Kalyna Ukrainian Creations
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Your Ukrainian Wedding
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  Your in love and it's time to plan your wedding but now you have one small problem.  Your baker doesn't make Ukrainian wedding cakes or you can't find your wedding icons.  Here at Kalyna we are happy to help.  Our baker makes the sweetest and most intricate breads while our clothing and icons come directly from Ukraine.   Below you will find just a small bit of information on some of the traditions and rituals that will take place at your Ukrainian ceremony. 
Please allow 6-8 weeks for specialty orders.
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 The Ukrainian marriage ceremony is rich in tradition and rituals.  The first part of the Ukrainian wedding ceremony, the Betrothal, takes place in the rear vestibule of the church. During the Betrothal, the bride and groom affirm that they are both entering this union freely and as equals. It is at this point that the priest blesses the wedding bands and places them on the fingers of the bride and groom. 
The starosty are two friends or family members (the maid of honour and best man) who preside over the wedding as official witnesses. Back in the days of arranged marriages, the starosty acted as matchmakers and were solely responsible for negotiating the union. Today, the starosty's  responsibilities are far more limited. They lead the wedding procession and carry the icons of Jesus and the Virgin Mary into the church. These icons will eventually hold a prominent place in the home of the married couple, and will serve as the spiritual center of the household. 
The front of the church is the scene of the final, most sacred portion of a Ukrainian wedding ceremony-the Crowning. It is during the Crowning that the bride and groom place their right hands on the gospel, exchange their vows and become married in the eyes of God.
A Crowning just isn't a Crowning without-crowns. These crowns represent a symbol of love, purity and fertility. They are placed over the heads of the bride and groom (by the maid of honour and best man) to signify the dawn of a new kingdom to be ruled by the couple-side by side. They also remind the newlyweds that their marriage is a partnership in Christ, and that they owe it to God and to each other to live a life of honor and love.
The hands of the bride and groom are joined with an embroidered cloth , or rushnyk, by the Priest to signify their newly forged union. Once bound to one another, the couple circles the tetrapod (small altar) three times. This procession is called the "Dance of Isaiah," which reminds us that marriage is a never-ending journey. These are the first steps the young couple takes as husband and wife, so it is only fitting that they walk around the tetrapod-a symbol of Christ.
The couple drinks wine three times to acknowledge the importance of the Holy Trinity and to remind us of Christ's first miracle at the wedding at Cana. The wine also symbolizes the sweetness of the love that flows from God.
Following the church ceremony comes a grand reception of which there will be lots of food and dancing. At some point during this evening's festivities, the band will roll into a few bars of a new song, and a funny thing will happen. Ukrainians will actually leave the bar. They'll suddenly swarm the dance floor to form a large circle. All this activity is a sure sign that the kolomeyka has begun. The kolomeyka is a traditional Ukrainian dance that features a medley of leaps, kicks, and spins.

Here at Kalyna we would like to help you to keep up with some of our Ukrainian wedding traditions. We would like to help  you add a touch of Ukraine to it. 

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2009 Kalyna Ukrainian Creations