question…with a Little Help

Rocio Jimenez helps folks spell out their desire to wed, with style, at The Garden City Hotel.

How to Propose,Garden City-Style

Place engagement ring insugar-glazed-creation insidea glass of champagne, servedby a butler. Or hide it in aheart-shaped chocolate box,a bed of shredded coconutor under a triple chocolatedome.

Arrange a day out, com-plete with limo transport anddinner. Then return to aroom full of rose petals topop the question.

Surprise her with yourtiming. When a bride-to-bethinks she’s just going to apal's bridal shower, bring herinto a romantically set uproom, with candles and a litfireplace, and propose.

Send a rose each day for11 days, leading to dinner atthe hotel’s Rein, where youpresent your bride-to-be witha dozen roses. Just when shethinks that that’s all - whenyou get back to your room,present a 12th long stemrose…with an engagementring wrapped around it.

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Whether it’s your first or your1000th Greek Orthodox wedding,you may have questions about themeaning and proper actions atone. TNH caught up with MarilynRouvelas, author of now-classicGreek-American culture guide AGuide to Greek Traditions and Cus-toms in America, to answer thesequestions. Lutheran-raised Rou-velas, who grew up in Washing-ton and discovered the traditionsthrough marriage, wrote the bookto benefit the Ladies PhiloptochosSociety of St. George Greek Or-thodox Church in Bethesda,Maryland. Over 67,000 copieshave been sold.

TNH: What are the most un-usual features of the service?

MR: For one, length: The ser-vice is long, lasting anywherefrom 45 to 60 minutes. Someparts of the ritual are repeatedthree times. The number three isan important symbol in thechurch because it reminds thefaithful of the Holy Trinity: theFather, Son and Holy Spirit.

Secondly, one of the most un-usual features is the crowning rit-ual. The crowns (stefana) are tra-ditionally made of small whitewax flowers, beads, white leavesand joined together with a whitesatin ribbon. The priest crownsthe groom first by making thesign of the cross with the wreathson the groom’s head and saysthree times: “The Servant of God[name] is crowned to the servantof God [name] ...” He places thecrown on the groom’s head, andthen crowns the bride the sameway. The koumbaro (Orthodoxwitness) stands behind the coupleand exchanges the crowns overtheir heads three times.

The Dance of Isaiah is anotherkey element. After readings fromthe bible, prayers, and partakingof the common cup, the bride andgroom, still wearing their crowns,are led three times by the priestaround a small table that holdsthe items used in the sacrament.The koumbaro walks with them,

holding the crown ribbons. Thisis called the Dance of Isaiah be-cause it proclaims the church’sjoy at the new union, similar tothe joy of Isaiah the prophet whosaw the Messiah in a vision 900years before Christ’s birth.

Couples should understand inadvance that there is no optionto personalise the sacrament. Theritual and language in Greek Or-thodox sacrament of marriagewas solidified at the end of thesixteenth century, and remainsthe same today. Couples cannotinsert wording, change the order,or add a verse, poem, or song. Ifyou’ve seen one Greek Orthodoxwedding, you’ve seen them all -and have the opportunity to ap-preciate the beauty and symbol-ism more each time! I recom-mended that couples read the textof the entire service ahead oftime, find beautiful words thatexpress their contemporary sen-timents, focus quietly together onthese before the wedding, and in-clude them in their wedding pro-gram.

My favorite prayers are for “atranquil life, long years, maturejudgment, love for each other inthe bond of peace, long-lastingposterity, grace on their children,and a crown of everlasting glory”and a prayer that the couple “may

they see their children’s childrenlike newly-planted olive treesround about their table...”

Note that rings are placed onthe right hand, not the left. Thepriest puts the rings on the righthands, as the right hand is con-sidered stronger because it per-formed miracles.

American brides or groomsnote: There are no “I do’s.” Nordoes the priest say, “I pronounceyou man and wife.” So when isthe marriage complete? Sincemarriage in the Orthodox Churchis a sacrament, the marriage issanctified by the end of the ser-vice. The emphasis is not on vowsto each other, but the mystery (inGreek word “mystirion”) of thehusband and wife becoming one.“Yoke them in oneness of mind;crown them into one flesh...” It isa profound approach to marriage.

The service is full of referencesto married couples in the Old Tes-tament. Our Jewish friends aresurprised at the number of refer-ences to Isaac and Rebecca, Abra-ham and Sarah, Jacob andRachel, Joseph and Asenath,Zacharias and Elizabeth - whichhighlight the strong link betweenthe Jewish and Christian people.

