The crowning of the bride and groom is the culminating moment 
	of the sacrament of marriage. It integrates the couple into 
	the mystery of Christ's love for the Church. The use of 
	wedding crowns is an ancient practice, predating Christianity. 
	The current symbolism and usage of crowns in the Orthodox 
	Christian wedding rite is full of biblical and theological 
	meaning. The crowns are a visible sign of the Kingdom of God. 
	They are outward symbols of the inherent dignity of humanity 
	made in the image and according to the likeness of God. The 
	crowns remind us that we are, in reality, "children of God, 
	heirs of God, and coheirs with Christ." These crowns remind 
	us that as God's children, born from "the water and spirit" 
	(our baptism), we share in the "royal priesthood" of the 
	Church, making us kings, priests, and prophets of creation.
	
	
	These crowns also carry a more somber biblical and theological
	meaning, as the Church's wedding hymns refer to them as crowns 
	of martyrs, which means those who are "witnesses" to Christ. 
	In this context, the couple's crowning implies their mutual 
	and personal acceptance of the Gospel of Christ, with its 
	message of picking up and bearing the cross of Christ in 
	order to share His life eternally. As Christ was crowned 
	"king' by the mob, and subsequently crucified for their sins 
	and the sins of the whole world, so too the couple will be 
	called to crucify all selfishness, and die to themselves for 
	the sake of Christ and each other. They are to be witnesses, 
	like all the martyrs throughout the centuries, to the life 
	of Christ and to His victory over death in all their struggles.
	Their home should be, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, 
	the "little church."
	
	
	Finally, the crowns symbolized the promised hope of eternal 
	life and glory offered to the couple by Christ as a divine 
	and eternal reward given to those who "faithfully persevere 
	unto the end." Our prayer for them is for the Lord our God to 
	"crown them with glory. and honor."