About russian wedding.

[vaclav]

[Deleted]

[catherine]

I learned a lot from this topic "About Russian Wedding". In the process of registration, I can't imagine that there are Russian's wedding traditions like that.It really challenges the bridegroom. It is very interested to know that the Russians also preferred for a church wedding.

[kievstar]

Very interesting.  Seems Russia weddings are a lot different than weddings in Kiev and Eastern Ukraine. 

[mendeleyev]

Interesting article, however...

The bridegroom gives a ring to the bride and promises to do the best for her happiness.

Although things are changing, it is not a tradition for the bride to be given an engagement ring. Many ladies still are kind of perplexed about it's purpose.

Before registration in the REGISTRY OFFICE the bride's relatives and girlfriends are invited to the bride's house. They prepare the bride for the ceremony of wedding and wait for the bridegroom. When the bridegroom comes, the girl-friends of the bride arrange comic obstacles for the bridegroom. The bridegroom should "buy out" the bride from the girl-friends. This custom is very symbolical - it means, that the right for the bride passes to the bridegroom.

Note: Called the "ransom of the bride," often children and other relatives receive small gifts for revealing clues to the location of the bride. Larger gifts are given to the closest adult relatives. A Western man should expect to take some nice candy for the children.

This Registration at ZAGS (RAGS in Ukraine) is the civil wedding ceremony.

In the end of ceremony the priest connects hands of the married couple, puts the hand on theirs and leads them around the lectern three times.

Yes, the priest leads the couple around (either 3 or 7 times) but the binding of hands takes place at the very beginning of the ceremony during the betrothal phase just inside the entrance before the priest leads the couple to the front of the temple. Their hands remain bound through the ceremony making it very interesting as each holds a tall white (lighted) wedding candle during the ceremony. The white cloth binding the two are often called wedding towels. Near the end of the ceremony another towel is placed on the floor for the two to stand on, noting that their union is complete.

In many weddings at total of 3 small white (with lovely designs) are used: Two are used for the binding (representing two separate families coming together) and the third towel represents a new family, created from the binding of two separate individuals.



There are often some very special regional customs which may differ from other regions of the FSU.

[BC]

Yes, the priest leads the couple around (either 3 or 7 times) but the binding of hands takes place at the very beginning of the ceremony during the betrothal phase just inside the entrance before the priest leads the couple to the front of the temple. Their hands remain bound through the ceremony making it very interesting as each holds a tall white (lighted) wedding candle during the ceremony. The white cloth binding the two are often called wedding towels. Near the end of the ceremony another towel is placed on the floor for the two to stand on, noting that their union is complete.

In many weddings at total of 3 small white (with lovely designs) are used: Two are used for the binding (representing two separate families coming together) and the third towel represents a new family, created from the binding of two separate individuals.

There are often some very special regional customs which may differ from other regions of the FSU.

The Orthodox ritual is quite long, complex and interesting.  We did both, ZAGS then Orthodox 7 years later.  Both very nice ceremonies.  One thing is sure, FSU do hold such in high regard and enjoy the celebrations.

[mariajohnson]

The Russian wedding ceremony itself changed little from the introduction of Christianity (in 988) to the eighteenth century according to historian Eve Levin.The reason for this stability is that the Orthodox Church treasured keeping its rituals exactly as they had been. The stability of Orthodox rites makes the documentation of the actual ceremony easier. At the same time, however, many of the ceremonies surrounding the wedding itself have changed dramatically. It is those practices that I will give the greatest attention to.