TNH: Any tips for the party?MR: One is to wait for the

food to be blessed by the priestbefore eating. Also, if there isGreek music, be sure to wait forthe family to do the first linedancing. The traditional firstdance Greek dance begins withthe bride leading a dance calledthe Kalamatianos with her hus-band next in line. Then the fam-ily members and close friendstake turns “dancing the bride” byassuming the lead in the line.

An expanded version of this articlecan be found at: www.thenational-herald.com/article/53989 . To order copies of A Guide to GreekTraditions and Customs in Americaby Marilyn Rouvelas, visitwww.greektraditions.org or call301-469- 4733.

Greek Wedding Etiquette

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGS8 THE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012

The brides look dazzled,adorned in their bridal best. Thegrooms strike the pose of hus-band, alongside them. There isonly a hint of a smile on somefaces, but all the eyes glow fromthe the newness of the situation.

These are images from thefamily albums of the historic Ke-hila Kedosha Janina Synagogueand Museum on New York’sLower East Side. They were dis-played in the wedding exhibit“Something Old, SomethingNew” held there over two yearsago.

Museum Director Marcia Had-dad-Ikonomopoulos explainsthat, as in the old country, thesestudio images are primarily ofarranged marriages of immi-grants with modest means.“Probably every single one was arented gown,” she explains.

They depict a group – whichdates back to Roman times inGreece’s Ioannina- under change.

While in Ioannina Jewish cou-ples, like Christians, used stefana(wreaths) in their wedding cere-mony, in the New World, thispractice was abandoned. Back inIoannina, there was no need towear white to prove a bride’s pu-rity in the tight-knit Jewish com-

munity. Notes Haddad-Ikonomopoulos: “There was nodoubt that the bride was a virgin.What else would she be?” TheAmerican gowns were very dif-ferent from the traditional wed-ding dresses on display at themuseum.

One tradition that Haddad-Ikonomopoulos says she’s onlyseen evidence of in early imagesfrom Kehila Kedosha Janina, wasof men taking off their hats andwomen holding up their napkins

as the new couple passed. Are itsorigins from Ioannina? The Mu-seum Director says it is very hardto know, as the city’s Jewish pop-ulation was decimated in WorldWar II, with only 151 of a popu-lation of 2,000 surviving. “No onecan go back and ask,” she regrets.

The Ioannina Greeks in Amer-ica, she explains, often marriedJews from other groups and losttraditions along the way. But a

fascinating tradition –whose evi-dence remains – are the female-favoring ketubahs, or weddingcontracts. The Jews from Ioan-nina, says Haddad-Ikonomopou-los drafted much more favorable“prenuptual” agreements thanthose of other Jewish groups. Shebelieves it has to do with thegreater legal protection womenhad in Byzantium, where womencould study and own property. Inthe Ioannina ketubahs, brides’property was listed in great detail- down to the last spoon- so thatshe was covered in case of di-vorce. Today, the Kehila KedoshaJanina Synagogue remains a pop-ular spot for weddings. In 2009,for instance, Daniela Smolov andMorris Levy (the great-grandsonof the synagogue’s Rabbi JessoulaLevy) were wed, as the historicsite’s website notes, in “a confir-mation of our continuity and con-tinuance.”

To see more photos from the“Something Old, SomethingNew” exhibit online, visitwww.kkjsm.org, clicking on “Ex-hibits” and “Previous exhibits.”New immigration exhibit “Mem-ories” opens at The Kehila Ke-dosha Janina Museum on May 6.

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What’s Hot When Tying the Knot*New Jersey’s Adelphia Restaurant is heading towards its

25th Anniversary. Says Adelphia’s Evelyn Balis, “We cater to alltypes of weddings here and pride ourselves in making eachevent unique for the bride and groom.” Adelphia prides itselfon customizing everything from specialty linens to menu pref-erences to please a range of tastes and ethnic traditions. Sheadds: “Making each wedding special and memorable is reward-ing not only for our brides, grooms, and their families, but alsofor us on a business level.” www.adelphiarestaurant.com

*New York travel agents Crown Peters, who have been inthe business for over four decades, have perfected the art ofcrafting honeymoons in Greece. Their Crown Romance I and IIpackages, which start at $1750/person and $1475/person, re-spectively, pamper couples. Why not focus on the special personyou just married in fantastic settings like Athens, Mykonos,Patmos, Rhodes, Crete and Santorini - instead of worryingabout tickets, transfers, hotel bookings and the details?http://crownpeters.com

