Wedding in Ukraine | Express Digest

Ukrainian wedding is one of the most emblematic ceremonies in Ukrainian culture. By its scope, this holiday can not be compared with any other celebration. Wedding in Ukraine can not be imagined without a variety of traditions and customs that have remained unchanged for many years. Our experts from https://ukrainian-ladies.net/ prepared information about traditions and customs of Ukrainian wedding to our respected readers.

Preparing for the celebration

Usually, the bride and groom begin preparing for the wedding a few months before the celebration. People choose their outfits, rings, gifts to guests. Much attention is paid to the preparation of the menu. The most important thing for a woman is a wedding dress.

In Ukraine, its traditional color is white. Light shade is considered a symbol of purity and a bright future. Recently, beige and ivory have become very popular. Grooms in most cases prefer black suits with a tie or bow tie. A lot of people believe that the outfits must be new, otherwise it may bring discord in the family.

An integral attribute of the young attire is a veil. Even in ancient times people believed that it protects the bride from evil spirits. Nowadays every wedding is complete with Ukraine wedding rings. Gold rings are a symbol of the sincere and serious intentions of people to live with each other for life.

Traditional wedding rings do not have gems. It is believed that smooth products will make family life just as smooth and carefree. Ukrainian wedding ceremony is hard to imagine without the traditional embroidered “towel”. In these products red color prevails, which symbolizes life, sun and fertility.

There are several types of towels that are used for different purposes:

to tie the hands of newlyweds;
to greet a married couple with a loaf;
to decorate icons;
during the civil ceremony, the newlyweds make their first step on the towel. It is believed, that the person who will step first, will be the leader in the family.

Upon completion of the main stages of preparation for the wedding, the bride and groom send invitations to guests. These products can be purchased or made by hand. The wedding invitation in most cases is made according to the general style.

Ukrainian wedding traditions and customs

Nowadays, the popularity of ancient folk rituals is reviving. Therefore, the usual Ukrainian wedding turns into a loud celebration, filled with symbolism and love for the culture of their country. You can check further information about Wedding in Ukraine in our blog: https://ukrainian-ladies.net/wedding-ukraine/.

There is a wide variety of wedding in Ukraine traditions, but the most important are:

Matchmaking. The groom picks up the matchmakers and goes to the house where the bride lives. He should stock up on gifts for the whole family and grab treats with him, which demonstrates his thrift and generosity. In the course of matchmaking, newlyweds receive blessings from their parents, and families get to know each other more closely.
Bachelor party and hen party. A lot of believe that the tradition of gathering before the wedding with their friends came to us from the West. However, it is misconception. Many years ago, on the eve of the wedding, friends and girlfriends came to the bride and groom. The girls were engaged in needlework and prepared gifts for the bridegroom and guests. The groom said goodbye to bachelor life with his close friends.
Bride price. Immediately before the celebration, the bridegroom must pay a bride price. As a rule, on the threshold of the house he is met by the bridesmaids and relatives of the bride, whose task is to prevent theft of the woman without proper redemption.

Ukrainian wedding blessing. This ritual is usually performed before the ceremony. In its course, relatives and friends bless the couple. Parents give their best wishes to newlyweds and bless them for a happy and prosperous marriage.
The official ceremony in the registry office. When the young are finally reunited after all the “obstacles”, they go to the registry office to officially register their marriage. During the ceremony, the couple stand on an embroidered towel, drink sparkling champagne and break glasses. Nowadays it is very fashionable to hold the exit ceremonies. Newlyweds can choose any place in nature where they can swear to each other.
Pronunciation of wedding toasts. Ukrainian wedding is famous for its toasts. Virtually every toast ends with the famous phrase “bitterly”, which means that the bride and groom should kiss.
Bride kidnapping. In the process of celebration, the bride disappears more than once, and is held captive by her friends. The bride is released only when the groom fulfills all the conditions.
Bride dance with unmarried girls. All lonely ladies are invited by the bride to the dance floor for a joint dance. For each girl, a young woman dresses a veil. It is believed that unmarried women will find their destiny more quickly.

