Russia is the largest country in the world with a rich culture and many different influences and traditions. In this article we’ll talk about some Russian wedding traditions unique to the motherland.
1. Taking The Bride Ransom
In some cultures, the idea of paying a ransom to get the bride from her parents is still a popular tradition. In Russia, it’s a more light hearted event.
Before the ceremony, the bride’s parents will hide her from the groom. In order to get her back the groom will have to perform some sort of silly challenge, or pay ransom with chocolate or champagne.
The tradition is meant to demonstrate the groom’s love for his bride and that he will do whatever it takes to get her back. The parents of the groom choose the difficulty of the task.
2. What is A Traditional Russian Wedding Ceremony?
Many Russians these days choose to have a civil wedding ceremony at the city hall with a handful of family members or close friends. Here, they’ll sign the marriage papers and that will be the extent of the ceremony.
Those that still follow the Russian Orthodox tradition will have the ceremony in a church, and include the traditions and rituals that are included in the tradition.
The only way to get married in Russia up until 1917 was through the Russian Orthodox Church. With the rise of the Soviet Union, the church had less influence and religious weddings became less popular. In the last few decades, however, Orthodox weddings have once again gained popularity.
3. Russian Orthodox Wedding Ceremonies
The Betrothal
Before the couple makes their way into the church for the beginning of the ceremony, they will have their rings blessed by the priest. Candles are lit and more prayers are spoken. This service is also when the couple is officially engaged to one another.
The Crowning
The crowning is the second half of the wedding ceremony. Here the couple stands on a piece of rose-colored cloth as the priest places a crown on each of their heads. The crowns are meant to symbolize that the couple are to be king and queen of their future marital domain. After taking three sips of wine, the couple will follow the priest three times around the room to symbolize their journey into married life.
4. Russian Wedding Dress
Historically, the Russian wedding dress is red to symbolize joy and happiness. Brides will wear a safaran, a sleeveless vest completed with a blouse and an ornately decorated headpiece.
In modern Russian weddings it’s not uncommon for brides to opt for the traditional white wedding dress and a veil.
5. Smashing Crystal Glass
It’s still quite a popular tradition across religious and nonreligious Russian sectors to have the smashing glass ceremony. At any point during the wedding, couples will take crystal glasses and throw them as hard as they possibly can against the floor. The amount of shards on the floor is supposed to represent the number of years that the couple will be happily married.
6. Releasing the Balloon
After the ceremony, the bride will sometimes release a balloon into the air with her maiden name written on it. This act is supposed to symbolize letting go of her old life, and beginning her new life together with her husband.
7. Russian Wedding Witness
It used to be a legal requirement for at least two witnesses (svideteli) to be present at the wedding ceremony. Even though it’s no longer the law, couples still often choose their closest friends or family members to be present when signing the marriage papers.
8. Tour of the City
One of the most unique traditions in Russia is the post-ceremony city tour. This is where couples travel to different historical sights to rub statues for good luck and get some quality wedding photos.
In St. Petersburg, couples will travel to the Bronze Horseman statue to pose for pictures, or make a quick stop at the monument of Peter the Great. Rubbing the toes of the marble Atlanti statue or holding hands in the Rostrum Column are both supposed to bring good luck.
9. Gorko!
As you can imagine Russian weddings don’t hold back on the booze. Throughout the evening you can expect to hear people yelling “gorko!” a lot. “Gorko” translates to “bitter” and is said after a toast to encourage the newlyweds to kiss and take the bitter taste out of their mouths.
It’s common for guests to count out loud how long the kiss lasts. The longer the kiss, the stronger the love.
10. Post-Wedding Traditions
As the wedding night goes on, guests are encouraged to drop money on the ground. At the end, it is the bride’s job to crawl around and pick up the money.
Another tradition is taking a bite of salty bread. Whoever takes the largest bite is said to then be the head of the household.
Officiate a Russian-American Wedding Ceremony
If you want to officiate a Russian-American wedding ceremony for one of your friends or family, get ordained online for free! You can get ordained with a number of online organizations by just filling out a simple form that only takes a couple minutes to complete. We highly suggest getting ordained with American Marriage Ministries. Once ordained, you’ll have access to a library of information to help you learn all the aspects of wedding from writing your speech to filling out the marriage license.
– Bernard Paul