*Located in Manhattan’s chic Tribeca area, restaurantThalassa offers, as general manager Tasso Zapanti calls it, “theideal boutique wedding lo-cation.” The venue is espe-cially popular with couplesof different backgroundswho enjoy the sea-inspiredsetting and food. A wed-ding at Thalassa may beginwith 40-200 guests enjoy-ing cocktails in thebar/lounge area, before thewedding ceremony in theWine Cellar room and cock-tails, dinner and dancing above in the third floor Gallery Loft.www.thalassanyc.com

* At Towers on the Green, in Floral Park, New York thereis always “good food, good service,” and, Harry Savvides adds,“a nice scenic view of the 18-hole golf course.” He’s noticedthat at Greek weddings, there is not just the Greek music andfood, that people request, but a Viennese table too. “We, asGreeks, like to have the elaborate dessert table.”

*What’s changed in the wedding biz since George Andreakosplayed guitar for his dad’s Bill Andreakos Orchestra 26 yearsago? Weddings are today “a lot more elaborate,” he says. Withhis International Sounds DJ entertainment company, hisEvent Décor NYC event furnishing company and Eros MusicNY live Greek orchestra, he’s part of that trend. Want a spacetransformed by special colored/LED lighting or drapes? He’syour man. Want to create a trendy lounge area within a ball-room? Ditto. When it comes to Greek music, people still askfor classic “Ωραία που είναι η νύφη μας (How Beautiful OurBride Is),” but, many Greek-Americans are up-to-date on thelatest Greek hits, such as those by artists like Νikos Vertis.Today, too “The brides certainly know what they want,” thewedding pro says. He vows to deliver, noting: “We’re verymeticulous, we are perfectionists.”

http://internationalsounds.com, www.eventdecornyc.com,www.erosmusicnewyork.com

* Demetra Lecourezos of shopGiven with Love in Tarpon Springs,Florida, which carries a host of wed-ding items, sees a trend towards “theivory and natural colors, with just asplash of a bold color (teal, eggplant,fuschia).” When it comes to weddingcandles, she reports that “bling's thething,” with lace, silks, Swarovskicrystals and pearls.

From Dianna Farr Lois’Feasting & Fasting in Crete

This is the traditional pilafserved at weddings and bap-tisms in western Crete, modifiedfor home use. Its every grainsymbolizes a wish for the youngcouple’s wealth and prosperity.Whenever Cretans talk aboutthis dish, they become evenmore animated than usual, as ifit triggers a host of wonderfulmemories.

Although no seasonings areadded, the dish is made in suchquantities that the broth inwhich the rice is cooked is aheady extract. For example, apilaf made with seventeenchickens is not considered outof the ordinary. In the past,when chickens were still a lux-ury, they were preferred overlamb by those who could affordthem.

Now some people make thepilaf with a combination ofchicken (free range, if possible)and year-old kid (tzigouri) orlamb, but broth from many ani-

mals is more the norm at largecelebrations.

Adding to the extravagance,several spoonfuls of bubblingstaka [a rich Cretan cheese] areswirled into the pilaf before thehungry guests, who may num-ber high in the hundreds or eveninto the thousands, tuck in. Youwill have to omit this luxury, butcrème fraiche, mascarpone oreven hot clarified butter makesa reasonable substitute.

With thanks to KaterinaFarandaki for sharing thisrecipe.

• 1 lb lean lamb• 3-4 lb free range chicken• 8 cups chicken or meat stock

(optional)• 2 cups rice, preferably

medium grain (Arborio, Va-lencia, Nyhaki)

• 1/4 cup lemon juice and anextra lemon

• salt and freshly ground blackpepper

• 2-3 tablespoons warmedstaka, crème fraiche, mascar-pone (optional)

Place the meat and chickenin a large soup kettle and coverwith cold water or stock. Bringto the boil, season with salt andskim well. Simmer for 1 hour orlonger until you have a rickstock (skim off the fat if youwish) and remove the meat to aplatter.

Pour 6 cups of the stock intoa clean saucepan and bring tothe boil. Add the rice and sim-mer until the rice has absorbed

most of the stock. Stir in thelemon juice and salt and pepperto taste. Cover the saucepanwith a clean dish towel and thepan’s lid and remove from theburner.

