Finnish Bride-To-Be's

     Looking back on last weeks discussion, it is interesting to learn and quite important to remember that as widespread as the tradition of tossing the bridal bouquet is, there are other incredibly special ways of crowning "bride-to-be's" all over the world. For example, in Finland a tradition quite similar to and just as beautiful as the act of a queen passing her crown down to her descendants exists. This tradition is incorporated into weddings all throughout Finland, and quite commonly at that.

     On her wedding day, a Finnish bride traditionally wears a golden crown. She keeps it on her head through the duration of the entire wedding; during the exchange of vows, through the feasts and dances, etc. It is only at the very end of the wedding that the bride finally removes her crown. After being blindfolded, she stands in the center of a circle of her closest female friends as they dance around her. After a little while, the bride takes her crown off and, still blindfolded, lowers it onto the head of whichever lucky woman happens to be closest. This woman is then considered to be next in line for marriage. The tradition is quite old yet is just as beautiful as it ever was, for there is just something absolutely charming about "crowning" a future bride.

By Julia Dankov

Why Do Brides Throw Their Bouquets?

     It's customary all around the world for brides to carry bridal bouquets with them at weddings. Even someone who's never attended a wedding would know that. This someone would also know that at some point during a wedding, the bride tosses this bridal bouquet of hers into a crowd of her closest female friends. It's believed that whichever woman catches the bouquet is next in line to marry. This tradition is old and long-standing, but how did it all start?

     Ever since the general idea of weddings was introduced, people have considered brides to be particularly lucky people. Everyone wanted a piece of that luck. When a bride and groom would gather to throw their wedding, they would of course invite wedding guests. During the wedding, these guests would go to quite desperate measures to try and symbolize their desire for a piece of the brides luck; they would go so far as to chase her down and try to tear off bits of her bridal gown. Naturally, the bride would oppose this. That's why the idea of tossing the bridal bouquet came to mind, as a way of distracting the guests and leaving the bride with plenty of time to get away unscathed. Over the years, the activity evolved and replaced the act of tearing off bits of the bridal gown. Now, the tradition is seen at almost every wedding and still continues to symbolize the sharing of the brides luck.

 By Julia Dankov

Poor Scottish Grooms

     Weddings are usually very elegant, luxurious events. Long white gowns and sleek black suits are worn, exquisite flowers and other decorations are arranged, classic music is played, and so on. Pre-wedding events however, aren't quite so. The Scots know this well.

     A few days before a Scottish couples' wedding, the groom is taken out by his friends. During this outing, the grooms is ridiculed at the hands of his friends in extremely public places, such as restaurants, clubs, etc. The groom is sometimes dressed up in a padded outfit to resemble a pregnant woman, and other times is the victim of silly practical jokes. By the end of the night, all the men are heavily intoxicated. In this state, and stripped of all his clothing, the groom is dropped off in front of his house by his friends. Most wouldn't consider this a very pleasant way to end a night, but the Scots would beg to differ. At least they sure know how to throw a quite unique bachelors party!

By Julia Dankov

Smashing Plates in Greece

     Most couples, when at their weddings, choose to eat off of plates. You're probably thinking, so what? That's a seemingly normal thing to do. Greek couples, however, would disagree. They wouldn't choose to use their plates for a "normal" activity such as eating, they would instead choose to use them for a far more unique purpose. At Greek weddings, it's not uncommon to find the bride, groom, and whomever else is attending smashing plates all over the place. As wholly violent as the activity may sound, it has a lot of history and deep meaning.

     The tradition of breaking plates at weddings and other such important events dates back to ancient times. Back in those days, people smashed plates at funerals all over Greece as a way of saying "good riddance" to the angst and pain they felt due to their losses. A little while later, the tradition of smashing plates began being incorporated into weddings all over Greece. Newlywed couples would stand in the doorways of their homes and smash plates on the ground to symbolize abundance and to summon a happy future together. Even now, the tradition is seen all around the world at Greek weddings, where plates are smashed during the reception. So next time remember, for many people, plates are only for meals!

By Julia Dankov

Spanish Miniature Brides?

     The Spanish culture is rich with all kinds of traditions. The tradition of the miniature bride is just an example of  this. In Puerto Rico, many couples incorporate a miniature doll wearing a replica bridal dress into their wedding. This doll could be found standing on the head table or the cake table at the reception of a wedding. Capias, which are somewhat like favors for the wedding guests, are attached to the doll. During the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom pin a single capia on each of their wedding guests to represent their gratitude. So if you're ever looking for a unique way to thank your friends and family for attending your wedding, you should look into this old Spanish tradition.

By Julia Dankov

Day 10 - Capri

     It was November, but I wanted so badly to jump into the teal waters of Capri.

By Julia Dankov

Day 9 - Pompeii

     Saw the ghost of what once was Pompeii, with stone skeletons here and rocky corpses there.

By Julia Dankov

Day 8 - Rome

     I've never seen a church made almost wholly of gold, the St. Peter's Basilica changed that.

 By Julia Dankov

Day 7 - Assisi

     Assisi; everything you would expect from a small countryside town, with narrow alleys and quaint shops.

