Frequently Asked Questions

What are wedding crowns?
Simply put, wedding crowns (also known in Greek as Stefana, Stepahana, or Stephania) are actual crowns that the bride and groom wear for a certain portion of the Orthodox Wedding ceremony. These crowns are steeped in tradition and meaning. There are many wonderful websites that outline the sacrament of marriage in the Orthodox Church and the significance of the wedding crowns. Here is a list of a couple of specific site that offer great explanations
http://oca.org/QAindex-sacramentmarriage.asp?SID=3
http://www.antiochian.org/1285?keywords=marriage


Why should I buy a crown from OrthodoxWeddingCrowns.com?
While there are a handful of other places on the internet that sell Wedding Crowns, almost all of them are import crowns. These crowns imported mainly from Greece are lovely and of a good quality, but you can't customize them. Additionally, many of the same designs are repeated over and over. This is an area where I can really spread my wings and showcase some of my artistic uniqueness, while also providing 1st-class service, customization, and heirloom quality pieces to brides and grooms everywhere.


Will you be giving anything back to the Church?
At the end of the year,I donate 10% of my profits back to the Church...or rather to IOCC. This is my way of saying "Thank-You" to all of my customers for allowing me to take part in their special day.

 

What if I want a custom crown design?
I am more than happy to work with you to create a completely custom crown. See the Ordering page for additional details.


What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept credit card payments via PayPal (please direct payments to ann@orthodoxweddingcrowns.com), as well as personal checks and money order/cashier's checks. Payment must be received in full before I will ship the crowns. There is a $30 fee on any returned checks.


How far in advance should I order my crowns?
The earlier the better.....but I often have many, many crowns that will ship out the next day, so emergencies can definitely be accommodated.

If you're wanting a completely custom crown, I appreciate at least a few months lead time, as you need to consider time for us to set the details, order in the materials, plus delays due to my work load plus potential shipping delays...so again, the earlier the better.


Can you match my wedding colors?
Some couples want their crowns to match their wedding colors. I am happy to work with you to achieve just the look you're going for. To do so, I will need fabric samples to help match up exact colors.or I can mail you material samples. A nice and inexpensive way to incorporate your wedding colors into your crowns is to simply have the connecting ribbon match your color, rather than the standard white satin ribbon.


What materials do you use?
I love experimenting will all different types of materials, and you will find a wide variety in the crowns on this site. Anything from satin to brocade, lace to pearls, rhinestones, crystals, porcelain, and metals. If you would like to provide your own materials for the crowns, (maybe you have some heirloom lace you would like to incorporate into your crowns...) I would be happy to work with you on that. An additional bonus of providing your own materials is that it will probably reduce the cost of your crowns, while providing you with a true heirloom piece.


What size are your crowns?
My standard crown size is a round crown whose diameter is just slightly larger than 7".

I have found this size crown to be a great fit for nearly everyone.

Almost all crowns can be made in an oval shape, which fits the natural shape of the human head than a perfect circle does.

Your crown should rest on the edge of your head, but not be so large that it will slide down across your forehead and into your eyes while you're walking around the table. I can make most designs into any size you want (want the bride's crown to be smaller than the groom's? I can do that too).

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR HEAD: If you want to ensure that your crowns will be a perfect fit, please follow these instructions:

-Use a cloth measuring tape (or a piece of string) and measure the circumference of your head.

-Please measure at the uppermost part of your forehead (i.e. right about where your hairline is). Ensure that your string or cloth measure tape is level all the way around your head as you take this measurement.

-Then call or email me with your measurements. It's important to let me know if I'm going to be making you round or oval shaped crowns, once I have your measurements.

Wrap string around top portion of head as shown here