Let stand 5 minutes, pour inthe staka, and serve. Slice themeats, sprinkle with morelemon juice, and serve themseparately. Serves 4 to 6.

Note: You’ll get a richer brothif you bring chicken to the boilfrom a cold start, but you’ll getwhiter, better looking meat ifyou add it when the liquid isboiling.

Reprinted with permission ofthe author from Feasting & Fast-ing in Crete: Delicious Mediter-ranean Recipes (Kedros, 2001,www.kedros.gr). Dianne FarrLouis’ book also includes the es-say “Ingredients for aTraditional Western CretanWedding,” with a rundown onall that is needed to have an au-thentic Cretan wedding feastand celebration.

Wedding Pilaf (Gamopilafo, Western Crete)

Something Old, New for Jews of Ioannina

The wedding of Rabbi JessoulaLevy's youngest daughterRachel in 1942 in Kehila Ke-dosha Janina, on New York’sLower East Side.

Sophie Negrin and AbrahamMalta, 1922. Both were bornin Ioannina.

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TNH Staff Writers

Elaborate stefana (weddingwreaths) fit for royalty and strik-ing Byzantine crosses with vi-brant gemstones are some of theworks of jeweler Paraskevi Poly-chronis Antonopoulos that haveadorned people at landmarks inlife for decades.

Ancient Greece and Byzan-tium live in the creations of theWisconsin-based jeweler alsoknown as Vivian Paul Anton.Her Stefana Eternal line, withits wreaths of gold, silver, andpearls, have a clear influencefrom the past. Pointing to visitsto Greece and its museums, shenotes: “All of the ancient

wreaths are so incredibly inspi-rational.”

She has studied the ancientcraftsmanship on display inAthens as well as in Thessa-loniki, including the famousMacedonian royalty’s goldwreaths of Vergina.

Her Olive Leaf style stefanaare among the most popularand symbolic of her creations.She says: “Since the olivewreath generally symbolizespeace, it is a wonderful style toincorporate within a wedding.”

Antonopoulos may be in theMidwest, but her works areeverywhere. “It is gratifying tosend a set of stefana to SouthAfrica or a Byzantine cross to

Alaska!” Her pieces havesplashed across fashion maga-zines like Vogue, Mademoiselle,Harper’s Bazaar and Bride.

She is most proud, however,of a pair of vermeil wreathscommissioned by the Annunci-ation Greek Orthodox Church ofMilwaukee as a gift to Arch-bishop Demetrios of America forthe Wisconsin parish’s 100 yearanniversary.

JEWELRY WITH MEANINGThe jewelry designer oper-

ates out of Paul’s Jewelers, acompany created by her fatherPolychronis in 1967, after hehad made his way from a villagenear Olympia, in Greece’s West-ern Peloponnese, to Milwaukee.“My father, Polychronis ‘Paul’and my mother, Marousa raisedmy brother and me in this busi-ness,” notes the jewelry de-signer.

At her father’s prompting,she went beyond her degree insecondary education to study atthe Gemological Institute ofAmerica and the Kulicke-StarkAcademy of Jewelry Arts. Shealso studied for a summer at Il-ias Lalaounis’ Athens workshop.

It was her father’s wish thatshe apply her talents to makingByzantine crosses too. With thearrival of her first child, Apollon,she did so, creating a rose gold

cross with pomegranate-huedgems and the hand-engravedletters IS XS NI KA (the abbre-viation of “Jesus Christ Con-quers”). The Crosses ByzantineCollection was born as she cus-tomized and named crosses af-ter each child, nephew/nieceand godchild.

Antonopoulos notes thatmatching crosses (starting at$75) serve for a couple as a pre-sent “to commemorate theirmarriage to one another withGod as an integral part.”

She also has a line of engage-ment rings coming soon.

Paul’s Jewelers has been,over the years, not just a placewhere family created andworked together, but also aclassroom of life, saysAntonopoulos: “My father’sgreatest dream was that his fam-

ily would always stick togetherand his most valuable lesson…‘Never give up!’”

For Antonopoulos, each pieceis invested with meaning. Shenotes: “My art and my craft aretruly more than just a ‘job’ tome. My art, craft and my faithare inseparable from one an-other. It is my great joy to useprecious metals and gems tocreate Orthodox weddingcrowns and crosses. Thesepieces represent God, His sacri-fice for us and His interest inbeing part of our wedding, mar-riage and daily life. What anhonor for the medium itself tobe used in this way. It is anhonor for me to be able to dothis work as well.”

www.ParaskeviforPaulsJewel-ers.com

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012 9

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Nature is an inspiration not only for brides and grooms, but for the photographers who snap theirwedding memories. TNH asked Philadelphia-area New Leaf Photography to open their albums and

share some of their seasonal favorites.Co-owner/photographer Nicole Hope Matthews describes the thinking behind each composition.

