Meeting the bride and groom without a traditional ransom: ideas
Bride ransom is a tradition that is becoming a thing of the past. Original options for meeting a couple in love:
- No unnecessary rituals. The groom drives up to the bride's house in a wedding cortege. He goes up to the apartment, where he asks the bride's parents for their daughter's hand in marriage. This can be combined with a blessing and the presentation of gifts. Such a meeting will look beautiful on a wedding video.
- Extreme ransom. The option is extraordinary and is suitable for grooms - industrial climbers, rescuers, firefighters, rock climbers. They get to their beloved’s apartment through a balcony or window. You can drive a lift or a fire truck to the house and effectively rise to the bride.
- Mini-concert. Men with outstanding musical, vocal or dancing abilities can give a performance. Upon arrival at the bride’s home, you need to ask her for her hand in the process of performing a creative number, demonstrating her talents.
- Buffet. The bride and groom, together with their guests, meet at a designated place (embankment, park), and after a light snack combined with a pleasant conversation, they go to the official part of the wedding at the registry office or the wedding in church.
- Romantic option. The traditional meeting of the newlyweds can be moved from the bride's home to an unusual place. It could be a park, a cafe, an embankment, a square.
If the bride and groom do not want a ransom, their meeting is organized immediately at the registry office or at an outdoor ceremony. The newlyweds arrive in different cars to the place where the ceremony will take place. This moment should be festive, accompanied by romantic music.
Timing of the wedding day, taking into account the ransom and meeting
If you decide to adhere to all traditions and make a ransom, then 15-20 minutes will be enough for this. Don't tire your guests and lovers too much.
It will take 10-15 minutes for the newlyweds to meet if the preparations took place separately. The photographer will probably want to take several shots.
For the traditional blessing of the newlyweds, include 10-15 minutes in your wedding schedule.
Outdated wedding customs
Many wedding rituals and traditions have long been outdated and seem simply incredible. With the rapid development of the modern world, most of them have lost their relevance and look truly strange from the outside.
Unusual ancient traditions at a wedding:
- Matchmaking. Wedding customs and traditions in ancient Rus' were more strict, and often the bride, as is traditional at a Turkish wedding, was not asked at all about her consent to get married. The matchmaking could take place at the most unexpected moment for the family, when it was unprepared to receive guests. The matchmakers and the groom arrived on a horse-drawn cart, decorated with bells and bright ribbons so that the future bride could hear her groom. The matchmakers talked with the bride's family at a sumptuous table, presented the parents with expensive gifts, showing their serious intentions about their daughter. On the same day, the girl’s parents had to give their answer.
- Vytie. Among the ancient wedding rituals and customs is the so-called howling, or crying of the bride before the wedding. For this ritual, a special vytnitsa was invited to the house, a woman who sang plaintive songs, under which the future bride shed bitter tears, saying goodbye to her home and family.
- Bride ransom. Redemption in ancient Rus' represented the passage of a real obstacle. First, the groom tried to go into the village, then through the gate, and only later into the house of his betrothed. The whole ceremony took place in a large company of relatives and fellow villagers, who created obstacles for the groom, who, in turn, could pay off with a coin.
Among the ancient customs one could also find:
- bridesmaids;
- hen-party,
- handshake;
- wedding;
- tradition of the first wedding night.
Games and competitions for newlyweds and guests
Wedding competition with the participation of witnesses. The essence of the entertainment is that the witness must carry the witness in his arms in different positions. Two chairs are placed opposite each other so that he can sit her down and change position each time. The main requirement: use at least 10 different poses. During this competition, cheerful music should be played at a home wedding.
Wedding competition with a rope. You will need two regular clotheslines, with spoons tied at the end of each, and several people in two teams. It is necessary to thread a rope through the participant’s clothing onto the spoon. According to the home wedding scenario, members of both teams should do this. The group that will quickly complete the task of threading a rope through all the competitors will win.
Wedding competition with the “Applying Water” relay race. According to the wedding scenario, each participant is given a plastic bottle cap and a container of water. An empty bowl is placed at the other end of the room, into which it is necessary to apply this liquid using a stopper in one minute. To make it more challenging, ask participants to transfer water by placing a cap on their lips. The one with the most liquid in the bowl will be the winner of the wedding competition.