 By Julia Dankov

Day 6 - Florence

     The Duomo could be described in a few words; beautiful and easy to get lost in.

 By Julia Dankov

Day 5 - Paris

     The Mona Lisa is a lot less intimidating than I thought she would be in person.

 By Julia Dankov

Day 4 - Paris

     Had French coffee this morning, thought, "what the hell have I been drinking all these years?"

By Julia Dankov

Day 3 - Paris

     Nothing's better than the Eiffel Tower at night, not even the crepes I had this morning.

By Julia Dankov

Day 2 - London

     Apparently, even getting pooped on by birds isn't enough to make a Buckingham Palace guard laugh.

By Julia Dankov (who had to learn this the hard way)

Day 1 - London

     Visited the place where Charles Dickens grew up, then rode a double decker. Accomplished? Hell yeah.

By Julia Dankov

Europe Here I Come!

     Hello everyone. I, Julia Dankov, will be going on a two-week trip to Europe, visiting everything from Italy to France to England, quite soon. While on this trip, I'll try my best to update the VMPhotography blog as much as possible and keep something resembling an online travel log or journal. Every day I'll write 16 words, no more and no less, summarizing that day. When the idea first came to my head I was sure that I would have the easiest time and that it would really take no effort whatsoever. Oh, was I wrong. Of course, I still accept the challenge and promise to do all that's in my power to succeed in it! See you all soon.

By Julia Dankov

Tying the Knot

     Marriage really symbolizes and celebrates the unity of two people and their eternal binding. Of course almost all would agree with this statement, however the Guatemalans and Mexicans take it a step farther and truly actualize it. As a symbol of the strong bond that marriage brings, many Guatemalan and Mexican couples choose to incorporate the old tradition of 'atando el nudo', or the 'tying of the knot' into their wedding ceremonies.

     This tradition refers to the act of literally tying the bride and groom to one another, either by their shoulders or wrists. After having been bound together, the couple is blessed by the priest. In Guatemala, long silver ropes are used to do the deed and in Mexico, extra long rosaries are used instead. In the end however, the general idea is still the same. To any couple that really wishes to get across a message of strong unity and binding, this tradition is just what's needed.

By Julia Dankov

The Hora

     There are many essential things to a wedding. The exchanging of the rings, the feast, the dancing, these are all activities seen at almost all the weddings that take place all over the world. No Jewish wedding, however, is complete without one specific activity; the Hora. 

     
     The Hora is a traditional 'chair dance', where few strong and wedding guests hoist both the bride and groom above the dancing crowd while singing the traditional Jewish song 'Hava Nagila'. Some people choose to fill their wedding nights with food and dancing, however the Jewish people choose to add something quite unique, fun, and altogether that much more special; the Hora. 


By Julia Dankov

Love Padlocks

     Throughout the ages, people have been searching for extraordinary ways to express their love for one another. Whether it be by means of breathtaking proposals accompanied with a gleaming rings or romantic vacations filled with laughs and entertainment, these people have succeeded in doing so. In the mid 1900s a fresher idea than the rest was introduced to couples all over the world; love padlocks.

     The tradition was first believed to have been established in the city of Pécs in Hungary, where students hung padlocks of all shapes and sized onto various fences and railings. Sources later confirmed that this tradition dated farther back and was actually introduced in China, where old padlocks are still seen hanging on numerous stretches of the Great Wall of China. Now, these love padlocks are seen all throughout the world, in Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, France, Japan, Korea, Spain, Sweden, The United Kingdom, the USA, and more. Each padlock is individually decorated with all sorts of heart-warming personal touches, really giving each and every hunk of metal it's own story and background. Love really is an extraordinary thing, a miracle, and these little padlocks are able to capture their own bits of it. 

By Julia Dankov

Наш Мастеркласс в Фотошколе ИЦФ в Харькове

Начало 4 Ноября.

http://digitalphotoart.com.ua/vyberi-kurs/author/svadba-viktor-miloslavskij/

The Irish Honeymoon

     The tradition of going on a honeymoon after a wedding is quite old and has been around for a while. Every couple dreams of going on a romantic trip of some sort with their loved one, whether it be to the tropics, the mountains, ect. The real question is though, how did such a tradition come to be? Well, we've got the Irish and their 'month of honey' to thank.

 
     Ever since the very beginning of Irish civilization, the 'month of honey' has been around, referring to the month after an Irish wedding in which the couples drink mead, a brew made of mainly fermented honey. The friends and relatives of these couples are the ones to supply significant amounts of mead, as well as special goblets to drink it out of. Such a tradition was believed to enhance virility and fertility, as well as simply set the marriage off to a good start. Although our ideas of honeymoons are quite modernized and varied, the idea and message remains the same.

By Julia Dankov

Sweden's Unusual Wedding Bouquets

      Flower bouquets are customary additions to weddings all around the globe, whether they stand in pots around the room for decoration or in lay in the hands of the bridesmaids. The Swedes, however, have quite an unusual take on the average wedding flower bouquet. If you ever choose to attend the wedding of any Swedish couple really wishing to follow one of the oldest wedding traditions in the book, then get ready to spend your entire night trying to breathe as little as humanly possible. Why, you ask? Well, it might have something to do with the fact that the Swedes often replace lilacs and lilies for smelly weeds.