Love for All Seasons

Lush SpringWhat better representation then thelush new greens of spring? In this pho-tograph we captured the couple's firstsight of each other on their big day.

Fall Foliage TrainThere wasn't much around the wedding loca-tion ,but we found this perfect spot on the traintracks behind the hall. You can see the crispdry fall leaves decorating the ground.

Summer GlowEvery wedding photographer knows that time is ofthe essence and weddings very rarely run on time.We captured this shot of the McCoy's within a quicksix-minute shoot following their ceremony, whichlasted 30 minutes longer than scheduled. They areglowing with excitement.

Wintry CelebrationIt was a cold New Year’s Eve. This was a fun shot to captureas this couple walks through an arch of sparklers followingtheir wedding ceremony. It was worth a burnt sleeve tocapture this moment. In the second image: Being nighttime,our goal was to find a spot with unique lighting. We chosethis large tree that was decorated with lights from Christ-mas. Then, to spice it up a bit, we set up a light behind thecouple to highlight them against the night sky.

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TNH Staff Writers

Choosing the right weddinglook is one of the hardest partsof planning a wedding. Butthere are a handful of Hellenicdesigners – with an interna-tional presence - that can offerbrides and grooms plenty of in-spiration. From Demetrios’ prac-tical new two looks-in-onedresses and Sophia Kokosalaki’sgoddess-themed gowns to JohnVarvatos’ decidedly hip tuxedos,these top designers can help thestars of weddings look their ab-solute best.

Here’s a look at the latestideas from these fashion lead-ers.

DEMETRIOSWith over 400 gowns to

choose from, this long-standingbridal favorite offers plenty ofchoices. For his Spring 2012 col-lection, this designer helpsbrides be more versatile thanever. In his Young Sophisticatescollection, there are gownswhose long skirts are removable– aiding the bride to reveal a lit-tle leg - and dance a little easier.

Belts are in, Demetrios be-lieves – and he has introduceda collection of detailed belts –even in black. Though you maystore your dress for all eternity,the belt you can take out andwear in the meantime.

Lace is a material that has apowerful romantic presence inmany of his new gowns. Hisstrapless Ilissa gown, for in-stance, fits lace over a netsheath, following the curves of

the body, before flaring out –flamenco style, before the knee.

With over twenty stores inthe U.S, locations around theworld (including several bou-tiques in Greece), his For theBride Magazine (which just cel-ebrated 20 years) and countlesstrunk shows, Demetrios is anenduring bridal presence. Hisphilosophy? It’s not the trendsthat are important to follow, butwhat’s flattering to each woman

that matters. http://demetriosbride.comTo watch the gowns in mo-

tion, see Demetrios at BrideFashion Show, Amsterdam,2012 video.http://youtu.be/ZnhXtyMFtzQ

SOPHIA KOKOSALAKIThe gowns carry names like

Cassandra, Cythera, Ariadneand Galene. And the look iswhat a caryatid would resembleif she were a hip contemporarywoman. Greek-born, London-trained designer Sophia Kokos-alaki, is turning heads with hernew bridal collection, designedexclusively for Net-A-Porter.com.

The line, which was unveiledin January and will be madeavailable later this month, takesa clear cue from ancient Greeksculptures in its gowns as wellas bold jewelry created withGreek jeweler Ilias Lalaounis.

The gowns, strapless or leav-ing a single shoulder bare, fea-ture silk and tulle and toucheslike a thin studded belt orSwarovski crystals. An island orancient temple would be a per-fect backdrop.

“Chevron pleating, handdraping and sculptural shap-ing,” as Net-A-Porter describesKokosalaki’s touches, are in evi-dence. The designer says in apress release that the gowns areaimed at brides who love fash-ion: “I wanted my weddingdresses to feel very precious,help the bride to feel beautiful,but never saccharine. An alter-native dress that never goes

over the top, something coolwith an edge.”

