Interesting and funny bride price - script in verse with competitions
In order for the competitions to be coherent, the organizers come up with verbal accompaniment for them, which also brings funny moments to the bride price.
A script in verse allows you to turn an event into an interesting mini-performance. And even if the girl’s friends do not have a passion for poetry, they can use ready-made texts. It’s interesting that just a few years ago, at every wedding, a bride ransom was held, with the same competitions, which gradually became boring and uninteresting. After this, many couples abandoned this tradition, but now it is being revived again, as interesting scenarios have begun to be invented.
Briefly about how to prepare
It is believed that the groom should not know anything about the impending ransom, in order to look at ease during the tests themselves. Even the bride herself usually does not give any hints, leaving her betrothed the opportunity to independently deal with the competitions that have fallen on him.
However, some young men still want to know more about how the bride ransom is carried out. This may be useful for those who are not good at improvisation . The ransom is often filmed, so future newlyweds strive to make it more interesting. In addition, failures in competitions can result in a waste of the family budget, because for each failure in the test the groom must pay a certain amount.
The script for how to conduct a bride ransom at a wedding is traditionally drawn up by the witness, and all the other guests help her or are present as spectators. However, recently, the heroes of the occasion began to choose several, so-called girlfriends in the Western style, instead of one witness.
In this case, they jointly think through how to organize the bride price, what competitions there will be, design the venue for the event and deal with other organizational issues.
To be prepared for any ideas from his beloved’s friends, the groom needs to find out who is conducting the bride price at the wedding. For example, you can predict what the scenario for the bride price and competitions will be - classic or some sophisticated ones, because all people have different possibilities in terms of imagination.
The role of wedding traditions
Even when the culture of each nation was just emerging, there was already a place for weddings in it. Since ancient times, this has been one of the most significant events in the life of an adult, so it used to be clothed with many signs, superstitions and traditions. People experienced in such matters tried to help young lovers conduct their wedding in such a way as to please higher powers.
It was believed that if the gods and dead ancestors liked the marriage, they would protect the newly-made spouses and attract prosperity and well-being into their lives. To achieve this, traditions that were developed over years and even centuries in accordance with folk wisdom and religious beliefs were strictly observed.
Now such traditions are just touching rituals that are usually performed at a classic wedding. Nobody invests sacred meaning in observing old customs, since other priorities have appeared. Despite this, the framework of any wedding consists precisely of traditions, both old and new.
What does the ritual of returning a beloved symbolize?
It so happened that among the Slavic peoples it was not customary to let daughters leave the family just like that. At a minimum, the groom had to prove his strength and courage, but most often this was not limited to this. A bride price was taken from a young man who decided to get married, since with her departure from her father’s house the family would lose a housekeeper.
Depending on the circumstances of the matchmaking, as well as the personal qualities of the girl, compensation to her parents could be different. Most often it was still money, but sometimes the groom persuaded the potential mother-in-law and father-in-law to pay off with expensive gifts - livestock, tools to make housework easier, etc.
Now bride price is just a formal name. In fact, the event is a comic test for the groom, during which he shows ingenuity and dexterity. If he fails to cope with some task, he pays the organizers a symbolic amount. There is no longer any question of paying her parents for the bride.
Cheerful declaration of love
- Participants: groom.
- Props: helium balloon.
A funny competition for the groom can be a declaration of love to the bride, but he will have to do this only after inhaling the helium from the balloon. After this, his voice will be so funny that none of those present at the ransom will be able to hold back their tears of laughter.
What topics can you choose?
If the bride's friends and relatives choose thematic funny bride price scenarios in verse, you should pay attention to the fairy-tale style. There are both foreign stories about princesses languishing in the dragon tower and brave princes, and Russian folk tales about a wise or beautiful maiden and a prince who loves her. The role of the villain can be played by a dragon or an evil witch, the Serpent Gorynych or Baba Yaga, respectively.
Another good solution is a bride price in verse in the style of a gypsy camp. The bridesmaids explain to the groom that in order to marry the most beautiful girl in the camp, you need to work hard, and they arrange tricky tasks for him. All this is accompanied by poems, songs and dances.
Funny competitions for the groom to buy the bride
A wedding is the first holiday for every family, because it is with it that a new unit of society begins. Therefore, the bride and groom want to make their celebration as bright, rich and memorable as possible.
A wedding script helps them with this, in which the whole day is planned, starting with the arrival of the makeup artist and ending with the farewell of the young spouses. But the first memories together will be those of the groom passing the ransom test.
