Russian Weddings
Hi Trudi! Greetings Everyone! Hope things are fine with you. All Russian men are waiting for Saturday to come with bated breath. The matter is that the 23rd of February is a national holiday in Russia. It is called Defender of Motherland’s Day. On this day women give cards and small (or big) presents to their fathers, husbands, sons, grandfathers etc. Talking about presents, Trudi, do you know what you will give to your grandmother for her birthday yet? People of her age need to feel loved and needed. What about a photo of you, your daughter and your husband smiling happily at her from a nice photo frame? Or maybe a nice cushion? Or a picture of a place which is important to both you and your grandmother accompanied by a card with the words of love and care?
Now’s the time for me to tell you about the way a typical Russian wedding is organised. 
In accordance with an old Russian tradition, on the wedding day the bride is supposed to wait for the groom at her parents’ house. While the bride is having her hair and make-up done at her parents’ house, the groom and his friends decorate their cars with flowers and ribbons, the groom’s car must be the most lavishly decorated one. When the groom and his entourage arrive by the door of the bride’s parents’ house, they announce their presence by sounding the horns of their cars. They are met by the bride’s girl-friends. It is the beginning of a wedding tradition which is called Redemption. During the redemption the groom is expected to demonstrate his intelligence and other skills and his friends must help him answer tricky questions and perform various tasks.
The redemption can be described as an act of exchanging the groom’s skills for the bride. It is a trial the purpose of which is to see whether the groom is good enough for the bride :) The questions and tasks are not at all difficult and even if the groom and his friends fail to do a task properly, they can make up for it with some money which they give to the bride’s friends. The bride’s friends task is to get as much money as possible :) Originally this tradition was used to raise some money for the newly married couple; now it is done to pay respect for old traditions. "Redemption" is carried on in a light-hearted manner with lots of jokes until the groom finally reaches the front door of the house (or flat) where his wife-to-be has been waiting for him.
Then the groom gives the bride her wedding bouquet. Inside the flat there will be a table with champagne and snacks for everybody as another Russian tradition says that a daughter should be given to her future husband from behind a table with food. After this, everybody gets into the cars and follows to the church (or registry office).
After the service is finished, the newlyweds need to cross seven bridges. It is considered to bring happiness for many years ahead. All modern couples just drive across seven bridges while to do it properly the groom must carry his wife in his arms! I wonder whether my Alexander will be able to do it with his broken wrist :/
A few superstitions: it is bad luck to get married in May or in a leap-year. How crazy am I to be going to get married in May and in a leap-year at the same time!? Rain on the wedding day is a good omen. Traditionally, the wedding season in Russia is autumn. In autumn the harvest was finished and peasants didn’t have to work very hard until next spring, so people got married in autumn. 
After the bridges have been crossed and photos have been taken the newlyweds are going to the restaurant where they will be met by their parents, friends and other guests. Now the bride and the groom need to take a bite of the bread offered to them by the groom’s mother. The one who takes a bigger bite will be the head of the family. Or at least this is what another Russian custom says.
Then a normal wedding reception follows with music, dances, drinks, food and speeches. After the reception, the groom and the bride go home and it is important that the groom carries the bride across the threshold in his arms (yes, again!). And then they’ll live happily ever after….
…until next day. The second day of the wedding is also celebrated but, of course, it is a rather quiet event compared to the first day. Some people even chose not to have one all.
Before I leave you today, have a look at the photo of some of the members of my extended family. They are my Granny, Grandfather, my uncle’s wife and my two little cousins, Masha and Anya. It was my Granny who suggested that Alex and I get married in a church, she is very religious and she has got such a big heart :)
James, I didn’t say I didn’t like the idea of throwing the bouquet. I meant throwing another thing.
And the last thing for today, have you noticed that the wedding rings in the first photo are on the fingers of the right, rather than left, hands? In many Orthodox countries (including Russia) weddings rings are worn on the ring finger of the right hand.
It’s a photo of St. Michael Cathedral where Alex and I will be married. It was rebuilt a year ago after it had been destroyed completely by communists in 1937. There are two such churches in Russia, the first one is in St. Petersburg.
