Russian families have been becoming more liberal day by day when it comes to blessing on the wedding day. Before it was compulsory that the couple do get permission from their parents but now it no longer is the same. Even though the tradition has been changing, there are a few that you need to stick to.

A Russian wedding can be a unique experience. It will be one of its own kind and quite different form the rest of the world. There are a few basic things you ought to know on Russian culture, whether you meet your bride through an agency or on the streets.

Earlier, it was a usual practice for the bride-groom and the bride to be promised for each other. They would spend their time in knowing each other. The parents and the immediate family would take the lead on their marriage.

It was after 1960 that the age Old Russian tradition in which promised marriages began changing and the Americans also came to be known as "hippies". Then youth were permitted to date before marriage but were punished if they had sexual contact prior to marriage.

It was perfectly acceptable for the man to visit and get to know the bride's family before asking permission to marry the woman. When he did the father either approved it or did not approve it, and if he did, the woman was then expected to knead bread and take it to her future in-laws. This showed her modesty and ability to be a good wife.

Buying a bride was not offensive though. Today, this is still practiced but more like a tradition rather than something that was considered a trade act. The man is allowed to bid for the woman he wants to marry, by offering money or presents to her family. This is a way to prove his wealth, and was practiced mainly to prove that he is able to look after the woman he loves. He is assuring her a good life after marriage, rather than greed.

If the family of the bride did not approve of the marriage, it only meant that the man had to be more challenging. Stealing was a tradition which was a solution to this. It may sound pretty weird but in those days it was a profession. Different types of plans were worked out to get the girl.

Men were paid by the groom, his family, and his friends. This would also never happen without the active support of the bride. Then in the middle of the night she would elope with the man whom she loved. This just proves that Russian women are rebels by nature and are ready to leave everything behind, even their mothers and fathers, when it comes to love and passion.

Traditional Russian marriages also include taking their vows in front of God, and not just having formal papers signed. They want their religion to mean something, as well as their marriage. They want to prove they aren't just getting married for legal purposes.

In olden days marriage ceremony took a minimum half of an hour, but it stretched to long time like four to five hours with traditional and obligatory chants and various acts in order to obtain God's blessings. Modern couples, these days, prefer only short forms of the marriage promises instead of the longer ones. At the end of the ceremony , the families that take part in the wedding party is escorted to a Russian restaurant or a house where the guests celebrate the marriage by drinking and having delicious Russian meals with lot of happiness.