Caucasian wedding
Caucasian people care less about modern trends of wedding. They have their own wedding customs that were carried on through ages. And the Caucasian wedding today just like it was for some ages ago. They follow strictly the rules their ancestors told them to follow and no changes are brought in wedding customs. Though, there is a custom the Caucasian people would like to refuse. That custom is kidnapping of bride. Most people object this custom as it is a shame and offence for both girl and her parents. Though, there are still men who get married by means of resorting of this ancient and brutal custom. As a rule man kidnaps his bride in case if he has no money to pay kalym or he knows for sure that she won't give her agreement to marry him.
The Caucasian wedding starts with engaging. On the engaging day the fiancé and bride exchange their rings and bridesmaids color their palms and fingers with henna. That coloring is a symbol of broad road to happiness opened for fiancé and bride. The wedding begins in the house of bride. There are only women presented at that part of wedding. The fiancé comes to a house of his bride with different presents. Those presents are usually clothes, boots and so on and so forth. As the celebration at bride's house is over the wedding ceremony goes to fiancé's house.
There people have separate rooms for celebration. Men have their separate room and women have their separate room. According to Caucasian traditions women are not allowed to celebrate in the same room with men. In two days after that celebration the father of fiancé comes to the house of bride. Relatives of fiancé enter her house with candles and mirror in their arm. Those candles are symbols of fire and the whole idea of those candles is: if one cares not about fire it will fade away, and so if one cares not about happiness it will also fade away. The bride has to care about those candles and keep the mirror.
As the father of fiancé takes her away from her home he pays symbolic sum of money to her brother or father. Then she is taken to the house of her husband. Her face is covered with linen as she enters his home. There is also a belief that before she enters house of her husband her newly-made relatives have to stab the sheep and shed its blood under her feet. That ceremony is performed in order to protect her from evil eye. After everything is done the brides is taken to the room decorated with her dowry and she stays there waiting for her husband to come. Husband usually comes about 12 o'clock a.m. he enters the room and the bridesmaids stay next to their door. They are those who have to present proof of prides innocence.
There are also some Caucasian traditions according to which the just married shouldn't consummate their marriage right at first night after the wedding. According to their beliefs there is a time needed for just married to get to know each other better. The very first night after the wedding should be a night of talks, which will give them an opportunity to get acquainted better. And the second night after the wedding is the night when they may to consummate their marriage.