Wedding competition “Experienced Couple”. The newlyweds, along with other couples, also take part in it. The wives each take a glass of vodka (wine) and carefully bring it to their husband. Having reached the goal, the women sit on their husbands’ laps for 1 second and they, quickly picking them up in their arms, carry everything together to the other end of the hall, just as carefully, without spilling a single precious drop of liquid. The winners of the wedding competition must drink a glass of this liquid and loudly shout “Bitter!”
You can make your wedding at home fun and exciting with a well-thought-out wedding plan. Often, a lot depends on the guests themselves, how willingly they want to take part in the wedding festivities. Don't be upset if something goes wrong. The good thing about a wedding at home is that there can be no mistakes or failed competitions. Charge those present with a good mood, improvise according to the situation right at your home celebration.
Where should a groom start preparing for his wedding?
- The groom is responsible for purchasing wedding rings. These same rings will be kept by him or his parents until the wedding day.
- The groom should take care of his appearance at the wedding. You need to choose a suit, shirt, shoes and accessories.
- Although the bouquet will belong to the bride, traditionally it is chosen and ordered by the groom. He will give flowers to the bride only on the wedding day after the ransom.
- Questions regarding ordering a wedding procession are also the responsibility of the groom. He will have to not only choose cars, order them for the desired date, but also invite decorators to themed the cars.
How much does it cost to do a ceremony?
Prices for unusual marriage registration vary depending on the region of Russia and the wishes of the bride and groom.
- Organizing independently will cost much less. If you rent the main accessories or make them yourself, and also involve friends, then you can easily spend 10-15 thousand rubles;
- In addition to this, you can use the services of a presenter or actor, which cost from 5-10 thousand rubles and more, depending on the demand and competence of this person;
- The price list for wedding agency services starts from 20-30 thousand (excluding decor) and ends in sky-high amounts;
- Inviting a civil registry office employee in those regions where this is possible will cost about 5 thousand rubles.
Wedding banquet and entertainment
A wedding banquet most often lasts about 6 hours. This is the most fun part of the wedding, which also needs planning in order to have time to do everything you wanted and on time
What is included in this part of the wedding:
- congratulations from parents and guests;
- dance breaks and competitions;
- newlyweds dance;
- Throwing a bouquet and a garter;
- dessert;
- the final.
After the banquet begins, there is no need to rush into dancing or active competitions. Guests need time to refresh themselves with hot dishes after registering the marriage and transfer to the place of celebration. While guests are enjoying themselves, invited artists can perform for them. This should take about an hour and a half.
Banquet table for guests
The entertainment part of the evening can begin with the newlyweds dancing , and then involving all the guests in the fun. When the guests move around and stop being shy, competitions and various interactive activities can begin. This will take up the bulk of the banquet, about 2.5 hours.
How the ceremony goes step by step
We have looked at the main points of preparation, and now about how the ceremony itself takes place step by step.
Site preparation. Decoration of the site should not be done on the eve of the ceremony, since decorative components (flowers on the arch, balls) can be damaged by wind or bad weather. It is better to register your place an hour or two before registration starts. This can be done either by friends of the newlyweds or by employees of the wedding agency;
Guests are collected and instructed by the registrar. To seat guests, you can use special nameplates that can be easily attached to chairs;
The role of the registrar
The registrar at a destination wedding is the most important person after the newlyweds. At the preparation stage, he will help you figure out how the ceremony is carried out, help you write an oath speech, and on the day of registration, he will direct the course of the ceremony and “combine” you in marriage; Recently, the function of bridesmaids and groomsmen has become more aesthetic
Smart, identically dressed young people look very impressive, and the dominant color of their clothes guarantees original photographs. Best men are also appointed according to tradition, but they can carry out individual instructions for the newlyweds, help with seating guests, organizing a buffet table;
The order of appearance of the groomsmen and bridesmaids. You can make the ceremony brighter by having young friends appear. First the groom's friends walk along the path, then the bridesmaids. They stop along the path, forming a living corridor of people closest to the newlyweds; This is followed by the ceremonial exit of the young people and their procession to the arch;
The registrar's speech may include introducing the newlyweds to the guests, voicing the reason for the celebration, inviting the newlyweds to say vows prepared in advance and, of course, the most important question to the bride and groom (“Do you agree...?); As soon as the “yes” is heard, the newlyweds seal their union with rings and/or sign the marriage certificate;
Registration usually ends with a buffet, during which pleasant music plays, and those present can congratulate the newly-made spouses. Newlyweds can also devote some time to a photo shoot.
