Venice is famous for its cinematic art, and it is here that the world-class international film festival takes place. One of the main features of the city can be called its territory, which consists of the mainland and almost one hundred and twenty islands, which are connected by four hundred bridges. Each bridge and almost every house located on the islands is a cultural monument protected by UNESCO.
All this attracts not only ordinary tourists, but also those who want to connect their life with Venice forever. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to stay to live in the serene city, you can choose it to celebrate a special day.
Choosing the time for the church wedding
Due to the specific geographical location of Venice, the time of its visit should be chosen carefully, especially when it comes to such an important ceremony as a church wedding. In winter, the city is quite unpleasant, very humid and windy, although the temperature is not too low. The abundance of water causes frequent fogs, which can prevent you from seeing the city in detail. Summer is also not a very comfortable period to visit. It is quite hot and very humid outside. The best seasons are spring and fall, when there is almost no precipitation and the weather is sunny and clear.
Interesting places for church weddings in Venice
Despite the abundance of all kinds of temples, it is possible to hold a wedding ceremony in accordance with the Orthodox canons in only two places.
The Greek Church of St. George
The church is located in the Castello district, near St. Mark’s Square. It was built in the middle of the 16th century, when a Greek colony was established in Venice. The church building is a typical example of the Venetian Classical Revival period, the exterior and interior of the church is very similar to a typical Catholic building.
The church is noteworthy because it has a museum with valuable exhibits and photographs of the interior of the church. Inside the church itself, the magnificent ancient frescoes created by Emmanuel Tzanes and Michael Damascene are of interest. Most of the icons in the church date back to the 18th century at the latest, and the most valuable of them is on the right side of the entrance. It is a 14th century work, «The Blessing of Christ», which was presented to the daughter of the last Byzantine admiral Luca Notaras by Princess Anna.
One of the most striking features of St. George’s Greek Church is considered to be the ability to reach it via one of the canals. A gondola can take the couple directly to the magnificent wrought iron gates of the church.
Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist
It is not only one of the oldest buildings in Venice, but also the oldest temple in the city. Its construction dates back to the very beginning of the 11th century. The basilica of the church has been preserved intact and has three naves, an east-oriented altar and no dome. The roof of the church is built in such a way that it resembles an inverted ship, its keel, and the dome is missing. This is fully consistent with the architectural style that prevailed in the tenth century. A small bell tower in Venetian style also confirms this.
An invaluable relic of the temple are the eight columns located inside. It is believed that they were brought by the Orthodox Venetians from the East. As for the interior decoration of the temple, the inside is rather ascetic and austere, but some ceiling beams have preserved elements of paintings from the 11th-12th centuries.
Despite the fact that due to moisture most of the frescoes have lost their original appearance, the church inside is painted with works of famous artists of the 13th-16th centuries. A distinctive feature of the Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist is the presence of holy relics in it. Among them:
— The Tree of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord;
— the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra of Lycia;
— relics of St. John the Baptist, etc.
The temple is also famous for its icons, among which you can see the oldest works by masters of the Middle Ages.
What do you need for a church wedding?
The sacrament of church marriage is a serious rite that requires serious decisions from married couples. In order to be married in one of the Orthodox churches in Venice, it is necessary to have a marriage certificate, i.e. the wedding must have taken place before the ceremony, if we are talking about newlyweds. The same applies to couples who have already been married for a long time — a document from the registry office is a must. Another mandatory document for the rite is a certificate of Baptism. Without this document, the ceremony is unlikely to take place.
The church ceremony can take place between people of different faiths, for example, Catholic. The main thing that the representative of another religion was a documentary confirmation that the children born after the wedding will be brought up in the Orthodox faith. Birth certificates of both spouses and, of course, passports are required for the ceremony.
How the rite of сhurch marriage is performed
To get married in Venice, it is best to make arrangements with one of the temples several months in advance. This will give you the opportunity to prepare and exclude any accidents. On the eve of the ceremony, the couple should not eat, drink water and alcohol, smoke after midnight. Women should not apply makeup, do not use perfume and wear flashy outfits. It is necessary to arrive at the temple in advance, by the beginning of the morning service to go through confession and communion. After the end of the service begins the sacrament of marriage, which lasts about an hour. The newlyweds are presented with a certificate after the ceremony.
Getting married in Venice is a solemn, memorable process. To remember it to the fullest, contact our company, we will take care of all the details!
