Church wedding in Ukraine

[slim 1,514]

Awesome!

Man I wanna party right now!

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Awesome!

Man I wanna party right now!

It was a cross between awesome and slow suicide. Night #1 I ralphed and passed out sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Day/night #2 I ralphed after god only knows how many shots, and started right back up again after I had a beer to settle my stomach. Day #3 started early in the morning with a all day drive to Brest with a castle visit on the way there. Five of us packed into a Suzuki car. Then me and the wife had our own house to stay in that was a company house for the railroad when the big bosses came to visit. That was courtesy of her great aunt. Her along with the rest of the family lived a few houses down and further down that road...at least most of them it seemed like. So after unpacking and having dinner, drinks, etc.. me, my father in law, and some guy that was married into the family headed to the booze store and then they took me to a night club and then to private party for a "post marriage bachelor party" complete with booze, broads, etc.. I made it home sometime around sunrise after getting lost trying to figure out where the house we were staying at was and her dad and the other guy didn't make it home until sometime around 3 that afternoon. That made for WW3 in that fckd up little car all the way back to Minsk. I mean the fighting and yelling lasted for hours, he was still ripped and didn't want to give up the wheel, etc.. After we got back I told the ol lady nobody is allowed over for at least the next 48 hours until I recuperate. It was like marathon. Iv'e never ever seen a people that can drink that much and still keep on ticking. It's fckng amazing..like their on some kind of battery pack that never runs down.

[LvivLovers 39]

Thanks for sharing your pics!

I think the differences are a LOT bigger than just 2D versus statues. Theological differences, philosophical differences, and the whole Pope thing.

Yeah...I know there are some deeper differences than that! lol But they don't typically emphasize the differences in the services...so other than a few minor visual things...whether you are Catholic or Orthodox, there's not going to be a huge difference in services.

[LvivLovers 39]

Thanks for sharing, Kip! Very very similar to our civil ceremony and reception. We also had a rug we stepped on at the same time (we were not supposed to look at it)...hmm....no one told me anything about first one stepping on it would be in charge...going to have to find out the story on that one! lol At the reception we had a loaf of bread that we broke apart and the person who got the biggest piece was going to be the boss. My wife had a stranglehold on it and I was just barely holding an end...they were all shocked when a tiny piece broke off where she was holding it and I was left holding the big piece. We drank a lot, but not nearly as much as you guys did! Oleksandra's friends actually cut us both off very early so that there would not be any....ahem...problems! lol I'll have to go scrounge up some pictures...

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Thanks for sharing, Kip! Very very similar to our civil ceremony and reception. We also had a rug we stepped on at the same time (we were not supposed to look at it)...hmm....no one told me anything about first one stepping on it would be in charge...going to have to find out the story on that one! lol At the reception we had a loaf of bread that we broke apart and the person who got the biggest piece was going to be the boss. My wife had a stranglehold on it and I was just barely holding an end...they were all shocked when a tiny piece broke off where she was holding it and I was left holding the big piece. We drank a lot, but not nearly as much as you guys did! Oleksandra's friends actually cut us both off very early so that there would not be any....ahem...problems! lol I'll have to go scrounge up some pictures...

I just googled it and this is what came up.

http://www.passportmagazine.ru/article/863/

Belarusian and Russian Marriage Traditions

On a more playful note, at Russian Orthodox weddings, whichever one of them is the first to step on the padnozhnik (or similar carpet in Russia), is said to wear the trousers in the marriage. This is rather like what happens at the reception with the loaf of Karavai bread. (Whoever can bite or tear off the bigger piece will rule the roost.) The latter is presented to the couple by their parents, alongside a dish of salt. These represent prosperity in their future home, and are the most typical symbols of welcome.

Seeing how I was choking on my piece of the bread, I'm thinking it was bigger than hers.

It's a good thing your wife's friends were looking out for you two. I wish we had that.

Night 1 = no sex due to the fact I blacked out and don't remember how I got home.

Night 2 = no sex. I got the spins the second time after ralphing and had to crawl up the stairs once we got back home.

Night 3 = no comment

Night 4 = no sex. She was still p*ssed and going off on me about night #3. NP since I was totally burnt out anyways.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Why_Me

[slim 1,514]

Ah... I miss the good ol' days. Nothing like fighting with a drunk driver!

And the no sex stuff... sounds like you were ready for marriage before it even happened.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Ah... I miss the good ol' days. Nothing like fighting with a drunk driver!

And the no sex stuff... sounds like you were ready for marriage before it even happened.

The sex on the marriage night was no biggy, we broke the ice in that regard within a few hours after I got off the plane from the first time I was there. Short of bringing animals into the sack there wasn't much ground we hand't already covered in that dept.

Her dad though...I was led to believe that he was dead and then her story changed right before I flew back over there for the wedding. I guess they had a family intervention with him and told him to be on his best behavior while I was there for the wedding. That lasted all of 48 hours. We get along great though, although I don't think we've ever spent much time with each other while being sober. While we were in the parking lot the day of the wedding waiting for Kira to show up from Minsk, we started knocking out a 5th of vodka, and he explained to me in his best broken English that Kira had a mouth just like her mother and that every so often I would have to "tune her up"...and then he gave me his best Muhammad Ali stance.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Why_Me

[slim 1,514]

in his best broken English that Kira had a mouth just like her mother and that every so often I would have to "tune her up"...and then he gave me his best Muhammad Ali stance.

