Wedding Crowns

The wedding crowns (stephana) are the most distinctive element of the Orthodox marriage service. The priest places crowns on the heads of the bride and groom, saying 'The servant of God [Name] is crowned unto the handmaiden of God [Name].' The crowns have multiple theological resonances: the crown of the martyrs (marriage as mutual self-sacrifice), the crown of the King and Queen of a new household (the eschatological royalty of the married couple), and the crown of creation (the man and woman as God's stewards of the new family). The crowns are typically metal or fabric and are kept as sacred objects.