Things to remember when planning a Russian Wedding
To each, their own. Every culture has its own beliefs, customs and traditions in doing almost everything. Weddings are no exception. In western cultures, there are a few traditions followed like the “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”, the throwing of the bouquet, the garter belt, etc. In Asia, the newlyweds are showered with rice to bless them with prosperity. All over the world, wherever you go, there will be a unique and interesting wedding tradition to be seen. Here are a few Russian wedding traditions.
May Weddings
In the Western world, weddings are usually slated for June as it is the perfect season for weddings with flowers in full bloom, without the withering heat of the summer. As for Russian weddings, any time of the year is okay, except for May. May is considered an unlucky wedding month as weddings that take place in May are destined to end in failure. There is a theory that the reason behind this is that May sounds like a Russian word that translates roughly to pain/suffering. Much like the Far East nations consider the number 4 unlucky because it sounds like the word for death.
Ring handling
It is said that when either of the wedding rings are dropped during the ceremony is a bad omen. Bad things are to befall the newlyweds if this is to happen. This is why handling of the rings are of utmost importance. The groom should take care not to drop the ring as he fits it on his bride’s finger. And vice-versa. Also, the bride should not handle the empty ring box after the ring has been slipped on her finger, thus, this box should be handled or taken by a bridesmaid, not necessarily the maid of honor, who wishes to marry soon as the blessing is then passed on to her.
The Head of the Family and the Master of the Home
A Russian wedding involves having to go to the Registry office to officially register their marriage. It is said, that whoever steps first on the Registry office’s carpet or threshold will be the head of the family. And akin to English beliefs, whoever crosses the home’s threshold first, will take charge as master of the home. To avoid squabbles, I’d suggest stepping both at the same time.
The Bridal Shoe
This is another thing that people watch out for in a Russian wedding. A Russian brides shoe must not encounter any “accidents” as this spells bad luck for the newlyweds. These can range from a heel break or a strap breaking, etc. Though on the flip side, brides tend to place a coin on their left shoe to bless them with luck on their married life. There is also a counterpart for the males as they also put money in their boots so that when his new wife removes his boots after the wedding festivities, the money serves as his reward for the submission of the wife.