In Ancient Greek tradition, Anakalypteria, literally meaning ‘the unveiling’, marked one of the most significant moments in a wedding ceremony. The removal of the bride’s veil symbolised the conclusion of the rites and the beginning of her new life as wife. This gesture was both intimate and ceremonial: the bride, previously hidden, was now revealed to her husband as the union was blessed and celebrated.

A stone relief from 400-500 BC, discovered in the Temple of Hera in Palermo, Sicily, depicts Zeus lifting Hera’s veil in just such a moment, embodying the divine origins of this enduring custom. The veil itself held deep symbolic meaning. As a sacred attribute of Hera, the goddess of marriage, it represented reverence and divine protection. Ancient Greek brides veiled themselves to honour Hera and to signal their transition from maidenhood to matrimony.

In Greek Orthodox weddings today, another ancient symbolism endures: the wedding ring is worn on the right hand, not the left. The right side has long been associated with authority, blessing and divine power - as in the biblical phrase ‘the right hand of God’. The priest places the rings on the couple’s fingers as a symbol of divine blessing. With the sign of the cross, he seals their union, not only to one another, but also within a sacred covenant of faith.