I've had many a RUB woman ask me how often I have to tune my wife up. "She's so mouthy. Do you have to beat her often?"

It's an expectation.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I've had many a RUB woman ask me how often I have to tune my wife up. "She's so mouthy. Do you have to beat her often?"

It's an expectation.

I just tried that youtube thing to see if it works...uploading a vid that is. It seems to cut the top of the vid off though. Anyways this guy in the vid...the Belarusian one does this trick where he picks up a book of matches with his teeth using empty beer bottles. I tried it a few times and couldn't manage it. Kira's doing the translating in this vid for me. I would use the "I had to much to drink excuse", but that guy was matching me beer for beer and doing twice the number of shots.

Edited March 23, 2012 by Why_Me

[slim 1,514]

I'll have to watch when I get home. Stupid slow internet!

[L+T 71]

Only civil weddings are legal in Ukraine, that is why. If your marriage is legal by US standards, it shouldn't be a problem. Maybe see if they need an apostilled certificate, etc.

Ah, the apostille rings a bell with me for a real Ukraine wedding. (not quite totally relevant to specific post... but here is what i found). For American to marry in Ukraine (for real), they must first have all documents apostilled (prior divorce, birth, etc). Take these documents to American embassy for cirtification. Then take to Ukraine Federal building in Kiev for approval of American approval. Now take all these to local city for registration. You must then wait 30 days to marry (unless woman is visable pregnant then you can marry right away)... One of the parties must be current resident of Ukraine (maybe at least 6 months i cant remember)... Seemed like quite a process so we went for K1. But after marrage in USA, likely after 1 year we return to Ukraine for second wedding as you are all discussing. Thanks for all the info...

[MishaMoose 2]

Ah, the apostille rings a bell with me for a real Ukraine wedding. (not quite totally relevant to specific post... but here is what i found). For American to marry in Ukraine (for real), they must first have all documents apostilled (prior divorce, birth, etc). Take these documents to American embassy for cirtification. Then take to Ukraine Federal building in Kiev for approval of American approval. Now take all these to local city for registration. You must then wait 30 days to marry (unless woman is visable pregnant then you can marry right away)... One of the parties must be current resident of Ukraine (maybe at least 6 months i cant remember)... Seemed like quite a process so we went for K1. But after marrage in USA, likely after 1 year we return to Ukraine for second wedding as you are all discussing. Thanks for all the info...

Could you post a link to this information about the 30 day requirement? I have found no statement that 30 dyas is required before the wedding except for one site which inidcated it was for UK citizens (a UK requirement not Ukrainian)

I would really like to find something definitive for US citizens.

Thanks!

[MishaMoose 2]

Could you post a link to this information about the 30 day requirement? I have found no statement that 30 dyas is required before the wedding except for one site which inidcated it was for UK citizens (a UK requirement not Ukrainian)

I would really like to find something definitive for US citizens.

Thanks!

Sorry I do not know how to edit this ...

I found some information on this finally!

www.murs.com.ua/en/articles/title_reviews/marriage_registration_in_ukr/

Specifically this section: Time of Marriage Registration (sadly it will not let me copy the text)

I misremembered the UK reference .. it is 21 days and that applies to the period the UK citizen must be in Ukraine before he/she can get a "Cer­tifi­cate of No Impediment"

I have however found a few references to a 21 day period but many more where no time period is mentioned.

I have also read some posts that indicate that an expedited date can be set if the USC has documentation from his company that he must return to the US by a certain date.

So confusing.

[L+T 71]

Sorry I do not know how to edit this ...

I found some information on this finally!

www.murs.com.ua/en/articles/title_reviews/marriage_registration_in_ukr/

Specifically this section: Time of Marriage Registration (sadly it will not let me copy the text)

I misremembered the UK reference .. it is 21 days and that applies to the period the UK citizen must be in Ukraine before he/she can get a "Cer­tifi­cate of No Impediment"

I have however found a few references to a 21 day period but many more where no time period is mentioned.

I have also read some posts that indicate that an expedited date can be set if the USC has documentation from his company that he must return to the US by a certain date.

So confusing.

http://www.murs.com....tration_in_ukr/

Try here, this is what i read. Now that i read it again, looks like it may have been talking about marriage is registered 30 days after marriage registration application... but then they talk about expidite if pregnant...? again, i was going from memory and by the time i got this far, realized i was doing it in the USA... But this is all i have on the topic about the 30 days from my original post.

PS, if you do it or find out, let us know... may have to go for this if the K1 falls through...

Edited March 28, 2012 by L+T

[MishaMoose 2]

http://www.murs.com....tration_in_ukr/

Try here, this is what i read. Now that i read it again, looks like it may have been talking about marriage is registered 30 days after marriage registration application... but then they talk about expidite if pregnant...? again, i was going from memory and by the time i got this far, realized i was doing it in the USA... But this is all i have on the topic about the 30 days from my original post.

PS, if you do it or find out, let us know... may have to go for this if the K1 falls through...

Thanks for this.

I will gladly post whatever I find out.

I wish I could remeber where I read the posts about RAGS expediting if the foreign party had a short time line and had documentation to prove it (like a letter from the employer saying "if he isn't back at work by such and such date we will fire him" . As I recollect it has to be on comapny letter head and some other specifics.

More searching in my future