Reviews
"Linked by the internet wedding favors firm domeafavor.com, the three stories are well written with likable lead protagonists and a wonderful horde of ethnic secondary characters. Each of the fun tale adheres to the theme of the struggles just before the vows so that readers will feel like honored guests at the nuptials."
Harriet Klausner
"If you liked A BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, then you are going to love I DO, DON'T I? by Tori Carrington. It has all the Greek traditions and the humor that Tori Carrington is known for. Efi and Nick are childhood sweethearts who never wanted to marry anyone else but each other, you can't help but root for these two to get together."
Barb Hicks, The Best Reviews
Dear Reader,
A fairy tale. Isn’t that what how all weddings and the days leading up to them are looked upon? A man and woman fall in love and want to spend their lives together. Nothing could be more perfect. Then – boom! – something happens to send everything into a tailspin that guarantees the day will remain in your memory forever…but for sometimes the wrong reason!
In our novella I Do, Don’t I? Efi Panayotopoulou is one week away from her wedding…or a nervous breakdown, whichever comes first. Everything should be perfect. After all, she’s marrying her childhood sweetheart Nick Constantinos, she has a dream of an original designer dress, and her family is finally treating her like an adult instead of an overgrown child. Then within the blink of an eye Murphy’s Law goes into effect and everything that can go wrong, does!
We drew heavily from Tony’s Greek heritage to share not only some wonderful traditions, but worked to put our own humorous twist on them. We hope you enjoy Efi and Nick’s version of their big, fat Greek wedding! We’d love to hear what you think. Write us at P.O. Box 12271, Toledo, Ohio 43612, email us at toricarrington@aol.com, and visit our website at www.toricarrington.com.
Here’s wishing you your own special brand of happily-ever-after!
Lori & Tony Karayianni
aka Tori Carrington
Dedication
We dedicate this story to our niece Eleni Tsilias and her intended Giannis. Congratulations on your engagement! Here’s wishing you both love, always.
Excerpt from That's Amore! "I Do, Don't I?"
Nick Constantinos was more than handsome. He was of the same make that had inspired ancient Greeks to sculpt and to follow charismatic warriors into battle. From his mesmerizing dark eyes, his slightly hooked nose and his generous mouth, Efi believed she’d never tire of looking into his face. But more than a collection of parts and pieces, it was Niko now Nick’s charm that made him irresistible. He had but to turn on one of his grins, like now, and she was rendered speechless. Efi slid her own hand over to lay against his thigh. Speechless, maybe. But not paralyzed. She slid her fingers up his hard muscles until the back of her knuckles met his crotch. Nick made a strangled sound and his own knee jerked against the table, upsetting glasses where her jerk had not.
Efi grinned and made sure both her hands were in sight when everyone turned to stare, including her Aunt Frosini across from them. Was her gnarled old aunt actually grinning at them as if recalling a wicked memory of her own? Efi lifted a brow.
The priest skillfully reached out and prevented his own glass from toppling over and didn’t miss a beat as he continued to drone on in that way that only old priests knew how to.
A little while later, the official introductory speeches at a close, Efi went into the kitchen to help her mother serve the chopped fruit when Nick crowded her into the pantry and shut the door after them.
“You’re a bad, bad girl,” he murmured, his scent filling her senses even as he filled his hands with her breasts.
Efi made a half-hearted attempt to swat him away. “Me? You were the one who started it. I could have died when the table tottered the first time.”
Nick chuckled and kissed her. “It was worth it just to see you blush.”
Efi couldn’t help but melt against his touch, his kiss making other, greater urgencies known.
“You realize it’s been a week since we’ve made love,” he said, kissing the side of her neck.
“Mmm. And it’s going to be another week yet.”
Nick groaned. “I don’t think I can go that long...”
“You’re going to have to.” Efi said the words even as he backed her against one wall. A couple of cans teetered so he switched directions and backed her against the door instead. He hiked her dress up even as she spread her thighs to his knowing touch. Just a few minutes. She wanted to feel him inside her as badly as he wanted to be inside her. To be joined in a way that shut all else out. That reminded her how very much she wanted this man. Not just now, but always.
