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Orthodox Wedding in Tampa Bay, Crowning at St. Michael

If you are searching for an Orthodox wedding in Tampa, welcome. St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Pinellas Park celebrates the Sacrament of Marriage (Holy Matrimony) for couples from across the Tampa Bay region. Many of the couples we crown each year drive in from Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Wesley Chapel, and the cities along the inner Pinellas peninsula. Our doors and our hearts are open to your family.

This page covers what you need to know to plan a Tampa Bay Orthodox wedding at our parish: the first phone call to Fr. Stephen, the Florida marriage license, your sponsors and witnesses, the dates we can and cannot serve a wedding, what happens during the Crowning (Вінчання), and how parishes here typically handle the reception that follows.

For the theology of the Sacrament itself, the documents required, and our full FAQ, please read our main Orthodox Wedding page. This page focuses on Tampa Bay logistics.

Start with a phone call to Fr. Stephen

The first step is a phone call. Fr. Stephen Siniari, our Parish Priest, will sit down with you, listen to your story, and walk you through the preparation that lies ahead. Please reach out at least six months before your hoped-for wedding date. Tampa Bay couples often want a winter or late-spring Saturday, and our calendar fills.

Fr. Stephen’s parish line: 727-777-4450. Parish email: st.michael.uoc.pinellas@gmail.com.

If neither of you is currently a member of an Orthodox parish, Fr. Stephen will also want to talk about how you came to the Church, your baptism, and how to anchor your married life in a parish home after the wedding.

The Florida marriage license

You will need a Florida Marriage License before the Crowning. Couples who live anywhere in Tampa Bay can apply at any county clerk’s office; we are in Pinellas County, but a license from Hillsborough, Pasco, or Pinellas is equally valid statewide. Allow time for the three-day waiting period unless you complete a Florida-approved premarital course, which waives the wait. Bring the original license with you on the wedding day; Fr. Stephen will sign and return it for filing.

Couples married civilly first and asking the Church to bless an existing marriage follow a slightly different path. Mention this on your first call so Fr. Stephen can guide you.

Sponsors (the Koumbaroi or witnesses)

Every Orthodox wedding has at least one sponsor (in Greek tradition, the koumbaros or koumbara; in Ukrainian tradition, the role weaves into the svidky, the witnesses). The sponsor stands behind the couple during the service, helps hold and exchange the crowns, and pledges to support the marriage in faith and friendship for the rest of their life.

Requirements for the sponsor:

  • An Orthodox Christian in good standing, who attends Liturgy and receives the Mysteries
  • Not a parent of the bride or groom
  • A practicing believer the couple trusts to walk with them spiritually

A second witness of any Christian background may sign the civil license alongside the Orthodox sponsor. If you are not sure whom to ask, talk it through with Fr. Stephen; the choice of sponsor matters more than couples sometimes realize.

Dates we can and cannot crown

The Orthodox Church does not serve weddings on every day of the year. At our parish, two patterns matter most:

  • No Sunday weddings. Sunday is the Lord’s Day, given wholly to the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection. We crown on Saturdays, Fridays, and other weekdays as the calendar allows. (Within the Orthodox tradition more broadly, Tuesdays and Thursdays are also typically avoided as fast-day eves.)
  • No weddings during fasting seasons. Great Lent and Holy Week, the Nativity Fast (the forty days before the Nativity of Christ), the Apostles’ Fast, and the Dormition Fast are all set apart for prayer and repentance, not for celebration. Weddings are also not served on the eves and days of major feasts.

In practice this means Saturday afternoons outside of Lent and the Nativity Fast are the most common Tampa Bay Orthodox wedding slots. Late April through early June, and September through mid-November, are our busy seasons. Fr. Stephen will help you find a date that works with both the church calendar and your family’s schedule.

What happens during the Crowning

The Orthodox wedding has two parts, served back to back:

The Betrothal. Rings are blessed and exchanged three times between bride and groom. The bride and groom join right hands.

The Crowning (Вінчання). Crowns are placed on the heads of the bride and groom, signifying the kingdom they will build together and the martyrdom of self-giving love. The Gospel is read, the common cup is shared, and the couple walks three times around the analogion (the small table at the center of the church) in the Dance of Isaiah, the first steps of their married life.

The Sacrament lasts about forty-five to sixty minutes. The service can be served in English, Ukrainian, or bilingually; many of our Tampa Bay couples choose bilingual so guests from both sides of the family follow along comfortably.

The reception that follows

Most Tampa Bay Orthodox weddings at our parish follow this rhythm:

  1. Crowning at St. Michael, typically late afternoon on a Saturday
  2. Group photographs inside the church and on the parish grounds
  3. Reception at a Tampa Bay venue chosen by the family

We do not have a banquet hall on site large enough for a full wedding reception, so couples reserve a separate venue. Popular choices for our Pinellas Park location include venues along the beaches in Treasure Island and Indian Rocks, banquet halls in Largo and Seminole, and downtown St. Petersburg or Tampa for couples wanting a city setting. Tampa-side couples often book in Channelside, Ybor, or Westshore. The drive between our church and most central Tampa Bay venues is twenty to forty minutes.

A Ukrainian-style reception traditionally opens with bread and salt offered to the couple at the door, followed by the first toast, blessings from parents, and dancing late into the evening. We are happy to suggest local florists, musicians, photographers, and bakers who have worked with our families.

Tampa Bay couples we are glad to serve

If you are driving in from elsewhere in the region, our drive-time guides for couples and guests are organized by city. See Tampa and Brandon for Hillsborough County, Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes for Pasco County, and Largo, Seminole, Dunedin, and Palm Harbor for inner Pinellas. Each page covers route, parking, and what to expect on arrival.

Begin the conversation

Fr. Stephen Siniari, Parish Priest Parish line: 727-777-4450 Email: st.michael.uoc.pinellas@gmail.com

St. Michael Ukrainian Orthodox Church 9201 60th St, Pinellas Park, FL 33782

Call when you are ready. We will be glad to meet you both.