Therefore, it is necessary to create original bride price competitions, which, with their diversity and symbolism, will set the mood for the entire holiday.
Who does she look like?
- Participants: groom.
- Props: box, various toys (doll, car, crocodile, rose, etc.), blindfold.
An original and funny competition for the groom can be a blindfolded test. He is blindfolded and given a box containing a variety of toys, prepared especially for the bride's ransom. His task: to find the toy that most resembles the bride, and tell him why he made such a choice when his eyes are opened.
Competitions on the stairs
Bride ransom is one of the traditional rites that are always performed at a wedding. Initially, it was associated with the fact that the groom’s family compensated the bride for the loss of a pair of working hands.
But over time, the custom underwent a change, gradually becoming one of the ways to prove to the betrothed’s parents that a man is worthy of becoming her husband and will be able to overcome all obstacles for her sake. It was also an indicator that the groom was purposeful and hard-working, and the future family would not know the need.
Gradually the tests became less strict and more humorous. But they have not lost their main mission, being a symbolic expression of the fortitude of the future head of the family.
At the bride price, there are two teams that oppose each other - the bridesmaids, who come up with various challenges, and the groom. To even out the chances, his friends help the young man.
Due to the fact that the wedding day is literally scheduled minute by minute, all competitions must take place quickly, so it is necessary to take care in advance of selecting and drawing up a script for the groom and witness.
Traditionally, this is done by those who will conduct it - girlfriends.
Competitions should be:
- easy to navigate, but not cause a feeling of insignificance or excessive simplicity;
- short to fit within the allotted time;
- funny to please guests and newlyweds;
- leaving behind vivid memories;
- symbolic, demonstrating the groom’s feelings for the bride.
The ransom should not last longer than 1 hour, and the optimal time is 15–30 minutes. During this time, it is recommended to hold 3-4 competitions. So that the guests and the groom and friends do not get tired, and also do not get tired before the start of the main celebration, it is necessary to create several diverse competitions, thanks to which they will be able to demonstrate their bravery or cunning.
And for the groom, this will be a good test, showing how much he loves and knows his future wife.
"Love lips"
To carry it out, you will need several sheets of paper, on which the bride and her bridesmaids leave a lip print.
Most often, different shades of lipstick are used for this, so that the presenter can easily distinguish the correct sheet from the rest.
The groom must recognize the lip print of his beloved, but if he is mistaken, he is required to pay a symbolic fine or perform some action. An easier option for such a competition is the possibility that the sheets need to be sprinkled with your favorite perfume.
Then it will be easier for the groom to recognize his beloved, because he will have not only prints, but also smells.
Unusual treat
Three identical fruits are chosen, most often apples or pears. A strong alcoholic drink is injected into one of them with a syringe, so that the puncture of the peel is not noticeable. This is done before the ransom begins.
Afterwards, the groom and his friends are “treated” so that he gets the unusual fruit. If he does not show his confusion by calmly eating the entire apple, then he wins; if not, then he pays the ransom.
Due to the unusualness of the situation and taste, grooms often show very funny reactions.
To do this, needles, toothpicks or matches are inserted into a large apple in advance, so that on one side it resembles the needles of a hedgehog.
Sometimes they even draw eyes and a nose on it or depict them using beads; such decoration of the inventory looks very unusual and beautiful. The main task of the groom is to take out one toothpick at a time and compliment the bride and her mother. It is important that kind words are not repeated, otherwise you will have to pay a fine.
You can make the competition more difficult and ask an additional cool question. If there are a lot of needles, then you can be allowed to tell what the groom will do in his married life, how he will care for his wife. To make the competition more fun, you can set a certain time limit during which the hedgehog must lose all his needles.
If the groom meets the deadline, then he wins; if not, then he will have to pay a symbolic ransom.
What are you willing to do for love?
This competition should be held if the bride lives in a private house or in an apartment on the first or second floor. The groom, walking up the stairs, stops at each step and tells what kind of work he will do in his future family. What is he willing to do for the sake of his beloved?
Bride ransom: a detailed description of the custom
Over the years, the custom of ransoming a bride has changed, its rules have become more regulated, but the meaning of the ritual remains the same - in order to marry the person they like, it was necessary for a young man to present the bride’s parents with a worthy reward for their daughter. A few centuries ago, one could get gold and silver, diamonds, pearls and even land for a bride.