Day – trip to the registry office, wedding, walk
When the newlyweds have already gathered, a decent bride price has been paid, the necessary documents and money have been entrusted to the responsible person - you can go along the finish line to family life - to the registry office to register the marriage. It would seem that we went, signed, and it was all business. But no. The wedding day plan by the hour suggests a more detailed outline of this day part of the wedding.
11.00 – Trip to the registry office
By the time they are “sent” to the registry office, the question of how the newlyweds will go to the wedding must be clearly resolved. A cortege of cars, a carriage, a bike or any other transport in which the bride and groom will travel must wait, already decorated in advance and in full readiness to set off. Whether the newlyweds will go to the registry office together or separately depends on their adherence to one or another opinion in different customs and traditions, but you should not determine the choice while standing at the door of the car. A few days before the wedding day, it is better to inquire about the optimal route to the wedding palace and the time it will take to get there. Better yet, check it out in person.
11.30 – Photo session
To avoid delays and unnecessary haste, young couples, as a rule, arrive at the registry office with a small amount of “free” time. It can be used for the next photo shoot near cars, against the background of a building, in the registry office. If your option is to plan your wedding day without a price, then you have the opportunity and time to take a couple more beautiful shots on the way to the registry office or at nearby attractions or parks.
12.00 – Marriage registration
The time has come for the most important step in arranging the personal life of each of the spouses. But for everything to go smoothly, it is necessary that 10-15 minutes before the start of the registration itself, someone (for example, witnesses or parents of the newlyweds) provides the registry office employees with all the necessary documents, checks and wedding attributes (rings, glasses, champagne) for final preparations for the ceremony. And now the doors to the celebration hall open, the wedding march sounds, and the newlyweds go to officially register their relationship.
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The scheme of the entire solemn event is the same in each registry office: an opening speech by the registrar, the exchange of consents of the newlyweds for marriage, painting, exchange of rings, possibly the first dance and a glass of champagne, as well as congratulations to the guests present at the ceremony. The moment is very important and always causes a lot of anxiety among the newlyweds, so sometimes awkward moments can arise (for example, out of excitement, one of the newlyweds may answer with consent for the other, a ring falls from trembling hands, or something like that). Therefore, it is better if during the registration itself they do not care about anything except the process itself. The bride should not worry about where to place the bouquet when exchanging rings, who will serve glasses, who will collect flowers during congratulations. All of these small (but important) concerns can be included in the list of things a mother of the bride should do on her wedding day. She, like no one else, will be able to understand, predict and cope with such organizational issues.
13.30 – Buffet at the registry office
The birth of a new family must be celebrated, and this can be done immediately after the ceremony in the building of the wedding palace. Most of them have special rooms that can be used by prior arrangement. The buffet after the wedding allows you to shake off any remaining anxiety, chat with the guests and, of course, have a snack. After all, most of the guests who were present at the painting had gathered early in the morning and were already hungry, and the wedding banquet awaits everyone only in the evening. All food, drinks and tableware must be ordered and prepared in advance.
14.00 – Walk after the wedding
This is a time for newlyweds to relax and be able to devote time to their “newly made” family. The walk after the ceremonial painting is traditionally combined with a photo shoot and shooting a wedding video. As a rule, only if a wedding is celebrated in a narrow circle of friends and relatives (up to 10-15 people), all invitees go on this walk together with the newlyweds. If there are more guests or it is not possible to take them to all the places on the walking route, then after the registry office they can go straight to the restaurant and prepare for the meeting of the newlyweds. Then only the witnesses and, possibly, the couple’s parents go for a walk with the newlyweds.
How to prepare for the celebration
The main condition for correctly drawing up a script for a wedding without competitions is the use of alternative entertainment. Just sitting at the table at home is not the format of a modern celebration.
A wedding without competitions implies the involvement of a professional host, responsible for interaction and timing. For entertainment, you should invite cover bands, organize a paper or fireworks show.
The choice of toastmaster must be approached responsibly. A young couple is advised to consider several options and choose a host who will be as close to them in spirit as possible. You can ask the potential toastmaster to present an approximate scenario for a modern wedding without competitions and traditions
It is important to take into account that the success of the holiday depends on the adequacy and professional qualities of the host.