      This old wedding tradition requires the bridesmaids to carry bouquets of putrid-smelling weeds in their arms for the entire night, just as any common wedding requires the bridesmaids to carry around bundles of pretty little blossoms. This is done to supposedly ward off trolls and other such evil spirits. You can only imagine how much fun the guests have at weddings like these, having to hold their breath for large portions of the entire night. On the bright side, at least they'll be sitting in rooms or restaurants that are virtually evil spirit free!

By Julia Dankov

Why the Veil?

     So you're at a wedding, waiting for the alliance of your good friends or relatives to be blessed and deemed official. You're sitting in a church or restaurant, wherever it may be, socializing amongst the other wedding guests. Out of nowhere, music starts playing, chatter subsides, and heads turn towards whatever entrance the venue has. There, the beautiful bride begins her way down the aisle or hall. Hushed whispers and proud smiles dance around the room as you look the woman over. You notice her flowing dress or any other attire, her polished accessories, and usually, her long, sweeping viel.

   
     Now, veils are very common accents to the wedding attires of brides all over the world. You may be wondering, why are they so popular, so important? The tradition of wearing a wedding veil is very old, dating back to as far as the ancient times. Yellow in ancient Greece and red in ancient Rome, the traditional wedding veil came in many varied shapes, sizes, and styles. Even in present day, wedding veils are available in thousands of different colors, materials, ect. There are many stories of the wedding veil's true origin. Some say it was worn to protect the bride from evil spirits on her day of marriage, for it concealed her face and confused these spirits. Others say it was worn to protect the bride from 'the evil eye' and to symbolize purity, chastity, and modesty. No matter the wedding veil's origin or where, when, and by whom it was worn, it really only stood for, and continues to stand for, one thing and one thing only; a truly happy event in any couple's life.

By Julia Dankov

Stealing the Bride

     Playing games, fooling around, other such things along those lines, they're all simply essential for a wedding. Weddings can't be taken too seriously, they're a time for celebration and having fun, right? The Russians, for one, sure seem to agree with this statement. Amongst several other activities, almost all Russian weddings include a specific game called 'Stealing the Bride'. At these weddings, if the groom doesn't keep too good an eye on his bride, she's eligible to be 'kidnapped' by the friends and family of the groom. In order to get her back, the groom must carry out the hilarious and sometimes even humiliating tasks demanded by the brides' 'kidnappers'. Dancing, singing, reciting poetry, solving riddles, and other such 'missions' are good examples of how the groom must 'pay a ransom' to get his bride back. Often getting all of the attending wedding guests doubling over with laughter, this game is a good installment to any wedding. Although the tradition is old, it's still a common activity at many Russian weddings.

By Julia Dankov

Canada's Notre Dame Cathedral

     So, we've all heard of the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, have we not? From the very beginning of the church's existence, from it's assembly in 1163 to present day 2011, the building has stood strong and has served as a universal icon of religion and culture. Along the way, however, a replica Notre Dame Cathedral was constructed in Montreal, Canada. The main construction of the church took place between 1824 and 1829. In 1830, it was finally opened to the public, and two towers were added later on, the first in 1841 and the second in 1843. To this day, the old cathedral is open to tourists and other such visitors.

     A few weeks ago, my family and I went on a trip to Canada and while there, stopped by the Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal. After waiting for what felt like hours upon hours on a line to get in, I finally made it inside the building I had heard and read so much about. It didn't take long for me to realize that waiting on that long line was very much worth it. The church was 259 by 151 feet of pure beauty, what with it's impeccably designed Gothic Revival interior, it's mesmerizing decorations and decorations and sculptures, it's grand organ, etc. 

By Julia Dankov

Street dancers. Flamenco. Toronto Canada

Julia and Pavlo Wedding

Dancing Siblings

     Dancing is a massive part of any traditional wedding, am I right? There's the bride's dance with her father, then the bride's dance with the groom, and so on. Let's also not forget that most wedding guests spend a great deal of the wedding celebrations they attend dancing away with their friends and families. It's easy to see that dancing is a common activity amongst weddings all over the world.

     For the Cajun people of Southwest Louisiana, however, dancing is not just a fun pastime, it's much more than that. Dancing plays into a whole lot of some of Cajun's oldest wedding traditions. During most traditional Cajun weddings, the older unmarried siblings of the bride have to dance with a broom in front of everybody at the wedding, mocking their single status by doing so. Older unmarried siblings also have to participate in a tradition called the 'Hog's Trough Dance'. This tradition requires the siblings to dance in an empty hog's trough until it breaks and is believed to bring good luck to the bride and groom.

     So remember, a dance may be quite the simple and enjoyable pastime to some, whereas to others it may be an embarrassing, mocking activity. In the end, however, it's safe to say that dancing really does play, in one way or another, into every wedding.

By Julia Dankov