This section presents the wedding customs and instructions preserved in the Domostroy, describing the preparations, ceremonies, household arrangements, and provisions for a wedding.
This translation follows V. I. Yakovlev’s 1867 edition of the Domostroy, based on manuscripts of the Imperial Public Library.
Source: Domostroy — 1867 Edition
Related Domostroy Sections
Table of Contents
- Preparation of the Wedding Place
- Arrival of the Newlywed Prince
- Blessing, Head-Combing, and the Wedding Bread
- The Bride’s Headdress and Veiling
- The Journey to the Wedding
- At the Church
- Return from the Wedding
Instruction for the Wedding Rite
Preparation of the Wedding Place
Set up the place and cover it with a carpet; and at the place put an atlas pillow or gold velvet; and at the place have two men hold forty sables each. At the same place set up a table, and spread a cloth upon the table; set out table vessels and perepechi; put the kalachi on a dish, and set out cheese, and put the perepecha that is to be cut there; and on another dish put the osypalo, hops, and gold coins and gilded Novgorodki, and put nine sables, and various kamka and taffeta; and on a third dish put shirinki; and on the fourth dish put the kika, and under the kika put the podzatyl’nik, the podubrusnik, the volosnik, and the covering; and set out a golden or silver cup, and put a little honey drink in the cup, and some hops, and two makovitsy; and put a comb beside the kika on the dish.
To one side of the place set up two small benches: on one bench the thousand-man shall sit, and on the other the matchmaker. And at the place let two men stand holding the carrying poles with the wedding loaf and cheese, covered with atlas or gold velvet; and cover the handles of the carrying poles at the straps with gold kamka or atlas. And let a third man hold a candle in a pouch, the pouch being atlas or gold velvet; and let two men hold a lantern. And let all these people be in velvet, kamka, and gold atlas caftans and terliks, and in fox and black hats.
Arrival of the Newlywed Prince
And when the newlywed prince arrives with his procession, and the bearers of the wedding loaf and the candle bearers with the lantern come, likewise; and when, God willing, the newlywed prince sits in his place, the matchmaker shall rise and receive the blessing of the father and mother to comb the heads of the newlywed prince and princess.
Blessing, Head-Combing, and the Wedding Bread
And she shall take the sables which they hold, and carry those sables around the heads of the newlywed prince and princess three times; and at that time the druzhka shall receive the blessing to cut the perepechi and cheese and bring the cheese and perepechi to everyone—to the father and mother, and to the newlywed prince and princess, and to the entire wedding procession, and to those seated, and to everyone who will be in the room.
And with the perepecha and cheese send portions to the father and mother and to those of the seated people who are with the newlywed prince; and to those likewise send cheese and perepecha.
The Bride’s Headdress and Veiling
And when, God willing, the kika is placed upon the newlywed princess and she is covered with the covering, the matchmaker shall rise and receive the blessing of the father and mother to shower the newlywed prince and princess.
At that time the druzhka shall carry the shirinki to the newlywed prince and to the entire wedding procession on a dish; and to his father and mother, from the newlywed princess, likewise send shirinki.
The Journey to the Wedding
And when, God willing, the newlywed prince and princess rise from their place and go out into the vestibule, at that time lay kamka and taffeta for the newlywed prince to walk upon as far as the argamak, and for the newlywed princess as far as the sledge—to travel to the wedding in the sledge.
And cover the sledge with atlas or taffeta, and put a velvet or gold-atlas pillow on the minder, and spread a carpet in the sledge, and cover the minder with scarlet cloth; and at the sledge have forty sables held, as the newlywed princess goes to the wedding, and those sables are to be held in their place in the sledge.
At the Church
And when the newlywed prince dismounts from the argamak at the church, and the newlywed princess comes out of the sledge, spread kamka and taffeta beneath their feet to the church doors in the same manner; and at the wedding place kamka or gold atlas beneath the feet of the newlywed prince and princess, and one sable apiece.
Return from the Wedding
When the newlywed prince goes from the wedding to the argamak, and the newlywed princess to the sledge, spread it beneath their feet in the same manner.
And when the newlywed prince goes from the argamak, and the newlywed princess comes out of the sledge, and they go to their place at the table, likewise spread it beneath the newlywed prince and the princess; and when they rise from the table and go out of the upper room, likewise spread it beneath their feet as far as the senik.