Interesting about Soviet weddings and wedding traditions

Outfits

Photo from the archive of Ilona Radkevich
Photo from the archive of Svetlana Fedorova

Photo: Photo archive of Boris Semenov (https://vk.com/semenovborisphoto)

In Soviet times, money was rather tight, so very often brides did not have a chic white dress. They just walked in the most decent attire. In the 70s, brides began to strive to get married in white: they sewed dresses themselves or ordered them from an atelier. The styles were usually quite simple. At the same time, the tradition of wearing a veil appeared. The groom usually wore a classic suit.

How to arrange a celebration?

When decorating a wedding in the Russian style, it is necessary to select all the decorative elements correctly, since the overall atmosphere of the event will depend on their proper choice and arrangement. Required attributes for a wedding in Russian:

• Khokhloma painting;
• kokoshniks;
• beautiful towels;
• canonical outfits (skin coat and felt boots for winter celebrations);

• bast shoes;
• wreaths of meadow flowers;
• dried flowers;
• viburnum and rowan berries;

• horse team;
• samovar;
• wooden spoons;
• Red caviar;

• bagels, drying, crumpets;
• linen tablecloths with embroidery;
• accordion or balalaika;
• Russian stove (if possible);

• rocker arms and buckets;
• wooden benches with carvings;
• braids of onions and garlic.

The general theme in the Russian style should be reflected in the invitations. It is desirable that the dominant color in the cards is red, the paper is “antique” with a traditional pattern, the text of the invitations is in the Old Church Slavonic dialect. You can shade the red color using ink and gold. It is possible to use white, light blue, dark blue, ash pink and cherry. The menu should also be designed in a traditional Russian style. All guests will be able to try well-known and very tasty dishes, as well as new interesting recipes for treats. The wedding cake is also made in a general style, for example, Khokhloma.

Decorating the hall for the holiday involves the use of painted wooden dishes, skillfully embroidered tablecloths, and meadow flowers. It is better that all decorative elements that are planned to be used in the design of the room are made from natural materials. Reshaping some traditions in a modern way can destroy the entire atmosphere of the ancient Russian rite. Tables can be composed in different ways. In the past, it was considered most convenient to arrange tables in a long row or in the form of the letter “P”. A place for young people was allocated in the middle of the table, or they were even seated at a separate table.

An important component of a wedding celebration is the design of a photo zone. Here the decor will be the same at any time of the year

All elements of the photo zone are deeply rooted in history, and are also reflected in favorite Russian fairy tales. These attributes include:

• nesting dolls;
• sleigh, horse team (in winter);
• felt boots;
• traditional musical instruments;
• embroidered napkins, towels;
• painted background with traditional ornament.

Preparation

The application was submitted to the registry office in advance, since the young people (and witnesses) were given a special book called “Invitation”. According to this “Invitation”, it was possible to buy some scarce goods in special stores. Some young people even became professional witnesses in order to buy something they needed and resell it. For example, after the wedding, the newlyweds could purchase two sheets, two pillowcases, two double duvet covers, one tablecloth and four towels.

How to throw a 60s style wedding

Before you start organizing your wedding, you should decide on a specific theme. The 60s are perceived differently in different countries, so you need to decide in advance whether it will be the Soviet 60s, the American ones, or the choice will be on a European country. The style of this era is expressiveness, freedom and brightness, which is expressed by extraordinary outfits, hairstyles and accessories.

The first important detail in preparing for a 60s wedding is the invitations. They should correspond to the theme of the celebration, be bright and positive. Invitations in the shape of vinyl records, guitars or aged newspaper clippings are perfect. If you have a talent for drawing, you can make invitation cards yourself; guests will certainly appreciate it.

When choosing a car for a wedding, you should abandon modern brands and give preference to retro cars:

• Soviet: Volga, Chaika, Moskvich, Zaporozhets.
• American: Cadillac, Pontiac, Oldsmobile.
• European: Rolls-Royce, Opel Admiral, Aston Martin, etc.

The next step when planning a 60s wedding is choosing a venue. This could be a restaurant, a country cottage, an outdoor wedding. The place where the ceremony will take place and the celebration itself are not of key importance; the main thing is to properly decorate the room, select the necessary details, bright decorations, and display the image of the 60s era.

It is not necessary to ask for advice from professional wedding planners; you should seek help from your parents and grandparents, who, like no one else, will be able to tell you about all the intricacies of that time, help in choosing outfits, choosing musical accompaniment and much more. A wedding of this style requires special outfits for the newlyweds, so you should not deviate from the theme, but take a responsible approach to choosing a suit for the groom and a dress for the bride.

Bride ransom

To take the bride to the registry office, it was necessary to go through many tests. The wedding guests could even make some money from this ransom. After the groom gets to the apartment, his older friend must “persuad” the bride’s relatives for a good ransom. In other regions, the ransom was more of an entertainment part: the bride was “bought” for sweets and small gifts. In some places there was no ransom at all.

