Although we both wanted a fairly simple wedding and reception, it was important to us both to include elements of Nataliya's Ukrainian background. We also discussed including elements of Seth's Jewish background, but at his insistance, there won't be. There won't be any fasting. No ceremony under a canopy (Chupah). No glass breaking. No Hora. (Jewish Wedding Traditions)

Most of the Ukrainian traditions listed here will not be new to our Ukrainian friends and family, but to others, it should make for an interesting read. Some of these traditions may seem criminal or brutal, but it's all in good fun!

The wedding will be held in the Ukrainian church, so obviously we'll be leaning towards a Ukrainian wedding. There are many traditions that are centuries old with a Ukrainian wedding, but most of them won't be in ours. The wedding won't be three days long. There won't be any bargaining for the bride. No 90-minute choir-accompanied church ceremony. No ritual removing of the bride's veil. No kidnapping of the bride by friends. No tsyhanshchyna, or "gypsy fest". In fact, there are so many traditions that it would take a book to describe them all.

For those of you attending the wedding on September 13th, here are some of the customs and traditions you'll notice during the service:

1. What's going on by the church door?
   We're getting married. The Ukrainian church doesn't waste any time marrying us! This is the Betrothal, where the bride and groom affirm that they are both entering this union freely and as equals. The priest then blesses the wedding bands and places them on the fingers of the bride and groom. Then the church spends the other 59 (or 89) minutes telling you how wonderful your marriage will be and how important your joining is to yourselves, the church, and to G-d.

2. Wait! You're putting the ring on the wrong hand!
   Guess again! It's being put on the right hand! Ukrainians put their wedding rings on the right hand, rather than the left. Most everywhere else, the wedding ring is put on the left hand (unless you almost cut off your finger with a table saw!) Note that the hand selection for our wedding may or may not be the right...

3. Uhmm... you're stepping on that towel...
   That "towel" is called a rushnyk. It's an embroidered cotton towel with either silk or linen thread. They date back to the 16th century and are used to celebrate the passage of life and also to beautify icons.

4. Wedding? This looks more like a coronation!
   In a sense, it is! Those are indeed crowns, or wreaths. They signify that the union is the start of a kingdom of sorts where the kingdom is ruled side by side by the couple.

5. What's with the priest tying your wrists together? Looks kind of kinky!
   Get your mind out of the gutter! This happens to be a very innocent and symbolic showing of the couple's newly forged union. The wrists are tied together by the rushnyk.

6. Why are you walking in a circle around the altar? Where are you going?
   Newly joined, the couple takes their first steps as man and wife around the tetrapod (small altar) three times. This is called the "Dance of Isaiah", and its meaning is two-fold: As a circle never ends, it reminds us that marriage is a neverending journey. Secondly, the tetrapod is a religious symbol, and it shows that at the center of the the married couple's lives is the religion, or more specifically, Christ.

7. Hey, the bride and goom get to drink wine! Where's my share?
   No wine for you until the reception! This wine is for the couple. They drink three times to acknowledge the importance of the Holy Trinity, to remind us of Christ's first miracle at the wedding at Cana, and to also symbolize the sweetness of the love that flows from G-d.

8. Where's the bride and priest going?
   He's reminding her of her place in the home and handing her a copy of the Good Wife Guide. (Good thing I can swim, 'cause I can see myself getting thrown overboard the next day! Nataliya has already warned me that she has no intention of following any of this book's teachings...) Okay, what's happening here is that the priest takes the bride to the icon of the Virgin Mary and offers up prayers on the her behalf. She kneels in front of the icon and presents her with flowers.

While the menu has not been finalized as of this date, we intend to have two Ukrainian food items: korovai and varenyky. We're also hoping to have a couple of Ukrainian songs mixed in with other music.

There's a lot about Ukrainian weddings that didn't make it to this page but is worth reading. I've provided a few excellent links that will give you a good overview of centuries-old Ukrainian wedding traditions: