The goddess of love, Aphrodite, and the god of war, Ares, announce what may be the wedding of the century. Their daughter, Harmonia, will marry Cadmus, the King of Thebes. As most of us in the know all ready know, the bride's Kyrios, Ares, and the groom entered into the engue in early September. Wedding preparations are well underway, as the three day ceremony has been set to begin on October 21st. It is expected that several divine beings will grace the Festivities with their presence, perching on golden chairs and serenading the newlyweds with songs of praise. Rumor has it that a certain smith, a son of Zeus himself (hint-hint) has been commissioned to provide the bride with a fabulous, one-of-a-kind wedding gift. But, more on that later!

Aphrodite herself told me she is looking forward to a little mother-daughter time with Harmonia, as is customary for Greek weddings, in the final few days before the wedding begins. Also, in keeping with tradition, the bride, her mother, female relatives and several servants will spend time preparing for the proaulia. This is the day before the actual ceremony begins. Aphrodite tells me that while this time is usually spent in the father's house, Ares has never settled down, so she will provide the house for the ritual proaulia. The ladies will be assisting Harmonia in her proteleia, or various offerings to the gods. No doubt the traditional combined offering of the bride and groom to Aphrodite (for a productive family life) will be unnecessary. Aphrodite says she is ready to spoil a grandchild!

The day of the Gamos will find the bride lounging in the lap of luxury. She will rise midmorning for a massage, manicure and pedicure. The loutron numphikon, or nuptial bath ritual, will also take place. As we all know, the veil remains the most important part of the Greek wedding ensemble, as it signifies her virginity. Harmonia's veil has been designed by the one and only "demigod" of fashion, Kristos. An insider in the designers camp tells me Italian lace will be used and tiny pearl will adorn the edge, hand-sewn by mermaids. An olive leaf pattern will also be designed into the lace. Oohh-la-la!

As is traditional for Greek weddings, the gamos will begin after dark. In addition to the deities singing, professional singers have also been hired by Cadmus, as the songs play such an important role in the ceremony. An exquisite wedding feast is planned and will be prepared by the bride's family. It will feature fresh fruit, olives, roasted lamb, feta cheese and fountains of flowing wine. A seven tier cake, covered in honey covered, toasted sesame seeds should be a sight to see. The most important part of the ceremony, the anakalupteria, or unveiling of the bride, will occur at the end of the feast as tradition holds. The wedding procession through the streets of Thebes will follow, with the couple being carried by the customary chariot. This, however, is not just any chariot. It is a royal chariot and the craftsmen are hard at work as we go to press. Their only comment as, "King Cadmus expects the best." Fortunately, tradition only calls for the axle to be burned and not the entire chariot! For our non-Greek readers this tradition follows the bride being welcomed by her new mother-in-law to her new family, or oikos. After the welcome, the ritual kataxusmata are performed, which include rituals for fertility (the eating of an apple or perhaps a quince, by the bride) and prosperity. The axle being burnt signifies that the bride will not be returning to her old oikos, but is established with her new one.

Ladies, as I mentioned earlier, the rumors are flying that step-papa Hephaestus is working fast and furiously to create a golden necklace representing an amphisbaina, or two headed serpent with open jaws to look like it is hissing. The mouths on each side hold a golden eagle upright, which has wings covered in yellow jasper and moonstone! Fabulous! Heph, you'll make your stepdaughter extremely proud. And to top it all off, the whole original design is to be set with sparkling gems - -Heph, baby, if you're reading this I just want to remind you that diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but emeralds and sapphires come in a close second and third! Now, Heph isn't saying who ordered the splendid necklace, but theories abound. We shall know in a few weeks and I say who cares who the giver is as long as you get the goods!

Time for me to run (to my mailbox to see if my invite is here yet). If you don't receive one, you might want to find someone to bribe. This is a DON'T miss event. Peel the page next week for more details on this fantastic union, including the scoop on the final day of the ceremony (epaulia-gifts) and the events of the wedding chambers. The thyroros himself is going to fill me in for that one. And you won't want to miss the illustrations our house artist will have of the beautiful couple on their special day!

Donn, Lin and Don. Greek Weddings. 24 Sept. 2000. <http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Greeklife.html>

Goodall Powers, Jennifer. Ancient Weddings. Classics Technology Center. 1997. AbleMedia. 24 Sept. 2000. <http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/ancientweddings1.html>

Goodall Powers, Jennifer. Ancient Weddings. Classics Technology Center. 1997. AbleMedia. 24 Sept. 2000. <http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/consortium/ancientweddings3.html>

Parada, Carlos. Greek Mythology Link. 18 Sept. 1997. 29 Sept. 2000 <http://www.hsa.brown.edu/~maicar/Robe.html>