Wedding in Ukrainian style, original ideas for celebration

Ukrainian folk weddings are famous for their ancient, beautiful and wise customs. They are passed down from generation to generation, which indicates people’s respect for their culture. Traditional wedding in Ukrainian style will remind you of the traditions of your ancestors and will be remembered with its bright colors for a lifetime.

Wedding in Ukrainian style

Ukrainian wedding photo

Ukrainian folk wedding

Ukrainian style wedding: where does it all begin?

Traditionally, a wedding in the Ukrainian style begins with the acquaintance of the parents of the newlyweds: - Oh, listen to the news, you are bringing your son’s daughter-in-law, Charming, like a viburnum, beautiful, like a pearl...

According to ancient national customs, this action was accompanied by a certain ritual, which was popularly called matchmaking . In this case, the matchmaking day should not fall on Wednesday or Friday. These days were considered fast, which means that the owners of the house could not adequately treat their guests.

On this day, the groom's parents or his godparents came to the daughter-in-law's house, dressed in beautiful Ukrainian costumes with embroidery, accompanied by musicians:

- Hey! The matchmakers have arrived! Numo, open the doors!

They entered the house, presented the owners with gifts, met future relatives and either talked about the purpose of their visit while standing, or sat down in front of the beams that supported the ceiling in the huts. It was believed that these wooden supports symbolized “the support of the mother of the hut” - the keeper of the family hearth.

After a preliminary discussion of the details of the bride’s visit (as a rule, no one spoke directly about the purpose of the visit, everything was veiled and hidden), the matchmaker had to touch the stove and warm her hands by the fire. This gesture symbolized the seriousness of the groom’s intentions and his readiness to create his own family home.

However, it was not customary to give the girl away right away. Therefore, her parents refused the matchmakers twice, and agreed the third time. If the bride didn’t like the groom at all, then after the matchmaking she brought out watermelon and finally refused him. Then the matchmakers would leave the hut with their backs forward in order to teach the careless bride a lesson and thus “close” her path to a happy family life with another betrothed.

If the matchmakers and the bride’s parents managed to come to an agreement, then the hosts and guests symbolically exchanged loaves of bread, specially baked for this occasion, with each other, and set a day for the couple’s betrothal. Leaving the hut, they crossed themselves and walked around the festive table three times so that the future engagement would be successful.

Food and dishes

Ukrainians are hospitable people and such a significant event will be a “feast for the whole world”! Therefore, there should be a lot of everything on the table. It is ideal if the restaurant specializes in national cuisine. The menu for a festive feast may include cabbage rolls, dumplings, borscht in crispy bread pots, potato pancakes, dumplings, skewered zucchini, potatoes with cracklings, potato pancakes and, of course, loaf. It is decorated with periwinkle and viburnum - symbols of spiritual affection and fidelity. The round shape is designed to “smooth out” unpleasant turns in the fate of the newly-made family.

Plates can be replaced with clay bowls, and glasses with cups. Spoons cut from wood.

Pre-wedding preparations in Ukrainian style

A wedding in the Ukrainian style - the scenario of which is based on the traditions and customs of the Ukrainian people, requires compliance with certain rules. So, after the bridegroom ceremony, betrothal ceremony awaited the newlyweds . It involved tying the hands of the bride and groom with a ribbon by the eldest member of the family. According to Ukrainian folk custom, in this way the older generation gave their blessing to the marriage of two lovers. At the same time, this action was carried out over a freshly baked loaf or grain, accompanied by folk jokes and jokes. At the end of the engagement, the future spouses exchanged improvised rings made of grass and flowers and placed wreaths on each other’s heads. The wedding day was announced:

- Oh, ring the bell in the yard. Oh, ring the bell. It’s sacred to call all people together for fun!

Ultra-fashionable wedding dresses with embroidery from Roksolana Bogutska

A combination of elegant luxury and bold modernity, a symbiosis of Ukrainian ethnic motifs and progressive fashion trends. This is exactly how the Roksolana Bogutska brand sees the bride.

