01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, July 4, 2004

Nancy Hallal and Dimitrios Sterpis

St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church, Pawtucket

5.30.04

Though not for lack of trying, it isn't often a mother finds a mate for her child. But Sophie Hallal did just that for her daughter, Nancy. "I went through so many matchmaking attempts with her, and they just never got off the ground," says Sophie. So when, once again, she came home and said 'Nancy, I think I've got one for you,' Nancy was less than enthusiastic.

This 'one' was Dimitrios Sterpis. Sophie met his parents through her work with programs for the elderly, and through them, she met his aunt, Harriet Pappas. When Sophie met Harriet again at some event, they talked about their children. Sophie: "I have a single daughter." Harriet: "I have a nice single son. But he lives in California. Too far away." But then she mentioned her single nephew. "We're having everyone over for Easter, why don't you come."

Nancy, 36, works for Johnson & Wales University. Dimitrios, 41, works for Toray Plastics America. She's Syrian, He's Greek. They both grew up in Pawtucket.

"Nancy really didn't want to go," says Sophie. And by the time they arrived everyone was gone except Dimitrios and his mother. "They didn't seem to be hitting it off until Nancy started talking about computers, and that got Dimitrios going."

"When we first started dating, I liked Dimitrios a lot," says Nancy, "but I mentioned to my married sisters that I wasn't getting any butterflies, and that concerned me. They said 'Don't worry about it, those fade anyway.' "

Six months later, Nancy and Dimitrios got engaged, and now, six months later, they're getting married. Everyone in their wedding party is family: a sister, brother, cousin, nephew, or godchild.

Today, the highly symbolic Antiochian Orthodox ceremony reflects their shared Orthodox Christian roots.

After the priest has blessed the rings, they are exchanged three times, taking the bride's ring, placing it on the groom's finger and vice versa. The ritual signifies that in married life the weaknesses of one partner will be compensated for by the strengths of the other, the imperfections of one by the perfections of the other.

The rite of crowning is considered the highlight. The bride and groom are crowned as the king and queen of their own little kingdom, the home, which they are to rule with wisdom, justice and integrity.

Finally, in the "dance of joy," the priest leads the bride and groom in a circle around a table on which are placed the Gospel and the cross. The husband and wife take their first steps as a married couple, and the Church leads them in the way they must walk.