The Lalaounis jewelry (Ster-

ling silver covered in gold) in-cludes big cuffs and danglingearrings sculpted not for a

blushing wallflower but for abold, diva of a bride.

www.sophiakokosalaki.com,www.net-a-porter.com

MORE HELLENIC DESIGNSAnother exciting contempo-

rary line with Hellenic originsis Christos. The 2012 collectionis by designer Amsale Aberra,who took over from Cypriotfounder Christos Yiannakouwhen he retired in 2005. Silkorganza and micro-sequins arethe textures of the highly ro-mantic, long-gown looks.http://christosbridal.com

For men, John Varvatos mayhave established himself as thesource of cool, fashionableclothing for the likes of bandGreen Day, but he also hasclothes that could suit a groom.The options include dark andlight layered suits and tuxes thatcan be worn casual/Bohemian(ala Johnny Depp) or more for-mally. The groom can sport hisItalian-made leather shoes orConverse high tops alike.www.johnvarvatos.com

U.K.-based fashionexpert/journalist Natasha Gian-nousi-Varney, who previouslywas editor of Greece’s WhiteWedding magazine, also pointsto the following Greek designersfor the fashion-conscious bride:Chara Lebessi, Christos Costarel-los (www.costarellos.gr), Kon-staninos Tsigaros (www.kon-stantinostsigaros.com), ErifilliNikolopoulou, KonstantinosMelis by Laskos (www.konstan-tinosmelis.com) and Anem(www.anemcollections.gr).

Following Hellenic Fashion Lines

Greek-American weddings of-ten feature Greek rituals, musicand food. Why not “Greek” flow-ers too? We consulted with Jen-nifer Gay, landscape architect,gardener and author of Greece,Garden of the Gods, for a fewideas on the topic.

Myrtle (Mytria, Myrtus com-munis) is a flower with ancientsymbolism, as U.K. native Gayobserves. “Myrtle was tradition-ally woven into the bridal bou-quet to signify love and fidelity.Myrtle was sacred to Aphroditethe Goddess of Love and it cameto symbolize youth and beauty.The ancient Greeks used it todecorate temples and sanctuar-ies. Sadly it is rarely used now -I asked several women who hadrecently married whether theywould consider using myrtle andnone knew of this tradition. Iadore it for the aromatic leaves,the beautiful creamy star-likeflowers - and it is often floweringin August/September, a populartime for weddings.”

Today, splashier flowers pre-dominate, however, notes Gay.“Tropical orchids are very popu-lar now, as are lilies and roses,and subtler flowers are oftenoverlooked, though they may bevery beautiful.” She notes, how-ever, that Basil has become apopular wedding table-top dec-oration.

Pomegranates – also rife withsymbolism- are a great choicefor autumn weddings. Gay re-calls a row of them at an Octo-ber wedding: “An avenue ofpomegranate trees (Rodia,Punica granatum) on approachto the church was lovely - theywere fruiting and still with leaf.”The couple also used Pomegran-ate fruits in the table decora-tions. Gay approved: “It was sea-sonal and completelyappropriate as Pomegranate isassociated with Aphrodite (God-dess of Love and Beauty), Hera(Goddess of Marriage) as wellas Demeter (Goddess of the Har-vest), and was a symbol of fe-cundity and life for the ancientGreeks.”

In Greece, fragrant local op-tions may offer a unique al-ternative to the flashierflowers imported fromThe Netherlands. Gaypoints out: “Importedout of season flow-ers can be a bitgreen 'blingish'.The native floratends to bemuch moresubtle and lessshowy. But youcan makecharming, deli-cate and intricatearrangements ofgreat beauty with alittle thought and

imagination.” For instance, when a bride

asked Gay for local flora sug-gestions for an early Septem-

ber wedding, there weremany options. “I

suggested creat-ing small herbal

table arrange-ments, using

r o s e -

mary woven around a container(another herb of fidelity and re-membrance) and a mixture ofherbs such as fresh lavender (La-vandula spp), oregano (Orig-anum spp), and chaste tree (Lig-aria, Vitex agnus-castus)arranged in a posy, along withdelicate seasonal color from thebeautiful blue flowers of chicory(Chicorum intybus), and wheatears.” Flowering in mid-latesummer, notes Gay, the chastetree is said to symbolize purity.She adds: “Hera, Goddess ofMarriage is said to have beenborn under a chaste tree.”

