When planning their weddings, many couples focus on European traditions. There's nothing wrong with that - why not borrow something interesting? But we also have amazing traditions that can be brought to life at a modern event and, despite the simplicity and accessibility of the ideas, amaze guests to the core! This is especially good to do at a winter wedding. In Rus', this holiday in the cold season was distinguished by entertainment and fun. Why not pay tribute to your ancestors and hold a wedding, albeit not exactly like them, but close to it? Let's talk about Russian weddings in winter in more detail.
Table
Pay special attention to treats. The table should literally be “crowded” with an abundance of food and drinks. The Russian menu will definitely offer soup in pots, stuffed pig, goose with apples, black grouse or hazel grouse.
You can please your guests with veal jelly, sterlet, prepare pies with mushrooms, cut homemade chicken or boiled pork. You will be licking your fingers with baked fruits, berries, and pies with various fillings. You can drink to the health of the newlyweds with the following drinks: kvass, liqueur, vodka, tinctures, fruit drinks, etc. It is best to refrain from fried cuisine, and stew, bake and boil all meat and vegetables.
Where to celebrate
Indoor locations are, of course, prime wedding venues during the colder months.
Restaurant or cafe
The most common option in winter, where you definitely won’t freeze; also, most likely, there is already everything you need for your banquet, and the decoration will take very little time. The main thing is to find a beautiful room, because most of your photos will be taken there. A fireworks display outside will be a great end to the evening.
Rent a country cottage
A house in a winter forest is a very suitable place for a holiday in the cold, especially if it has a fireplace and wooden furniture. By the way, if it’s not too cold, then you can arrange the registration and photo session right on the street, and then go inside the building to warm up and celebrate. This way, your entire wedding day will take place in one place, which is a big plus for many. There is no need to spend money on a limousine and waste time on the road, moving from one place to another.
Rent a club, hotel, holiday home or camp site outside the city
In principle, this option is similar to the previous one, only it differs in a large area and territory. This solution is suitable for a luxurious wedding with a large number of guests, who, by the way, can easily be accommodated right in the same hotel and they will not have to leave immediately after the banquet.
Shed in a woods
This idea is suitable for a modest wedding celebration with a small number of guests. It’s also not much different from the two previous ideas: you can arrange a photo shoot and on-site registration in nature, but save on renting a huge house.
Images of the bride and groom
The main wedding colors, according to Russian traditions, are red and white. Their shades can be used both in the images of the bride and groom, and in festive decorations.
Of course, you can dress in traditional Russian wedding costumes (the bride in a sundress, the groom in a red embroidered belted shirt and trousers). But most couples prefer stylization, because it gives room for imagination. The bride can wear a dress with embroidery or painting, or complement a classic outfit with a richly embroidered belt, bright beads, and decorate her head with a wreath or kokoshnik. Groom - choose a traditional suit, combining it with a red shirt or with a braid at the collar. Or you can stick to regular linen trousers and a shirt. Also, the bride’s dress can be “insulated”, for example knitted. It will be successfully complemented by a beautiful down shawl.
Since we are talking about the cold season, do not forget to take care of outerwear. It will not only keep you warm in the cold, but will also look original in photographs. A warm loose-fitting coat or fur coat of the bride is complemented with red boots, a bright scarf, and a fur hat. The groom can dress up in a sheepskin coat. Especially brave grooms are offered hats with earflaps. Don't forget about mittens - they are relevant for both future newlyweds.
Let the bride's bouquet be bright. It can be made from flowers, branches of coniferous plants, bunches of rowan and viburnum. And pine cones, nuts and even apples are often used as additional decoration.
It would be appropriate to use all kinds of braiding options in the bride's hairstyle. Makeup is at the discretion of the newlywed, but the brightness of the lips and cheeks is welcome!
Treat
A Russian wedding in winter involves generous food. Firstly, the Russian people have always been famous for their hospitality. Secondly, cold weather encourages you to enjoy hearty and tasty dishes.
What to serve? Undoubtedly, traditional Russian food. These include pickles, pies with all kinds of fillings, caviar, pancakes, and herring. The highlight of the program can be baked pig or goose. Hot, rich soups - borscht, solyanka or aromatic fish soup - would also be appropriate. Don’t forget about traditional drinks: fruit drinks, kvass, sbiten, mead, berry liqueurs, herbal tinctures, vodka.
The cake can be traditional single-tiered or multi-tiered, decorated in Russian style. This confectionery product can be replaced with a large fruit pie or even a loaf.
Children will love the presence of cockerels on a stick on the sweet table. However, such sweets can be prepared as gifts for everyone present.
Wedding signs and beliefs in winter
A wedding is a huge event in a person’s life. On this day, people who have found their soul mate enter into a union of two hearts and take a vow of fidelity to each other. Such a wedding ceremony is very solemn and exciting for the newlyweds and their relatives, because this tradition is surrounded by all sorts of signs and superstitions, even if it is a winter wedding.