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Wedding in Ukrainian style: bride price

Finally, the day of the wedding ceremony came and the time when the groom had to ransom the bride (not a single wedding scenario in the Ukrainian style can do without this custom).

On this day, the house where the bride lives was decorated with multi-colored satin ribbons and flowers (if possible, sunflowers, which are a symbol of light and prosperity). In front of the entrance to the house, festive rugs with Ukrainian embroidery were laid out, and a small table decorated with towels was installed. The owners placed on it wicker baskets with fruits and vegetables, glasses, a bottle of vodka, painted dishes with dumplings and lard.

The groom rode up on a trio of horses decorated with flowers and ribbons. He was met by the bride's friends and groomsmen, dressed in national Ukrainian costumes. Among the girls, the groom had to find his bride, who was carefully hidden from him. To do this, he took a sunflower and, tearing off the petals, gave a description of the bride, calling her in gentle and beautiful words.

Then the bride's parents came to the groom and said that they were not going to give up their daughter just like that. They asked him to undergo certain tests, for example, in one of them the groom had to guess from the shape of dumplings or dumplings in which product a coin was hidden. And if he guessed right, it meant that the newlyweds’ life would be long and rich. Or he had to demonstrate his love for the lady by tying the towel in a knot as tightly as he loves the girl. Then he untied it with the same speed. If he did this easily, they said that in such a family there would be no conflicts or quarrels.

If the groom failed to pass any of the tests, he would perform a task, such as singing or dancing. And after each test, the bride’s friends and parents periodically asked the groom if he had changed his mind. All competitions and tasks during the bride price were accompanied by jokes and jokes. And finally, after all the ordeals, the long-awaited meeting of the newlyweds took place, who hugged and went to sign their names to the enthusiastic cries of their relatives.

Examples of wedding scenarios and competitions can be selected to suit every taste.

Bridal dresses of different styles with embroidery from Oksana Polonets

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The design studio of designer Oksana Polonets offers brides embroidered dresses of different lengths and styles, because every girl wants to choose her ideal wedding dress that will highlight her figure.

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Carrying out wedding ceremonies

After the young couple tied the knot, they returned home. On the threshold they were met by relatives and parents “with bread and sallu”, and girlfriends and friends lined up in a kind of stream of towels. They stood in front of their parents and invited the young people to go through this “living corridor.” The newlyweds approached their parents, bowed to them and, having received a blessing, broke off a piece of the loaf. In this case, the bride had to dip her piece in salt and feed it to the groom, and the groom had to do the same with his piece.

After this, the newlyweds, as well as the guests, were invited to the festive table and began to accept congratulations, while their parents at this time underwent the ceremony of twinning. The ritual implied the participation of both parents and young spouses, and was also a symbol of the unity of two families. To establish family ties, the parents of both spouses exchanged ritual words and embraced each other. The action was accompanied by jokes and folk songs.

The next very colorful ritual was the “Choboty” wedding ceremony. During it, the son-in-law had to buy or make improvised shoes for his mother-in-law and put them on, after first taking measurements and washing her feet. This theatrical performance ended with a dance between the mother-in-law and the son-in-law.

Then came the moment of covering the bride. During this ceremony, the groom's mother took off the bride's veil and covered her head with a scarf. With this gesture, she seemed to be telling her daughter-in-law that her girlish life was in the past and a serious family relationship awaited her. The mother-in-law passed the veil to the bride's unmarried friends, who took turns putting it on their heads.

At the end of the wedding celebration, the parents of the newlyweds performed a ceremony of transferring the family fire to the new family. To do this, they lit a candle for the newlyweds, collecting a small “spark” from each family. The lights went out. The guests stood in a circle, making congratulatory speeches to the young people, and saw them off with instructive speeches and cheerful songs:

May we live happily in peace and love. May the Lord grant you healthy children!