Wedding in the church

Wedding in the church is held only after the official registration of marriage. The church ceremony is considered one of the seven sacraments, and therefore must be carefully prepared.

The ritual consists of two stages: betrothal and coronation. Each of them has a special meaning. The newlyweds give the priest their rings, with which he must make a sign of the cross over the heads of the newlyweds. Rings are symbols of engagement. They express the fact that spouses will completely fill each other.

The bride and groom should pick up the candles and keep them throughout the entire service. Candles are a symbol of the willingness of spouses to accept Christ. It should be noted that the embroidered towels are used not only in the registry office, but also in the church. The couple gets up on the embroidered canvas to start a new life together and indicate that they are ready to go a long way together.

During the sacrament of the wedding crowns are placed on the heads of the newly married spouses. It symbolizes the creation of a new kingdom, which the couple will manage together. Thus, spouses must understand that their marriage is a partnership. After this, the priest leads the young people in a circle around the table on which the cross stands.

Then the couple returns to their seats, the priest blesses the bride and groom, and the ceremony is considered completed. After official and church ceremonies, the newlyweds and their guests go to the banquet, where the celebration of the wedding continues.

This is the most desired part of the celebration. It should be noted that modern banquets are held in almost the same style as the celebrations of ancestors. People in Ukraine is used to celebrate the second day of the wedding. It is also associated with a lot of traditions.

As a rule, the entrance to the building where the celebration takes place is blocked, and money is required from the guests for the passage. There is such a tradition – to roll the parents of the newlyweds on the cart. Such walks, as a rule, end in swimming.

At the end of the holiday, the youngsters cut the cake and thank their guests for sharing this day with them. Wedding ceremony in Ukraine is very interesting and full of different events.

Traditional Ukrainian wedding gifts

Despite the fact that the wedding ceremony is one of the ancient rites, the tradition of presenting gifts on this day appeared much later. The story says that this happened for the first time by chance, when a young couple tied their fates against the permission of their relatives.

All guests invited to the wedding wanted to help the newlyweds who were left without the support of their relatives, so they brought various gifts with them. They gave various household items, dishes, linens, and everything that could help to arrange a new home.

Nowadays, mainly, people give money and flowers for the wedding. Money gift will allow newlyweds to choose everything they need. It is practical and convenient. Gifts in most cases are presented only the closest relatives who know exactly what the spouses need in a new home.

Who pays for wedding in Ukraine?

The wedding of each couple is individual, so planning financial issues can be completely different. Unlike the traditions of conducting the ceremony, in this case there is no single scheme. However, there are several standard options for the allocation of financial responsibilities.

As a rule, young people try to count on their own strength, and only then turn to parents for help. Usually both parties get together and discuss important issues. There are options when parents pay for the celebration equally. There are men, who take full responsibility themselves, or pay the wedding with their parents.

Hundreds of years ago, it was believed that the groom’s side should pay for the banquet, because the parents of the bride had been preparing a chest with a dowry since her childhood. It does not matter how you distribute the budget, only one tradition remains unchanged – the bride should buy wedding rings.

It does not depend on who pays for the celebration. Most modern couples believe that if they are ready for the wedding, they should pay for everything themselves. Nowadays, more and more often we can observe how in many modern weddings the traditions of the old Ukrainian people are repeated.

This becomes most relevant while organizing the entertainment part of the celebration. Every ceremony takes place in a cheerful spirit and with laughter. A lot of people believe that keeping traditions will help strengthen the bond between the bride and groom and make the marriage happy.

About authors

We believe that our articles can help you to understand your parthner better and also can help resolve problems in your relationships. We are team of enthusiasts who help people keep their relationships healthy and long-lasting. Read more at ukrainian-ladies.net.