Hope your week is going smoothly,
With best wishes,
Anastasia
Comments
Hi Anastasia, how lucky you are! It´s a beautiful cathedral like a dream. My best wishes to you and Alex. ;-)
Hello, Anastasia and everybody. When my son got married in the east of France, at one moment all the guests sat in their cars slowly driving through the villages, honking the car horns loudly. Most cars were decorated with ribbons and the last car had some brushes and two figures representing the bride and the groom. - In France you eat and eat when celebrating something. Little after midnight the newly wedded secretly quit the others. Some hours later on, at about 4-5a.m. the guests went searching for the newly married. When the couple was found they were served a drink from a potty. After everyone enjoyed a bowl of onion soup.
Hi Anastasia! It was very nice to know about Russian Weddings. Moreover, the St. Michael Cathedral is fantastic beautiful. See you soon, Ana Paula.
Hi Anastasia.. I'm very enjoy reading your story about Russian Weddings, I think it was not much different from other west country, but this is the first time i read about crossing seven bridges. Don't scare about getting marriage in May on leap year, you will live happily ever after...
Really interesting.
Hi dear Anastasia , Lovely jably ! Thanks for your description about wedding . I 'm sure that you are going to have a wonderful wedding ceremony . And like Trudi , i 'm keen about her question about wedding booking and so on ? What a picturesqe church . I hope to see your wedding photos in the facebook . Have you tried it ? It 's a nice place to be in touch with friends . By the way somthing that is interesting in Iran all of the bride go to beuty club to have ther make up and hair done in the wedding day and not in their home at all ! have a nice weekend solong
Hi Anastasia and everyone else, sorry I have been silent for a while. I have a very good reason for my absence; my husband and I were involved in a serious car accident last Sunday. I have been beside myself ever since. I would like to share my experience with you, albeit just briefly: We were returning form our weekend skiing trip and drove off the road in a fair speed. The car twirled around on an ice road, collided with the snow formation beside the road, flew in the air falling on its roof and continued to slide upside down on a snow for 30 - 40 metres. Next thing I remember my husband saying, as we were sitting upside down in our car, belted in our seats, are you alive? I remember answering that I am alive, are you? The biggest miracle is that we were hardly hurt, badly shaken yes, but not much wrong physically; sore ribs, arms and chest now, but nothing broken and bruises will disappear. I am sorry to break so upsetting news to you Anastasia, as your plans seem to be so happy and full of hope. All the best for your future life! But perhaps it is good to also remember that we all are mortal after all. Warmest regards to you Anastasia.
Dear Anastasia, All the arrangement of wedding ceremony is giving you a new lease of live. Your enthusiasm to describe Russian culture of wedding is appreciable. Certainly we won’t be able to have a glance of your wedding but I hope you will be the most beautiful bride in that day. Traditional believes of luck always misguide people. I want write a real incident in my life. I can remember that it was the date in which I passed my school leaving certificate. We were five friends walking in the street. All of sudden a black cat cross over, and we stayed stand by for a while. In the mean time, an elder person was watching us and came near to us and asked whether that was a tiger. We could not reply instantly. Then he suggested us not believe in myth and try to fight in better way in our life. There is nothing impossible if we really try hard to use our skill properly. Have a nice life!
Hi Anastasia! I liked your wedding traditions. You and your fiance make a lovely pair:) Wishes, Naheed
Hello Anastasia, yes, I think a bride and a groom need a good constitution on their wedding day, but nevertheless it will be a day full of fun and happyness. In Germany we don't know the tradition of crossing seven bridges.The cathedrale you will get married is unbelievable nice.How does it looks like inside? Is it subdevide in several areas or is there a huge interior? I've just read the comment of Leila and I want to say: " Best wishes for you Leila, you both had a good guardian angel" Anastasia, thank you for your interesting blog, see you soon...
Hello Anastasia, first of all let me present you all the best for your future family. It's very intersting to know that in Russia, the wedding ring is worn on the right hand !! Here it is wear on the left. In my congregation ( in fact I'm a religious, a roman father) we wear the final profession ring on the right ring finger to make the distinction with the married people. So I will be seen as a married if i passed by russia !!!
Hi Anastasia, According to the Chinese tradition, the wedding ring of the bride is worn on the ring-finger of right hand, and the wedding ring of the groom is worn on the ring-finger of left hand. Fiancé wears the ring on the middle-finger of his left hand, and Fiancée wears the ring on the middle-finger of her right hand. Incidentally, the St. Michael Cathedral is glorious and impressive.Best wishes. James
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