Gay points out that the ex-travagant royal wedding in theU.K. last year was an exampleof going local for bridal flora.She says: “I love the trend whichCatherine Middleton either be-gan (or is part of) towards amore environmentally-friendlystyle. Her bridal bouquet wassmall and subtle and almostlooked like it could have beenpicked in the garden.” Gay adds:“She only used flowers in sea-son, and all of them had a sig-nificant meaning in the 'lan-guage of flowers' - lily of thevalley represents 'trust,' whilemyrtle (she used it!) represents'love and hope.’” The trees tooplaced within WestminsterAbbey, says Gay, “lent a spring-like feel to the proceedings.” Thetrees were also symbolic. She ex-plains: “hornbeam means 're-silience' while maple means 'hu-mility and reserve.’” Thelandscape artist adds that it was-n’t just good ecology that thetrees were replanted on a royalestate, but also symbolic ofgrowth in marriage.

Jennifer Gay, Landscape Archi-tect, gardener and gardencolumnist for Athens News canbe reached via email at med-landscapes@gmail.com. Sheand partner Piers Goldson arebased in Greece, where they de-sign and create gardens with astrong ecological basis. A recentexample of their work is Corfu’sRou Estate.

A still from one of Lee Bakogiannakis’ wedding videos, wheredetails, texture, color and music set the tone.

Ancient, Local Flower Power

On wedding videographerLee Bakogiannakis’ sitewww.2dgstyle.com, the trailersof happy couples’ weddingvideos look like commercials fora delicious product called love.From Stefanos & Margie’s wed-ding in Athens, that rocks tosong “Living on a Prayer,” to Fil-ipino couple Rod & Leilani’sVenice marriage full of Italianromance, the bride and groomare featured in stories with clearnarratives and texture.

Athens-based Bakogiannakis– whose company is called 2dgStyle - has shot destination wed-dings in every corner of Greece.He says he used to know everypriest in his native Thessaloniki,but is now going global, shoot-ing in the U.S too. The WedproAlliance member is also a mas-ter editor with a deft, hip touch.

With roots including Egyptand Australia, multiculturalGreek weddings are his spe-cialty.

Before each wedding, he getsto know his clients. “Dependingon what kind of feeling I get, Istart working.” He describes hisshooting style as “run and gun.”He travels light, with the latestdigital (DSLR) cameras allowinghim to avoid the distracting

lights of most Greek night wed-dings. At seven feet, he can gofrom “very high to very low, inseconds.” At the same time, heis discrete. “I don’t ever talk atweddings,” he says.

He tries to avoid narrationand any monotony, instead cap-turing a slice of life, using de-tails that “will trigger memoriesin a decade.” His rule is “to gowith the flow of things,” evenincluding the inevitable bridalpanic. Each wedding has a dif-ferent mood to capture.

He covers about 20 weddingsa year, admitting he’s “one ofthe most expensive in Greece.”On destination weddings, he of-ten shoots for several days - andloves screening the final cutwith clients on their couch.

While weddings are the (un-married) filmmaker’s 24/7 maingig, he calls his work on baptismvideos “my personal play-ground.” He’s also made theaward-winning 48 Hour FilmProject short in 2010 and, mostrecently, a wonderful promo-tional spot for the Theotokos Re-habilitation Center for Childrenand Young Adults with Intellec-tual Disabilities in the U.K..

One story at a time, he cap-tures life’s magic, (2dg) style.

Shaking Up the Wedding Film Genre

Demetrios now has two-in-one wedding gowns that allow thebride to remove her organza skirt to go mini.

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When sisters Stella andMoscha Chanioti launched theirwedding planning companyStella and Moscha, which spe-cializes in Greek island wed-dings, it was a return to theirroots. They were following, afterall, in the footsteps of theirmother Evangelia Mendrinou,founder of Weddings in San-torini, one of the first weddingplanning and design companiesin Greece. Their grandfatherPalamas Mendrinos was one ofthe island’s first hoteliers andthe family remains in the hotelbusiness, owning the historicTheoxania hotel and AressanaSpa Hotel & Suites.

Yet returning to Greece andto the wedding biz for the sisterstook some years. Stella’s back-ground was in business event or-ganizing (with IQPC in London)and then, more recently in amanagement position withChios mastic gum distributorsMastiha Shop. Younger sisterMoscha also took the businessroute in her studies in the UK,but worked in advertising. Yetboth sisters felt something miss-ing…Santorini. They followedtheir heart when they launchedtheir company in 2007, enteringthe family business and helpingothers realize their dream wed-dings.

The boutique wedding plan-ners specialize, as the sistersnote in an email communicationwith TNH, in “the Greek Islandwedding of your dreams,” onethat is perfect when it comes todécor, choreography and hospi-tality while expressing a couple’sunique character, style and des-tination.

