Ukraine weddings are full of traditional rituals that date back many years. Although many of the Ukraine weddings of today do not follow the old traditions and rituals as strictly as they used to be followed, some still resemble them in many ways. Traditional Ukraine weddings are still performed in the Ukraine, but also in other countries, most notably the United States, usually when the bride and groom are of Ukrainian descent.

In a traditional Ukraine wedding, the gifts that are given to the bride and groom have special significance. The marriage proposal was accompanied by a gift of bread from the woman’s suitor, which was either accepted if the woman wanted to marry the man, or returned to the suitor if the proposal was not accepted. This gift offering was usually done at the home of the woman’s parents. At the wedding itself, gifts are presented to the bride and groom from the witnesses and the guests, and these are usually gifts of food, such as bread, wine, and honey. These gifts symbolize the hope of prosperity and luck for the marrying couple.

In a Ukraine wedding, there are wedding bands for both the bride and the groom, but they are placed on the couples fingers by the priest after he blesses the rings. This is done at the back of the church. It is only after the wedding bands are blessed and placed upon the couple’s fingers that the bride and groom then walk together to the front of the church to stand before the wedding altar. As the bride and groom walk to the front together, they are accompanied by friends or family members who hold figures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

The next part of the Ukraine wedding ceremony is called the “crowning”. The crowning is an extremely important aspect of a Ukraine wedding, and despite its name, it doesn’t mean that the bride and groom will be crowned with any sort of head ornaments. Instead the crowning means that the bride and groom will recite their vows as the priest ties their hands together with cloth. Once the vows are recited and the couple’s hands are bound together, they circle the altar three times. Though the bride and groom do not wear “crowns” per se, often the bride will wear a wreath of flowers and herbs on her head, although this isn’t required.

The reception following a Ukraine wedding is considered a joyful occasion, and though there is traditional gift-giving at the reception, most of it consists of music and a lot of dancing. Ukraine wedding receptions usually go on well into the wee hours of the next morning, though the wedding couple may slip out to start their honeymoon before the party is over.

If you are a couple who would like to have a traditional, or close to traditional, Ukraine wedding, then most likely you are of Ukrainian descent and have older family relatives who can help you plan the wedding and reception. Most likely your older relatives also had a traditional Ukraine wedding, or at least attended one, so they can help you through every step of the process. You may want to sit down with your relatives and talk about which parts of the traditional Ukraine wedding ceremony you want to keep and which parts you don’t think are necessary for your own wedding ceremony. By doing this, you will only keep the parts of the wedding ceremony that you really like; the things that don’t appeal much to you simply won’t happen!