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This article needs additional citations for verification. A traditional Russian wedding can last between two days and one week. The celebration involves dancing, singing, toasting, and banqueting. The best man and maid of honor are called Witnesses or “svideteli” in Russian.

The ceremony and the ring exchange take place on the first day of the wedding. A friend of the bride, who is already married, places the first earring on the bride-to-be. The two golden rings are a symbol of marriage. It is common to see this image on wedding invitations.

Once the groom arrives at the bride’s home, he must pay a ransom for the bride, a term known in Russian as “vykup nevesty. This event is meant to be comical and entertaining. The bride and groom have the option to have a traditional ceremony in a church. In Russian, it is called the venchanie. The wedding ceremony takes place in a church and is divided into two parts: the Betrothal and the Crowning. While the betrothal used to be blessed at the beginning of the engagement, it is now commonly done at the same ceremony as the wedding itself.

The bride and groom stand inside the entrance of the church and the priest blesses them and gives them lighted candles which they will hold throughout the ceremony. The priest then says a prayer blessing the couple’s betrothal which mentions instances in the Bible where rings are used and relates those instances to the betrothal. For this reason, the ceremony of the wedding is referred to as the Crowning. The priest leads the couple into the center of the church where they come to stand on a piece of new, rose-colored fabric, symbolizing their entry into a new life.