The basis of the image of the newlyweds

In 1962, British designer Mary Quant created a collection with miniskirts for the first time, for which men all over the world still thank her. Short, high-waisted A-line dresses have come into fashion. And the style icons at that time were actresses Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot, the wife of the American president, Jacqueline Kennedy, and other beautiful ladies.

When creating your bridal look, consider these facts. A wedding in the style of the 60s is not about lush long dresses with hoops. Choose a short (just below the knee or to the middle of the ankle) dress with a straight or flared cut with a slightly high waist, decorated with lace or guipure, and a bright ribbon. But there shouldn’t be a lot of decor; keep it minimalist.

A high babette hairstyle decorated with a ribbon or flower will complete the look. Loose hair, careless waves or smooth styling are also allowed. The style is emphasized by short gloves, a miniature veil, a pillbox hat, and pointed-toed shoes with low, elegant heels.

In your makeup, focus on your eyes - emphasize them with arrows and voluminous eyelashes. Lipstick is suitable for both natural shades and rich ones (burgundy, red) for brighter looks. A thread and earrings made of pearls will look good as jewelry. A bouquet will complete the look - choose a small, elegant and bright one. Flowers can be anything you like. Roses, peonies, gerberas are ideal.

A typical image of 60s men's style is presented in Federico Fellini's film La Dolce Vita. A fashionable men's suit consisted of a short jacket and narrow straight trousers. They wore a narrow tie and pointed boots. Take this image into your arsenal and turn into a European “modernist” for a day. The suit can be of any shade; a checkered shirt and a bright tie are acceptable. The look will be completed with a hat and boutonniere to match the bride’s bouquet.

Treat

After ransoming the bride, everyone boarded the “wedding train”: the newlyweds usually rode in the very first and most expensive car. The guests were treated to sweets, and sometimes they scattered around the young millet with coins, which were collected by neighboring children.

Palette for a wedding in the style of the fairy tale “Cinderella”

Preparing a wedding ceremony in the style of this fairy tale will require much more effort than for an ordinary classic celebration. Agencies for organizing such events offer a lot of options, but if you are creative and energetic, try becoming a director of your own wedding. The main thing is that you already have a prince on a white horse and a magic wand, or rather love that works miracles.

The ideal place for a Cinderella-style wedding would be a country residence or palace. Is the rent a little expensive? Dont be upset! Creating a fabulous interior in a restaurant banquet hall will not be difficult. Will the wedding take place in the summer? Organize an outdoor banquet in a picturesque place in the city or beyond. Yes, make inquiries about the “royal residence”: doing a gorgeous photo shoot in the style of Cinderella and her prince will cost less than renting a castle for the whole day.

The main tones of the wedding style will be delicate, pastel shades of blue, cream, and pearl gray. Cinderellas with dark skin and dark hair will suit delicate olive-peach tones. Depending on your color preferences, select the decor for the wedding ceremony, think over your own image, and help the groom choose an outfit for the wedding.

MARRIAGE REGISTRY

Of course, almost no one went to church; they signed only at the registry office. All relatives and friends gathered there. The tradition of exchanging rings did not come immediately; somewhere from the early 70s it already became commonplace, but before that, rings were present not in every wedding. At the registry office they prepared all the necessary documents, put a stamp in the passport, and after that they arranged a solemn registration of the marriage. After the newlyweds were declared husband and wife, they were given flowers and gifts. At the registry office they usually took a group photo of the couple with the guests. Of course, there were few photographers then, but sometimes someone filmed the wedding with amateur cameras.

Soviet weddings and wedding traditions after the death of Stalin

Soon after the death of the leader of the peoples, the leadership of the USSR again changed the “wedding” course. At first, the law allowed marriages with foreigners. If before this Stalin opposed the marriages of Soviet citizens with residents of foreign countries, seeing this as an opportunity for the “decaying capitalist West” to penetrate into the country of future communism, now they looked at it differently. Foreign citizens were seen as potential agents of spreading the “red idea” around the world. In general, humanism rules.

The registry offices were also reorganized, which gradually became more independent authorities, now occupying a separate building, and not adjacent to the police station, being under the same roof with it. Their activities were delineated based on the time of day - in the morning the registry office now issued death and divorce certificates, and in the evening they registered marriages and issued birth documents.

The rapprochement with the church continued. Now wedding celebrations were no longer seen as a relic of bygone times; they were no longer overlooked. More and more often, talk began to circulate that the magnificent celebration organized for the newlyweds was almost their sacred right. “Those getting married should remember the day they got married as one of the most important and happiest days in their lives. And various magnificent banquets and celebrations will only contribute to this!” - reasoned the leadership of the USSR. The issue with wedding rings has been reconsidered. Now wearing an insignia indicating that a person is married was also seen as the right of those getting married to declare their marital status to the whole world.