In Rus', this ritual consisted of two parts. In the first part of the ceremony, the groom came to the bride’s house and presented the girl’s parents with all kinds of gifts. Mostly these were chests filled with expensive fabric, jewelry, coins, shirts, and bed linen. In addition, it was customary to give horses and other livestock for the yard of the bride's parents.
After the groom laid out his wealth, the bride’s father and mother, as well as close relatives, decided whether they should give their daughter in marriage to this young man or not. Often, parents who were not happy with the groom’s gift refused to give him their daughter and kicked the man out of the yard.
After the ceremony of receiving gifts, if the parents were satisfied with everything, the second part of the ransom ceremony began - the replacement of the bride. It consisted in the fact that under thick fabric in the parents’ room they hid an old widow, an ugly girl who could not get married, as well as the bride herself. The groom's task was to understand under what kind of cloth his beloved was hiding. The young man had no right to make a mistake in such a ritual, because if he did not correctly guess where exactly his bride was hiding, then he could be forced to marry the woman whom he found under the veil.
Of course, over time, the bride price ritual has softened, and now, if the answer is wrong, the groom still marries his beloved, but in order to get her, he is given various tests.
Another interesting difference between ransom in Rus' and in modern Russia is that this ritual is now performed by bridesmaids, but previously it was performed by the matchmaker and the girl’s parents.
Features of bride price in different countries of the world
Strangely enough, the tradition of ransoming a bride exists not only in Russia, but in almost all countries, regardless of religion and nationality. True, each country has its own specific features of the bride price ritual, here are some of them.
Spanish bridewealth: during this ritual, the groom does not undergo any tests, he does not need to show his position and wealth in front of the bride's parents, his main task is to pay thirty silver coins to his bride before the wedding ceremony. The bride, in turn, puts these coins in a beautiful bag, made and decorated by her hand, and hangs it on her belt to carry silver coins throughout the wedding. This ritual is considered the key to the happiness and wealth of a young family. If the groom is not able to pay his bride thirty silver coins, then she has the right to refuse to marry.
French bride price: unlike bride price in other countries, in France part of the worries on this day falls on the shoulders of the bride. The groom arrives in the morning at his beloved’s house, gives souvenirs to the girl’s parents, after which he goes out with his bride onto the street, where, while the groom is in her house, the friends and relatives of the young man stretch out a corridor of white ribbons, which the bride must cut with scissors in order to clear the way for yourself and the groom.
African bridewealth: In the tribes of Africa there is a custom according to which on the wedding day the groom sends gifts to the bride's house with his representatives. The bride evaluates these gifts and decides whether she will marry her husband or not. If she agrees, representatives go to pick up the grooms and after some time the wedding ceremony begins.
There are many peculiarities of bride ransom in each country, and as a rule, these minor points are often borrowed from one state to another, which is why now there are no strict regulations for bride ransom, but there is an approximate procedure for conducting this ceremony.
Preparing for the bride ransom ceremony
First of all, before you start preparing the bride price scenario, be sure to determine its time for yourself and include it in the wedding ceremony plan. Remember that on average this ritual lasts about 1-2 hours, which means that if the lovers are registered in the registry office at 11 o’clock, then the bride price should begin at 9, or even at 8 in the morning, because this fun event may drag on.
Try not to stretch out the ransom, even if you really want to include as many competitions and tests for your other half as possible. Remember that this is also very stressful for the groom, and besides, it often happens that his guests and relatives can go crazy with the abundance of tasks and start pounding on the bride’s door, pushing away relatives and bridesmaids. It is best to prepare a small but interesting or even thematic scenario for the bride price, even if it lasts 40 minutes, but during it the guests will not get bored, and the groom will not break out in a sweat from the experience.
Be sure to draw up a scenario for the bride price; you can do this yourself, using the advice of our website, or by turning to professional organizers for help. In the second case, it is worth remembering that this pleasure is not cheap, because writing a unique bride ransom script can cost you at least 5,000 rubles.
Carefully select competitions and tests for the ransom ritual. You should not use tasks that require a long time to complete or serious physical activity. In addition, under no circumstances do not use competitions that may somehow infringe on the dignity of your other half, because during the bride price, the groom will be watched not only by guests and relatives, but also by an operator with a video camera.
If in your competitions and tests there are tasks that require some kind of prepared answers, then make these answers only positive so that neither the bride nor the groom gets upset. Most often, such answers are given to the question: “Why are you getting married?” You should not prepare answers to this question with the text: “Because of money”, “Forced” or something similar negative. Remember - the bride price is positive and bright emotions, but not like resentment and tears.