The inimitable Greek islandsare an easy sell for couplesaround the world. About 90% ofStella & Moscha’s clients arefrom abroad, from countries likethe US, Japan, Germany, Qatar,and Australia. The planners add:“Around 30% are second/thirdgeneration Greeks who wish tohonor their inheritance and cel-ebrate this very important day intheir lives in Greece.”AN ISLAND FOR EVERYONE

As for their island of San-torini, the sisters point to “mag-ical sunsets, azure waters andspectacular views.” Weddingvenues there include white-washed churches overlookingthe Caldera, beaches and luxuryhotels alike. They note thatthere are many sides of the is-land. “There are ‘many’ San-torini Weddings: a couple caneither celebrate on a white-washed chapel literally hangingof the cliff with a spectacularview of the Caldera. For beachlovers, why not organize aunique beach wedding on ablack sandy beach with a recep-tion dinner to follow full oflanterns and candles creating atruly memorable event? Andhow about a Castle wedding?Get married in one of the eldestchurches on the island withinthe Venetian castle of Pyrgosand continue the celebration ina nearby Relais & Chateaux ho-tel; guests will walk through thecastle alleyways to get to the re-ception venue lit with torchescreating a true medieval envi-ronment.”

Yet Stella & Moscha also spe-cialize in marriage events with5-star hotel service on otherGreek islands too. There is cer-tainly an island for every style ofwedding. They point to Paros,Mykonos or Rhodes for a “cos-mopolitan fete,” Sifnos, Folegan-dros and Ios for those seekingtradition, Koufonisia, Amorgosand Chalki for off-the-beatentrack events and The VenetianCastle in Naxos for the Romeoand Juliet-style romantic.

Regardless of location, as thesisters explain, a planner’s job isthe same: “Ultimately, a weddingplanner’s role is to ensure a cou-ple’s wedding day is as imaginedwhile minimizing stress through-out the process.” They make apoint of introducing ideas thecouple may not have initiallyconsidered and helping themeach step of the way, whether inselecting bridal gowns, brides-maid dresses or finding venuesand vendors. The sisters add:“We are also responsible for thenot-so-fun aspects, such as man-aging the budget, planning thetimelines and wrangling withvendors. On the wedding day,we make sure that we keepseveryone (wedding party, guests,and vendors) on schedule, or-chestrate all the details and man-

age myriad other tasks.” The difference with the com-

petition, pledge the sisters, aftertwo decades in the family busi-ness, is in a personal approach.They write: “You’ll find warmth,passion and pride in all we do,down to the smallest of details.We treasure every surprise en-trance, blue-domed church “Ido,” Caldera side reception, fa-ther of the bride speech and get-away under the stars.” They takethe historic significance of eachspecial day seriously. Theirmother remains very much a partof the business.

GREEK STYLE IS “IN”In recent weddings, they’ve

noted “a huge trend for ‘Allthings Grecian,’” whether inbridal gown fashions, jewelry orvenue décor. The wedding plan-ners note: “Couples love the ideaof introducing these into theirwedding concept; they love thesimplicity and elegance of a Gre-cian look. Grecian dresses andshoes as well as jewelry havedominated big fashion housessuch as Versace, Dolce & Cabanaand Diane Von Furstenberg.”

Today’s couples are increas-ingly ecologically-conscious too.They skip printing and mailinginvitations, preferring cus-tomized e-invitations instead.

Brides opt for silk or paper flow-ers in lieu of real ones and oftengo local when it comes to select-ing menu ingredients.

While the global and Greekcrisis has affected the Greektourism sectors and clients fromabroad alike, word-of-mouth isspreading fast on the sister’sweddings. They write: “Throughcareful consideration of ourproduct offering in relation to

our pricing, couples trust us withtheir weddings and we are proudto say that we have friends ofpast couples being referred to usover and over again.”

The buzz has been helpedalong with references to theirwork in the Style Me Pretty andMerci New York internet blogs.Apart from this PR reward foryears of hard work, feedbackfrom brides around the world is

a major job perk: “There is noth-ing better and more rewardingthan receiving an email from ourbrides when they get back homesaying how much they miss ouremails. They consider us part oftheir family and invite us intotheir homes; this is what keepsus going!”

Stella & Moscha’s website:www.stellaandmoscha.com

GREEK-AMERICAN WEDDINGSTHE NATIONAL HERALD, MARCH 3, 2012 13

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