As always, all political processes and changes in the state are reflected passionately in creativity and public institutions. Discussions began to appear in the literature that it was better to have a so-called “red” wedding, without unnecessary fuss, quiet and calm, so to speak, a Komsomol wedding. Or better yet, such a day should really be remembered forever by the newlyweds, and therefore the scale of the celebration should be appropriate. In films, they began to show just such wedding ceremonies more often - bright, loud, with a lot of people and a wide variety of events.

Also, for the first time in the USSR, periodicals dedicated to fashion began to be published (then there were times of the “thaw”, times when many things appeared that had never been seen before in the Soviet Union), in which a wide variety of styles of wedding dresses were also presented. For the Union, this became a new milestone in the development of wedding traditions, when it was possible not to rely on the old days, but to create the wedding format that suits the newlyweds.

If everything is clear with a wedding celebration in the countryside - many tables gathered together, fresh nature, homemade cucumbers and moonshine, then with the city everything was different. Weddings were celebrated there most often at home; no one went to cafes and restaurants like now. There were very few of them then, at least good ones, and they looked at it wildly, not like now, when such celebrations are already commonplace.

Expert opinion

Raisa Grigorievna Povolzhskaya

Accountant, head of the Moscow Book House on Arbat store, trade representative for foreign trade of the USSR with Western European countries.

The outfits of the bride and groom were rarely marked by any particular cut or style, and could consist of almost the most ordinary clothes, chosen with grief in half for such a holiday. The feast was also not extensive, but vodka was sure to be present. Which, in principle, was the most important thing.

The situation changed dramatically with the emergence of the so-called Wedding Palaces. Their appearance was precisely aimed at providing Soviet citizens living within the city with a place to brightly celebrate their wedding, have fun and relax. Of course, the vacation was cultural. At least, this was what numerous posters hung here and there in such Palaces called for. Such establishments gradually and steadily appeared in all more or less large cities of the vast state. A law was even issued, the essence of which was to formalize the solemnity of the event at the official level.

However, everything was not so smooth here. For the Soviet government, such steps were attempts to turn its citizens away from the old church ritual traditions and create their own, socialist wedding tradition. Gradually all this began to emerge more and more clearly. To have a wedding at the Wedding Palace, you first had to receive a special invitation. Standards for conducting the ceremony itself are developed, and a dress code is created for the bride, groom, their parents and guests. A new wedding stereotype is being developed. To consolidate the new course, a bridal salon was opened, where newlyweds could buy everything they needed for their wedding. Not only wedding suits and rings were sold there, but also many other scarce goods that were necessary for preparing the ceremony, but they were practically not freely available. The downside of this initiative was the emergence of scammers posing as newlyweds, but in fact only wanting to purchase goods that were not on the market.

Newlyweds images

The image of the bride has no clear requirements:

• the dress can be anything, the main thing is not a sexy style, if possible closed;
• a veil is required (choose the length yourself);
• neat hairstyle (preferably tied hair);
• pumps.

There are more specific standards for the image of the groom:

• black and white suit;
• cufflinks;
• suspender;
• patent leather shoes.

A round wedding bouquet (without exotic plants) is appropriate for the bride, and a harmonizing boutonniere for the groom.

Wedding gifts

As now, in those days it was customary to give gifts to newlyweds. Young people usually gave them money so that the husband and wife could buy themselves what they needed. If one of the couple’s friends came alone, he gave about 10 rubles, and if the invitees came to the wedding together, they gave 20 rubles in an envelope. But older guests tried to give things, not money. These could be sets, crystal wine glasses, flower vases, and cutlery sets. Such gifts were considered timeless classics and were given constantly. But sometimes they also gave a chandelier, a vacuum cleaner or even a carpet, which was considered the most expensive gift.

Hall decoration

For a dude’s wedding, you need to choose a cozy cafe with an interior that is not overloaded with luxurious decor. In this case, the simpler the better. You can decorate the walls yourself. Multi-colored ribbons, confetti, and balloons are perfect for this. The decor of the hall can be complemented with any retro items. It can be:

• vinyl records,
• disco balls,
• mechanical alarm clocks,
• old photos and posters (the latter can be printed from the Internet)
• retro players,
• It would be great if you could find and borrow a soda fountain. As a last resort, you can make a dummy of it from foam plastic or chipboard.

It is recommended to cover tables not with white tablecloths, but with pieces of brightly colored fabric. An atlas would look great here.

Between the plates, you can casually arrange whole vegetables and small fruits - pineapples, peppers, apples. Watermelon, of course, is not suitable for this purpose.

If the chef of the cafe is not ready to serve something bright and unusual, it doesn’t matter! You can decorate ordinary dishes with something beautiful and catchy. And order the cake in the shape of a crazy orange! It will turn out to be fun and unusual.