OPINION AND COMMENTS
A WEDDING DAY IN RUSSIA
Usually in Russia a wedding takes place at the
weekend, on Saturday or/and Sunday. A bride and a
groom spend the night before the wedding in different
places and as a rule, these are their parents’ homes. The
wedding day for the bride begins very early, sometimes
at 6 or 7 a.m., to do her make-up, have her hair styled,
to put on her wedding dress and be in time at the
registration office. Traditionally the bride’s wedding
dress is white or pastel colours, but she can choose
whatever she likes for her dress, even black.
The groom wears a formal suit or a dinner jacket with
a tie or bow tie. He attaches a pretty flower to the lapel of
his jacket. In the morning he comes to the bride’s house
with his friends, at the same time other guests arrive,
dressed in beautiful clothes with flowers for the bride.
The best man and the bridesmaid are chosen from
close friends and relatives, but legally their presence is
not necessary.
When the groom comes to the bride’s house he
cannot come inside because at the entrance the bride’s
friends, girls in general, wait for him. He is expected to
participate in different funny competitions and quizzes
and they also make him do a romantic declaration
of love. He has to successfully answer all questions
correctly and do all the girls’ tasks with help from his
friends, boys in general. If he is unable to do something
he gives gifts for the girls. It can be money, sweets,
fruits, toys or a bottle of champagne. When he passes
all tests they allow him to go inside to the bride’s home
and to give her the wedding bouquet of flowers.
The parents say parting wishes and bless their
children. Then all people go to the registration office
in cars that are decorated with flowers, balloons and
ribbons. The wedding procession has stops at lovely
places to take photos, to drink champagne and
congratulate the newlyweds. The ceremony takes
place at the registration office, where the wedding
march from “Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Felix
Mendelssohn plays. The guests witness the couple
exchange rings as a sign of true love and then they are
declared as Husband and Wife. In the final phase of the
ceremony the new wife and husband light a candle,
designating their family’s hearth, and dance a waltz.
When the couple leave the registration office guests
shower them with rose petals, small coins and grains,
wishing them wealth. After that guests and the pair go
to a restaurant for a reception. At the entrance of the
restaurant the newlyweds’ parents meet them first with
bread and salt. This is an old Russian tradition to meet
14 missLINGVA / June, 2015
very important guests or visitors with a round loaf of
bread and salt. In a token of respe