Snow-white midi dress with embroidery from Ethno Chic Studio

Midi is back in trend this spring, so snow-white wedding options from Ethno Chic Studio are more relevant than ever.

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Decorating a wedding in Ukrainian style: what should you remember?

When choosing a wedding in Ukrainian style, do not forget about the following points:

About the choice of premises for the wedding ceremony (the ceremony hall should be decorated using Ukrainian national motifs).
About ordering clothes for the bride and groom (the bride should be dressed in a white dress with elements of Ukrainian embroidery, belted with a red belt or ribbon, she should have a wreath on her head, and the groom should be dressed in a national embroidered shirt and trousers or dark trousers of his choice, also belted red belt).
About the purchase of Ukrainian embroidered shirts, wreaths and other Ukrainian paraphernalia (guests, toastmasters and musicians must also wear national costumes).
About souvenirs and symbolic prizes for guests (Ukrainian amulets and crafts made from wicker can be used as souvenirs).
About the choice of the presenter (roles must be distributed and rehearsed in advance).
About choosing a vehicle (for example, you can come to the Civil Registry Office in a horse-drawn cart, which will correspond to the chosen wedding theme).
About the design of invitations (they must also be made in the same Ukrainian style).
About competitions and entertainment for guests (for example, you can organize a competition “Karaoke of Ukrainian folk songs”, a competition for the best dumpling “Darling, make dumplings”, etc.).

I would like to say a few words about the bride’s outfit. This could be a white loose-fitting dress in the style of Natasha Rostova or a fitted mini-dress with a tapered skirt. The main thing is that it has embroidery with poppy motifs (image of blooming poppies with green leaves) and ethnic elements. Most often, on such outfits you can also find decorated appliqués made of beads and rhinestones. You can also find dresses with elements of artistic painting, decorated with red ribbons and artificial flowers. It is advisable for the bride to wear red shoes and a red satin ribbon or wreath on her head. If desired, you can weave ribbons and flowers into your hair. And, of course, complement the look with bright accessories and jewelry: beads, handbag, earrings and other details should match.

In conclusion, let's say: if you follow our advice, your wedding in Ukrainian style - photos of which can be decorated with any photo album - will become the most unforgettable event in your family life!

Vyshyvanka by Vita Kin

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And Masha Efrosinina, Ksenia Sobchak and even Hayden Panettiere appeared in embroidered shirts from Vita Kin. Take a look, and maybe you’ll like something for the most important day in a girl’s life.

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We hope that after what you saw, you discovered another fashionable stylistic direction that you can use for your wedding. How do you feel about walking down the aisle in an embroidered shirt?

Let's move on to decoration

I have already described the image of the most important wedding decoration, let's move on to other elements of wedding decoration.

As you can imagine and remember, the features of the chosen surroundings are color. You can use blue and yellow as a basis. If you show a little creativity and imagination, you can also include turquoise and orange colors. They will harmonize perfectly and fill everything around with bright colors, be it an open area for a photo shoot or a restaurant hall.

I liked the unusual and original design idea in a classic style. I thought that if we added a little glaze to it, we could achieve the desired atmosphere. Although, on the other hand, if your celebration, as they say, is “not to its fullest,” but simply with some motives of this direction, then this table design will be just perfect.

I would like to highlight the wedding cake. A competent pastry chef will be able to create an unforgettable work of art.

And you can create some options yourself, for example, this beautiful, but quite simple to decorate cake.

And here is a master class with the idea of embroidery. You can make sure that there is nothing complicated.

Or you can look at the article in which I talk about how you can decorate wedding sweets with fresh flowers.

I found pictures of wedding glasses and thought I simply had to share them.

And here is a master class on creating such wine glasses.

Original ideas for invitations to celebrations.

Such an invitation will immediately make it clear that this is not a simple wedding, but with a cunning and cheerful intention.