The procedure for ransoming the bride
The bride price consists of three parts:
– The competitive part of the ransom – it takes place in front of the bride’s house and in the entrance, it consists of tasks, competitions and tests, after overcoming which the groom gives gifts and receives some “bonuses”.
– Bride replacement stage – at this stage, the groom already enters the house of his beloved and is taken to the bride’s room, where the “fake” bride is hiding behind a piece of fabric. This could be the bride's friend, brother, cat or dog. The groom’s task at this stage is to complete some particularly difficult task. In addition, at this stage the groom may be asked to confess his love to the bride in front of everyone. If the confession touches the bride, then she is the one who comes out from behind the sheet, and if for some reason the girl does not like the ransom amount or the groom’s words, he may be given a fake bride.
- Banquet part. After the ransom, a light banquet is held at the bride's house, after which the lovers and guests go to the registry office.
There are many options for ransoming the bride and they depend on the style of the ransom, its scenario, as well as the duration of the event. Depending on the chosen buyback option, the necessary accessories and attributes are purchased.
The groom should also prepare for the ransom of his other half, for this he needs:
- sweets - fruit, candies and cookies, it is best to take loose sweets, in fairly large quantities, since during the ransom it is important to reward not only the participants in the wedding ceremony with treats, but also completely random people who may be at your ransom, usually neighbors and residents of the bride's house. This should be done in order to drive away the bad looks and thoughts of envious people from the newlyweds.
– small souvenirs and gifts.
– soft toys, if small children are planned to participate in the ransom.
- alcohol. Strong drinks for the bride price are bought in two types: some are more expensive as a gift to the relatives and parents of the bride, and the second are for direct drinking during this ritual.
- money. In advance, before ransoming the bride, exchange money for small denomination paper bills, and also stock up on foreign currency.
In general, the list of the groom’s “gifts” is prepared in advance when the ransom script is written, this is done by the bride so that her loved one is not taken by surprise and confused during the ritual. Of course, here the bride’s task is not to give him a specific amount of what he must purchase; in this list it is important to make it clear to the groom what may be required of him for some tasks.
Important points of the bride ransom ritual
When organizing the bride ransom and its implementation, there are several issues that are worth paying attention to when organizing this ritual:
- Who gets the money that was received from the bride price? In the old days, this amount was given to the bride's parents, or to matchmakers who carried out the ransom. Now there is no clear answer to this question, since according to tradition, the ransom must be taken by the one who carries it out, but in practice, all the money is given to the bride and groom, unless otherwise agreed upon in advance by the bride.
- Is it possible to refuse bride price? Of course, unlike in ancient times, when this ritual was an obligatory element of a wedding, now the bride price has lost its power, and many brides refuse it, considering this event unfashionable and outdated.
- What to do if the groom gave a small ransom? It also happens that the groom and his retinue simply refuse to participate in the ransom of the bride, and, pushing away their girlfriends and relatives, the girls break into the apartment to get the bride without any tests. Of course, such a moment can greatly upset the bride and even bring her to tears, so if you are an emotional and vulnerable girl, agree in advance with the young man not to do this. If the ransom did not take place and you were conquered by force, the main thing is not to be upset, because your beloved, getting to you through a crowd of friends and relatives, overcame a more difficult test than a standard competition or task.
Funny bride price competitions in verse
Poems are always an interesting option for any holiday. But in order for an event such as a ransom to be successful, it is necessary to select poems describing the competitions so that they appear to be created in the same style.
Celebrating a holiday in verse involves a certain amount of time and effort. Although you can use small folders with hints, it is better if all the words are learned.
It is also important that they are narrated by a person with a deep voice, who can attract attention to his words even when there is a crowd around him.
You should refuse to hold poetry competitions if the bridesmaids have clear voices and rather weak lungs. For competitions in poetic form, you will have to strain your ligaments and use a lot of air so as not to interrupt the rhythm of the narrative.
If the competitions are well chosen and the poems are funny, then the beginning of the holiday will be remembered for a long time. If the ransom is held in a specific theme, then the bridesmaids can use special paraphernalia or outfits.
In this video you will hear many useful tips for organizing a bride price:
So, for a ransom organized in the form of a pirate invasion, special hats or bandanas, belts with swords and antique pistols are suitable.
It is known that once you start a business, it will continue. Therefore, the wedding day should begin with fun, interesting competitions, because the ransom portends not only a well-spent holiday, but also a successful family life. What competitions would you choose to buy out your best friend?
