When men find Russian women for marriage they usually face a problem with wedding traditions. To marry a Russian girl, you need to know that she pays great attention to the ceremony of wedding, that’s why Russian weddings are celebrated on a grand scale. The preparation is thorough in any case. The only thing that matters is limit of finances in the family. The extent of the Russian wedding also depends upon this factor. Russian women for marriage prefer to adopt western traditions. However, such luxurious celebrations are like an exception in modern Russia. The traditional Russian wedding is, on the contrary, affordable to most newlyweds.
The Engagement Ring
Nowadays there is a new trend that becomes very popular in Russia. More and more young men buy an engagement ring to propose their ladies. This tradition comes from the Western world and borrows most of its traits. In Russia engagement or betrothal were considered the most important ceremony before wedding. To marry a Russian woman you shouldn’t skip this tradition. In the past, parents sat against one another and kept silent for a few minutes. Then the agreement was written with the indication of the wedding date.
Today, this ceremony is normally skipped or replaced with a celebration dinner or party. Traditionally, the betrothal is attended by invited relatives and friends who become witnesses of the groom’s giving engagement ring to his bride. This ring taken by the bride is to confirm her intention to marry the groom.
Official registration
In order to get married on a set date, couples should submit an advance application to the registry office. Known as ZAGS, the registry office is the official body for marriage registration in Russia. The husband-and-wife-to-be will usually file an application several months in advance to allow some time to think over their decision. When the wedding day arrives, the young couple visits ZAGS to receive an official marriage certificate. A Russian woman considers this to be very important.
Couples, for whom the official ceremony is not enough, wish to get married in church will arrange a special meeting with the priest. It is important that the meeting with the priest does not collide with the period of religious fasting as weddings are not performed on those days. To marry a Russian lady you should plan your wedding in accordance with church calendar.
Preparations for the wedding
Russian wedding traditions are applied to the way the couple look as well. A Russian girl needs a dress for a bride and groom needs a suit. They are either purchased or rented. Apparel and accessories can be obtained in a special bridal salon together with the dress and suit. Wedding in Russia needs many other issues arranged in advance, including renting a vehicle (often a limo) for the newlyweds to travel around the city on a wedding day, hiring a restaurant where the celebration will take place, and choosing a photographer and cameraman who will shoot the wedding ceremony. Russian wedding photos play essential role in the life and the couple and their relatives who are used to show them at any fest for entertainment.
It is a common thing to hire or invite a toastmaster to manage many aspects of the wedding. A toastmaster announces performances, gives the floor to guests who want to make a toast, and holds fun contests for guests and newlyweds. He helps the whole company keep together and allows all people feel comfortable in the exciting atmosphere.
The Wedding Ring
Just like in the Western world, it is a tradition in Russia for newlyweds to exchange wedding rings. Usually, the groom provides for the wedding rings, although that might vary depending on specific circumstances and financial possibilities. The most popular wedding rings in Russia are made of gold and might be decorated with precious stones or platinum and silver stripes.
Russians traditionally wear the wedding ring on the ring finger of the right hand. Countries like Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, Germany, Spain, Austria, India and Greece have a similar tradition of wearing the wedding ring on the right hand.
The Wedding Day
So, you might be wondering what the traditional wedding day is all about in Russia? Well, we have a quick answer! From the start of the day, the bride usually gets some help from her friends and relatives with her looks and style. Fast forward a few hours, the bride arrives approximately an hour and half before the official ceremony of registration.
That's about time when a comical wedding tradition takes place. The parents of the bride pretend to steal the bride and ask the groom to pay a ransom. The groom usually ends up paying some symbolic monetary value or jewellery to get his beloved back. Of course, the entire event is played out only for amusement of the guests.
After the ransom is paid and parents return the bride to the groom, the young couple heads straight to ZAGS to officially register their relationship. The next destination for the wedding ceremony is a picturesque location of any sort where newlyweds can make memorable pictures. Finally the newlyweds head to the restaurant to meet with the guests they invited.
Stealing the bride
The groom should constantly keep his eyes on the bride. If the bride gets out of the groom’s sight, she could be stolen by his friends and the groom will have to pay the ransom. Do not ignore this strange tradition as Russian girls for marriage consider them to be important and obvious.
Day number two
Celebration goes on with no less fun than the day before. After some rest more drinking, singing, dancing, and fighting takes place. Never miss the second day of the traditional Russian wedding. I played my garmoshka (Russian button accordion) and balalaika at over 500 Russian weddings. There is a rule that the second day of the Russian wedding celebration is even more fun than the first day. Never ignore second days as it contains even more interesting traditions.
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