- There is a strong wind on the wedding day - life for the newlyweds will be windy.
- A wedding in the cold means a strong union and longevity for the spouses; in addition, if the frost intensifies on this day, then the first-born will be a strong, healthy boy.
- If the wedding is on a snowy day - to a wealthy, prosperous life.
- If a wedding is celebrated on Maslenitsa, there will always be prosperity in the house.
Everyone knows that people who get married in winter are hardworking and conscientious. So, long live winter weddings! After all, winter, like no other time of year, is associated with purity and fairy tales, bringing incomparable magic to the holiday atmosphere. And to further enhance the effect, you need to apply the following ideas at your wedding celebration.
Images of newlyweds
In winter, the bride faces a particularly pressing question of how to dress fashionably and beautifully for a wedding; here, of course, it is better to opt for an outfit made of thick fabric. There are plenty of ideas for styles of such dresses:
- with long lace sleeves, collars or completely closed;
- Options with a lot of decor look very beautiful and expensive, these can be precious stones, embroidery, rhinestones or pearls;
- Modern designers also offer models with fur, in which you will look like a real snow queen.
Winter bridesmaid dress
The first thing you should take care of when choosing a wedding dress is the warmth and comfort of the bride. Graceful shawls, snow-white wedding coats and fur capes, elegant gloves and warm white boots will help you in this matter. Play with contrast: you can wear a bright shawl with a white dress - it will become a wonderful accent in your outfit. Of course, in winter, give preference to closed dresses, and crystals and rhinestones will add beauty to your dress.
winter bridal look
Outfit
Pompous, luxurious, painted. The bride can choose the style of a simple sundress, cover herself with a warm scarf, shawl or cape, or wear a rich outfit of a Russian noblewoman. But for the groom, the choice is somewhat limited, because a blouse, belted with a bright sash, does not always fit the style of a winter celebration. The usual “classics” of a dark or light shade, a shirt, a sleeveless vest are allowed.
Together with the bride, the young man must create a complete color composition, so accessories and some elements of clothing must be repeated. Try on hats with earflaps, embroidered shirts and spacious sundresses, repeating the Slavic style. High chrome boots, shoes or felt boots - choose for yourself: some will be more authentic, and some will be more official.
Invitation cards: winter wedding in Russian style
You can surprise your guests with handmade invitations in Russian folk style. You can use authentic “sketches” next to the date and names of friends and relatives. Feel free to decorate paper “letters” with nesting dolls, pine cones, straw, gingerbread cookies or jars of honey. Miniature drawings or prints in the form of a samovar, apples, pancakes, lollipop, etc. are suitable.
As a rule, guests at the ceremony are greeted completely differently than in the metropolis. No taxis, only sleighs and harnessed horses. Decorate the impression of your guests with warm blankets and fur skins, warming the way to the restaurant.
Pros and cons of the season
Advantages
- Very low prices for all wedding services. And you don’t have to stand in lines at the registry office to submit an application and choose the desired date, which will probably be free.
- Your photos will resemble a real winter fairy tale , among snow-covered nature. And only at this time can you do an original photo shoot on a skating rink or sled.
- If you are going to fly away on a honeymoon, then this will be a great opportunity not only to relax, but also to have a hot summer right in the middle of a cold winter and go to a warm country.
Flaws
- The most important negative point is considered to be frosty weather . It is because of this that newlyweds rarely manage to have a photo shoot outside and have to come up with places to hide from the cold and take wedding photos. Also, due to weather conditions, it is almost impossible to conduct on-site registration.
- If you do decide to shoot outdoors, you will need to properly insulate yourself and warn your guests about this in advance. A large amount of winter and heavy clothing can cause discomfort for both the newlyweds and their guests, which is also a disadvantage.
- Prices for flowers are quite , but their variety is very small.
- Expensive vegetables and fruits . Also, don’t forget about New Year’s corporate parties and holidays. At this time, you need to try to find a free cafe or restaurant, the rental prices of which will not be low.
- Sometimes there is a thaw , so it is worth remembering that both white snow and dirty puddles are possible outside. In this case, you need to be extremely careful so as not to get dirty.
Organization of winter weddings
Wedding entertainment
The only thing that can limit your imagination in organizing this part of the wedding is bad weather. It’s good if the winter day chosen for the celebration will please you with sunshine, light frost, and snow (not slush). In this case, many ideas can be brought to life for entertaining the newlyweds and guests, as well as for a photo shoot (instead of a banal idle walk around the city’s attractions):
- a visit to the ice skating rink , by the way, and the wedding ceremony itself (outside) at the skating rink would be very original;
- downhill sledding (if possible, skiing/snowboarding);
- A snowball fight can be a variation of the traditional bride price - if the groom's team fights with the bridesmaids.
Winter wedding
Bride's image
The main requirement for a newlywed's outfit is that it must be appropriate for the weather (otherwise the honeymoon will turn into a sick leave). Regarding the style of the outfit , there are countless options.
