Instead of conventional crowns, Mari and Kirkor, who are Turkish Armenians, wear narods, which are red and white twisted cords with a small cross that dangles over their foreheads. The priest blesses them while the best man, known also as the godfather, holds a cross over their heads.
Katrina Thomas's notes: In 301 A.D. Armenians are the world's first nation to adopt Christianity. The Orthodox Armenian church considers marriage a sacrament, and at the beginning of the tenth century, the Rite of Crowning became the service for blessing the union of husband and wife. For Turkish Armenians, the crown may be a braided cord, known as a narod. During the nuptial rite, crowning is followed by the Blessing of the Common Cup, which is drinking of wine from a goblet in remembrance of the marriage at Cana of Galilee.
