{"id":46773,"date":"2017-10-01T23:48:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-01T12:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/15-amazing-russian-wedding-traditions\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T07:28:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T20:28:00","slug":"15-amazing-russian-wedding-traditions","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/15-amazing-russian-wedding-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"15 amazing Russian wedding traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

From kidnapping and obstacle courses to literally being a royalty during the ceremony, there are so many amazing wedding traditions to be found at Russian weddings. Check out these 15 amazing and unique Russian wedding traditions:<\/p>\n

\"Holiday<\/p>\n

The ransom<\/h2>\n

While in some countries, a very real (and often expensive) dowry needs to be paid before a wedding. In Russia, the bride’s ransom is more of a fun tradition.<\/p>\n

The bride’s parents “steal” her away and hide her before the ceremony until her partner completes a series of challenges set up by the bridesmaids that are designed to show the strength of his love and, ultimately, embarrass him.<\/p>\n

If a task cannot be completed, a payment of either real cash, chocolates, or flowers must be made to the bridesmaids as compensation.<\/p>\n

Other versions of the ransom quest include dressing up a male relative of the bride in wedding attire and refusing to hand over the real one until a payment has been made, or presenting the fianc\u00e9 with a napkin covered in the lipstick prints of the bridal party. If the fianc\u00e9 cannot identify the bride’s print correctly, he is also up for a payment.\"Groom<\/p>\n

The ceremony…<\/h2>\n

Russian weddings can take many forms, but a marriage is only legally recognised once you have made a trip to the registration office, the Zapis Aktov Grazhdanskogo Sostoyaniya.<\/p>\n

Couples can choose to have a small civil marriage registration affair, where the couple literally sign papers in an office and head off to party, or they can accompany this with a civil ceremony, which lasts for 15 to 30 minutes, or go the whole hog and have the longer traditional ceremony as well.<\/p>\n

Some couples choose to sneak in this formality before their wedding day to leave more time for the fun stuff.<\/p>\n\n

Betrothal<\/h2>\n

The betrothal is the first part of a traditional Russian Orthodox ceremony. This is where the couple stands at the entrance to the church and is blessed by the priest.<\/p>\n

They receive lit candles, that they then hold onto throughout the ceremony, which includes a prayer and scripture readings.<\/p>\n

\"Beautiful<\/p>\n

Crowning<\/h2>\n

Because a wedding is considered one of the seven sacraments for Russian Orthodox followers, there is more importance in placing crowns onto the heads of the couple than there is in exchanging wedding rings.<\/p>\n

The crowning is the second part of the traditional ceremony and is where the couple stand on a piece of rose-coloured cloth and the priest places the crowns onto their heads. These can sometimes be held in place by relatives or friends.<\/p>\n

The couple shares a cup of wine and follow the priest three times around the lectern to symbolise their journey into married life.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, the crowns would be worn for eight days after the ceremony, but they are now taken off after the priest announces the union and says the benediction.<\/p>\n

Smashing good time<\/h2>\n

Once the couple is announced as newlyweds, their parents offer them a crystal glass each. They then muster all of their strength to shatter them into as many shards as possible, as each piece signifies a year of happy marriage.<\/p>\n

Balloon?<\/p>\n

It is also traditional for the bride to release a balloon with her maiden name written on it, as she begins her new life with her new name.<\/p>\n

Witnesses<\/h2>\n

It was once a legal requirement for Russian weddings to include two witnesses at the official registration of the marriage. While this is no longer necessary, couples will still choose two witnesses for their wedding day, who will get to wear a special sash to identify their position.<\/p>\n

These witnesses are often what we would call the maid of honour and the best man.<\/p>\n

\"Joyful<\/p>\n

The grand road trip<\/h2>\n

Once the official registration has been carried out, the newlyweds set off on a well-worn path to visit landmarks to get photos and carry out traditional things at each site.<\/p>\n

Russian newlyweds could do these tasks alone but often travel around with a small group of friends and family.<\/p>\n

Couples who marry in St Petersburg will often do several of the following things:<\/p>\n

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