For example, a traditional Russian outfit: a cozy muff, a fur coat or a warm cape embroidered with beads, a bright Pavlovo Posad scarf or an openwork Orenburg “gossamer” on the shoulders, warm light boots with fur or elegant felt boots. You shouldn’t forget about the groom either; by the way, his outfit can be complemented with a hat with earflaps. Provided, of course, that it suits him.
Winter wedding
The bride's bouquet can also be seasonal. And not only to fit into the style of the celebration and match the bride’s outfit. Flowers from a wedding bouquet must withstand the frost resistance test. Or they can be unusually replaced with pine cones, spruce branches, bright berries and other things, making an original, truly “winter” accessory.
By the way, both the hairstyle and the bride’s headdress for the winter celebration must be chosen appropriately. A veil, for example, can be replaced with a beautiful (and warm) hat with a veil, and instead of flowers, you can add “winter” elements to your hairstyle: hairpins in the shape of snowflakes, bright winter berries, etc.
Winter wedding
Wedding decorations
Not only such global things as a young woman’s wedding dress should emphasize the beauty and unusualness of a winter wedding. In each element of the celebration you can add a small “winter” accent.
In the design of the banquet hall (decoration of the arch, tables, chair backs) you can use the attributes of the winter holidays. Snowflakes, fir branches, cones, Christmas tree decorations, light garlands and much more are suitable here. Attention can be paid to such little things as wedding glasses, invitations, birthday cake, wedding procession.
Winter wedding
Decor
A Russian wedding in winter looks very elegant and bright due to the use of traditional paraphernalia in the decoration of indoor or outdoor areas. The design can include red apples, nesting dolls, bundles of bagels and bagels, wooden and earthenware, Gzhel, Khokhloma, towels, and red ribbons. And how can you get by in winter without a pot-bellied, cheerfully puffing samovar? It will not only become a decorative element, but will also kindly serve everyone present with aromatic hot tea!
You can also choose one main topic. For example, Gzhel or Khokhloma. Then it will be easier to combine all the decorative elements with each other.
Winter weather signs
In our time, no one has canceled the laws of nature, so you can observe natural phenomena and draw conclusions about the coming weather. Signs of winter weather have been developed over centuries, which have served people for hundreds of years as the only source of future weather. Therefore, they significantly influence the choice of the date of the celebration.
- If at the end of October the leaves from birches and oaks do not completely fall, then expect a cold winter, and if the leaves fall completely, then the winter is expected to be warm.
- In frosty weather, water or snow pellets appear on the ice, or smoke from chimneys deflects downwards and spreads across the ground - a thaw should be expected in the near future.
- Sparrows sit quietly on trees or on buildings - there will be snow, but if they chirp in unison - it means it will warm up.
- Smoke falls on the ground without wind - expect snow, rises from the chimney in a column - it means frost.
- If the crows croak in the whole flock - it means frost, if they sit on the ground - it means thaw, and settle down on the lower branches of trees - expect wind.
- If it is clear on a winter day, and in the evening in calm weather the entire sky is gradually covered with a foggy layer of low stratus clouds, the frost will weaken, and light snow may fall.
- If there is heavy snow at night or early in the morning with a light wind, clear, sunny weather will set in during the day.
- If after a snowfall a squirrel leaves its nest, climbs down from a tree, and runs around in the snow, the weather will soon be calm.
- If the sun rises red and even at a red dawn, there will be a blizzard.
- A cat sits in the stove - to frost, scratches the floor - to wind and blizzard, scratches the wall with its claws - to bad weather, sleeps soundly or lies belly up - to warmth.
- A circle around the sun or a month in winter foreshadows prolonged snowstorms with frosts.
- The ice is cracking - the frosty weather has not set in for long.
- The north wind has blown, there are no clouds - it will be frosty.
- Fluffy frost on trees and bushes - expect a sunny day.
- The snow under your feet is very hard, and voices can be heard far away - it will be colder.
- The sun sets in a large cloud - a snowstorm is possible.
- A clear blue sky in winter means clear, stable weather.
- The higher the chicken sits on the roost, the stronger the frost will be.
To correctly predict the wedding date, it is desirable that several natural signs coincide. Even those people who do not believe in omens can check the weather predictions of our ancestors. You just have to look around you, pick up a sign, and check your forecast in a few hours.
Some useful tips
- Plan your time carefully. In winter, the days are shorter, so a trip to the registry office, a wedding walk and a photo shoot will be limited to daylight hours.
- The weather in winter is changeable. Instead of a sunny, snowy day, it may well be a slushy and windy one. Plan your celebration so that the vagaries of the weather do not affect the course of events. Stock up on stylish umbrellas for yourself and your guests. Consider alternative options for a photo shoot.
- When preparing a celebration, contact professionals with extensive experience in holding winter celebrations - their advice will help you avoid overlaps and misunderstandings.
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