Over 20 years have passed since their first meeting, and 12 years of happy marriage. Each year spent together has strengthened their confidence in the right choice and deepened their desire to live a long and happy life, sealed with the vow “until death do us part…”

Olga and Nikolai decided not just to celebrate another wedding anniversary but to testify their love before God in the most sacred and pure place – in an Orthodox church. The couple took the ceremony very seriously, attending special preparation courses for wedding in Moscow, receiving communion, and getting the priest’s blessing.

The couple chose a special place for the ceremony. First, because they decided to get married in Rome, a city of significance for all Christians, regardless of denomination.

Secondly, the marriage was to be performed at the Church of St. Catherine the Great Martyr, equally revered by both Orthodox and Catholic communities.

Interestingly, the idea to build an Orthodox church in the Eternal City was born 100 years before Olga and Nikolai’s meeting. In 1898, at the initiative of Archimandrite Clement, fundraising began. The entire Russian Empire contributed to the building of the Orthodox church in Rome, and even Tsar Nicholas II personally donated 10,000 rubles.

Finally, in 1916, the required funds were gathered, but, as it turned out, too late – soon after, the revolution in Russia broke out, and the construction had to be postponed for 80 years.

In the late 90s, the Church of St. Catherine was finally built in Rome, and a significant contribution to this holy project was made by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, the future Patriarch.

An interesting feature of the Orthodox church in the Eternal City is that it is located in close proximity to the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica. During the construction of St. Catherine’s Church, forced changes had to be made because, according to Italian law, no building in Rome can be taller than St. Peter’s Basilica. Since the church was to be built on a hill, the original design would have resulted in the church’s domes being higher than those of St. Peter’s Basilica. Therefore, the hill on which the church stands had to be lowered, so that the domes of the Orthodox church would not exceed the domes of the main cathedral in the capital of Catholicism.

The sacrament of marriage is an incredibly beautiful and touching ceremony that begins with the ringing of bells and the singing of the church choir.

Olga and Nikolai solemnly entered the church, holding lit candles. As the wax of the candles melts from the flame, so does the human life fade away day by day, bringing us closer to eternal life. But the flame of the candles also represents the fire of our souls, the passionate and pure love of the couple, the highest, spiritual light.

Their journey was blessed by Father Alexiy with incense, symbolizing that their life path should align with the commandments of the church, and that good deeds and thoughts, like the incense smoke, will rise to the heavens. For the sacrament of marriage, the rings are also of great importance as a symbol of the unbreakable and eternal union between the couple, a sign of love and loyalty.

The sacrament ended before the iconostasis. Olga and Nikolai stood on a white towel and before the entire Church confirmed their sincere and voluntary desire and firm intention to be husband and wife.

Afterward, a family walk around Rome. This is the cradle of European civilization, the home of the Vatican, a bustling modern city where romance and history can be felt by strolling through its beautiful squares and alleys.

Walking hand in hand through the charming cobbled streets, between great monuments, past facades in warm amber colors, stopping to savor the moment, reliving the romance of films like “Roman Holiday” and “La Dolce Vita”… And at the end of this magical day, raising a glass of Aperol, as amber as the sun, to meet the most magical sunset of their life.

We want to thank everyone, Marina, Ruslana, Father Alexiy, photographer Irina, the driver, and everyone who participated in the preparation. On this day, we didn’t think or worry about anything, just enjoyed the moment. Everything was organized clearly, calmly, and on time. It felt like the whole of Rome knew we were having a wedding and everywhere we went, they gave us the “green light.”

I used to think that only the very rich could afford such a thing, and that it required long preparation. Now I know that with the team at WOW Italy, a wedding in Rome is both real and accessible. Thank you for your work and warmth, you are amazing!

Review from Olga and Nikolai on the organization of the Orthodox wedding in Rome

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