And in one sweet week, seven short days, they would be finally able to have as much of each other as they desired...
BONUS FEATURE: Greek Wedding Customs
Ah, what’s not to love about weddings? A couple in love going before a priest or a pastor a rabbi or a cleric to pledge their eternal love for each other until death do they part. A bonding of hearts and minds and lives; a blending of families. And each religious denomination has its own special way of sanctifying this special union. Little has changed about the Greek Orthodox Church’s ceremony over the years.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s begin with a few traditions connected to the entire ritual leading up to the wedding.
A couple in love exchanges engagements rings (which are actually the plain wedding bands – the diamond rings come at the actual wedding ceremony. Guess that’s one way to make sure the bride doesn’t run off at the last minute then pawn the ring!), in front of family and friends in a ceremony that’s nearly as formal as the wedding itself. The best man and woman do the honors of placing the rings on the fingers of the bride-to-be and groom – the left hand ring finger (on the day of the wedding, the rings are moved to the right hand, where the Greeks traditionally wear their bands). It’s a semi-formal occasion after which follows a nightlong party with food and dancing. This ceremony is considered as binding as the wedding.
Now, for the events leading up to the ceremony itself. As you read in our story I Do, Don’t I?, the entire affair usually begins one week earlier. Since most all Greek weddings are performed on a Sunday following the regular service, that means the week begins on the previous Sunday. Family members from out of town arrive and celebratory dinners at both families’ houses are a tradition as the blending begins.
A couple of days before the ceremony, to krevati (literal translation is “the bed”), is held at the bride and groom’s new house/apartment. It begins with the priest blessing the residence, and continues with the single relatives and friends making the marriage bed with fresh white linens and flowers. Afterward, the guests toss money and coins and sugarcoated almonds (called koufetta) on top as a wish of prosperity and sweetness, and either a baby or babies are rolled across the mattress to encourage fertility, or children jump on it to the same end. Afterward, food and dancing follow (ah, yes, Greeks love to have fun!).
On the day of the ceremony itself, the groom (gambros), best man (koumparos) and best woman (koumpara) and family and guests gather outside the church, awaiting the arrival of the bride (nifi) in a flower-covered car. Her father hands her out and walks her to the church steps where he presents her to the groom. The couple then walks into the church together to symbolize the beginning of their joined lives together from that moment on.
Unlike traditional American ceremonies, vows aren’t exchanged. No “I do’s” are necessary because for all intents and purposes the couple is already married except in the eyes of the church. So the priest does all the chanting and speaking. The ceremony consists of two parts: the betrothal and the crowning. The betrothal consists of blessing the rings over the heads of the bride and groom. Then they are exchanged three times by their koumbaros or best man. The crowning is the main part of the ceremony where the couple is crowned by wreaths that are either wrapped in silver or gold or even made of semi-precious stones and metals. A white ribbon signifying unity is tied between the crowns. After the ceremony, the crowns are packed in a special box and are kept by the couple for life. Some individuals are even buried with them to symbolize an eternal bond.
Charms – traditionally in the form of a small eye in a blue stone – are sometimes worn by the guests to protect the bridal party from bad luck. The bride may also put a sugar cube in her glove to signify her wish for a sweet marriage. Another amusing tradition is for the bride or the groom to step on the other’s foot to indicate who’ll hold the power over the union, meaning who will have the last say in arguments and the like.
As the guests leave the church, they are given boubounieras – sugarcoated almonds in a net or satin bag and tied off with ribbon – a gift from the couple to their guests to commemorate the event and to share the sweetness of the union.
Greek receptions are much like traditional American receptions in that the bride and groom and wedding party and parents sit at a long table apart from the other guests, toasts are made, and lots of dancing is done. The difference is the dancing is Greek and plates are broken at the feet of the bride and groom for good luck. Opa!
Keep in mind that each area of Greece has its own customs and traditions. A wedding on the island of Santorini will be different from a wedding in Ancient Olympia. We refer to those traditions that are pretty much universal. We hope you enjoyed our take on them in our novella!
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