The toastmaster at weddings of this format sets the mood. He announces guests, models toasts and congratulations so that they are not too long. The presenter's job is to invite people to the dance floor and make important announcements.
It is important to discuss the nuances of the script in advance to avoid inaccuracies
They also pay attention to the correct seating of guests. It is necessary to take into account the gender, age and interests of the invited people
Guests should sit at the same table and have something to talk about. Children can be accommodated separately by offering them a special menu.
Positive and negative sides
Before planning your holiday together, we suggest that you first familiarize yourself with all its advantages and disadvantages.
pros
- Saving money . The main costs at any wedding are, of course, organizing a banquet, which includes food, alcoholic drinks, hall rental and decoration, host, musical accompaniment, and the like. Accordingly, the more people at the celebration, the more money you need to spend. If you are organizing a holiday for only two, then almost all of the above automatically becomes unnecessary.
- You can get married absolutely on any day , because you don’t have to wait for a day off so that every relative can attend the wedding. And since you are planning a wedding without guests, then your registration will probably be informal, which will take place from Monday to Thursday.
- The opportunity to choose any beautiful place and make your dreams come true. It’s a good idea to get married abroad on a snow-white sandy beach, in some ancient castle, take a ride in a convertible or fly in a hot air balloon, in general, whatever your heart desires!
- The wedding day scenario will also depend only on the desires and fantasies of the two of you , and it will definitely not be like anyone else’s celebration.
- You can arrange a touching outdoor ceremony . To do this, you need to find someone to play the role of a registrar, as well as a beautiful place and site.
- It will be just the two of you . Many people are annoyed by large, noisy groups, while some are embarrassed to be the center of attention, while others don’t want to invite all their relatives, but they have to do this at the insistence of their parents. In your case, such points are excluded, because there are no people and no problems. You will enjoy only each other's company, which is very romantic and sweet.
- Organizing a wedding celebration for two is much simpler and easier than for a large crowd of people.
All you need to do is find a photographer, a place for a photo shoot, book a table in a restaurant and a hotel room, and, of course, get ready yourself - buy an outfit for the bride and groom, do a festive hairstyle and professional makeup. This is where the main list ends, which means you will definitely avoid pre-wedding fuss and advice from “outsiders”. Such a wedding can be organized very quickly, within a couple of months at most. - You don't have to worry about whether everyone enjoyed your day. For many newlyweds, especially girls, the opinions of others about their holiday are important. After all, a huge part is done for the invited people, so that they are satisfied: transportation, delicious food and drinks, entertainment and a music program, and a photo shoot are organized for them. And it’s quite unpleasant to find out after so much effort that everything was “not very good.” In this case, this definitely does not threaten you.
Minuses
- This decision may not be understood by parents and friends . Surely on the list of relatives there will be people of the old school who have long dreamed of going to your wedding and they will simply be offended that they were not invited. The comrades with whom you were at the celebration may even think that you “squeezed” the banquet and do not want to treat them.
- You may not get enough of each other . After all, if it’s just the two of you, then no one will shout “Bitter”, appreciate the wedding images, cry during registration, give bouquets of flowers, and generally congratulate you. Think about it, are you ready for this?
- You will be left without gifts.
So, after the above, we can conclude that the “for two” option is definitely suitable for you if:
- You have a limited budget;
- want to get married as quickly as possible;
- don’t like unnecessary hassles;
- Your family and friends will understand this choice;
- dream of a celebration abroad;
- are ready to be left without gifts and congratulations;
- don't like to be the center of attention;
- You have non-standard views and ideas about the wedding.
Way out
To prevent the family from being offended, many do the following:
- they gather their closest relatives and friends at one table and talk about their intention to get married, thereby celebrating the so-called engagement;
- they meet after marriage, treat their relatives to cake and show them wedding photos;
- invite family and friends to the registry office, accept congratulations, drink champagne, and then spend the rest of the day together;
In this case, the registration of the marriage should be solemn so that guests have the opportunity to attend the ceremony. - organizing two weddings. One just for you, for example, the day of painting, and the second for relatives, where you can arrange a staged registration and a banquet. This is not a budget option, but it will allow you privacy and not offend your loved ones.
