How Long Is an Orthodox Wedding?
Most Orthodox Christian wedding services take about an hour. The main thing that makes a wedding longer is when it is celebrated within a Divine Liturgy. Here is what to expect.
The short answer
Plan for about an hour for the wedding service itself, the Betrothal and the Crowning together. It runs about the same length across Greek, Russian, Antiochian, Serbian, and Romanian parishes, because it is the same rite.
When it runs longer: the Divine Liturgy
The one thing that makes the day considerably longer is a wedding celebrated within a Divine Liturgy, where the full Liturgy is served along with the marriage rite. That can run two hours or more. If you are not sure whether your wedding will be a standalone service or part of a Liturgy, your priest can tell you.
What the hour includes
The Betrothal, the blessing and exchange of rings; the Crowning, the heart of the sacrament; the Epistle and Gospel readings and the common cup; and the Dance of Isaiah, three times around the tetrapod. We photograph all of it.
Does it vary by tradition?
Not much. The language and a few customs differ between Greek, Russian, Antiochian, Serbian, and Romanian parishes, but the service is the same sacrament and runs about the same length. What changes the timeline is the Divine Liturgy question above, not the jurisdiction.
Planning your day around it
We arrive before the Betrothal and stay through the last family photo. For an all-day wedding, leave a generous buffer after the ceremony, since the receiving line and family portraits tend to run long.