“When to serve champagne? To warm it or not to warm it? How to accept - standing, sitting? " - the inimitable Pronya Prokopovna was bustling about waiting for the matchmaking of that very famous stylist-barber from the cult comedy. And not in vain ...

Matchmaking features

The main purpose of the pre-wedding event is to bless the parents. But over the years, its traditions have changed markedly. Modern matchmaking is fundamentally different from ancient customs. And it's good because the ceremony is generally simplified and looks easy and fun. After all, the wooing groom is sure that they will gladly accept him and they will not refuse to marry him off as a girl, as was the case in the old days (when there was a chance of getting a harbor, it’s easier to turn from the gate). Nowadays, it is customary to do with a simple invitation from a girl - and no pomp and complexity! However, both the bride and the future mother-in-law are still worried and fussed about, meeting the long-awaited guests, like the heroine of the famous comedy. Admission questions are still valid.

Let's have some food!

Since ancient times, it was believed that there should be an even number of dishes on the table - so that the bride and groom were always together. The presence of cereals spoke of prosperity, so they cooked porridge and put a jar of honey - so that the life of the young was sweet. It would be nice to follow this tradition now.

Modern matchmaking is more like an ordinary holiday feast. The groom and his parents are already waiting in the bride's house. Therefore, the meeting takes place in a warm and sincere atmosphere. What to cook for the welcome guests? Today, each housewife decides this individually. Of course, it would be nice to know in advance the taste preferences of future relatives.

But if you adhere to the rules of the classic reception, the party will be a success. The main course can be baked fish, meat, or stuffed poultry. Several types of salads will harmoniously complement the table - at your discretion. They can be anything. The main thing is the presentation. We recommend laying them out using a serving ring. It looks not only appetizing, but also solemn. You will emphasize how important this event is to you.

Snacks will also be a pleasant addition to such a table: thinly sliced ​​ham and cheese, rolled in the form of tubes (everything is only round!) And laid out, alternating on a pillow of mixed salad on a round dish, will certainly impress the guests. A modern style of red and white fish carpaccio will also come in handy. For hot dishes, it is better to serve potatoes with meat in clay pots - nevertheless, it is closer to national customs.

And, of course, a traditional sweet table! And here mother-in-law pies are appropriate. The son-in-law will definitely not remain indifferent to them! Cakes, pastries, all kinds of desserts are a matter of imagination for every housewife.

If the table is properly served and it is comfortable to sit at it, then delicious food is a special pleasure.

Caution, drinks!

Everyone knows that not a single meal is complete without alcoholic beverages. What should matchmakers put on the table? In this case, champagne can be skipped. A good dry or semi-sweet wine is allowed, but both red and white wines are required - so that there is a choice. However, men love not only hotter, but also stronger. Therefore, cognac, vodka, whiskey must be present.

Engagement is an ancient custom that has its roots in the distant past. V Ancient Rus- This is the ceremony following the matchmaking, it was called the mating or the pre-wedding.

In the process of the ceremony, young people definitely needed to get consent to marriage from their parents. In ancient times, the groom was obliged to pay a ransom for the bride, thus redeeming from the girl's father the right to rule over the future wife. Times changed, and the girl's father began to pay the ransom. In both cases, such offerings during the engagement were considered a guarantee of a prosperous family life... During such a meeting, the details of the upcoming wedding were discussed:

• the number of guests on each side;
• the date of the celebration was negotiated;
• location;
• other organizational nuances.

Peter I banned engagement with minors in Russia and released them from the earlier obligations, and the Holy Synod ordered to combine the ceremony with the wedding. It was considered dishonorable to dissolve the engagement, and the initiators were obliged to compensate the injured party for all losses.

What is the essence of the engagement ceremony

Today, a significant part of young people have been living under one roof for a long time, running a common household, never daring to legitimize their relationship.

Do not neglect a touching and touching procedure when a guy asks for the bride's parents' hands and anxiously awaits an answer. Of course, it is better to warn about your visit so that future relatives can prepare.

There are opponents of the rite, but we will focus on the positive aspects of the old tradition:

• get parental consent, because new family you will have to make friends, communicate, and sometimes live under the same roof with a new family;
• change the status, inform friends and acquaintances about the upcoming event. Lovers practice communicating their intentions in the midst of a party;
• a deliberate decision to get married, because it is better to refuse to marry than to demand a divorce on the second day;
• abstaining from close relationships is an argument for the advocates of innocence.

How to choose the right engagement ring

A mandatory attribute of the ceremony is a ring, which future husband gives during the engagement.

Most girls are very sensitive to such a gift, because it is a symbol of mutual love. What rules to follow when choosing a wedding ring:

• the first thing to do is decide on a budget. You should not buy a gift for fabulous money, because in the future there will be considerable expenses. Better to give preference classic style with the presence of some kind of zest;
• the hardest part is choosing the right size. You can seek advice from a friend of your beloved, but only if you are sure that she knows how to keep secrets and will not reveal your intentions ahead of time;
• remember that the ring is worn on the ring finger, and if you measure the jewelry from the other finger, then the size will not work;

• it is necessary to decide on the metal. Classic version- a thin gold ring with a diamond;
• with all the responsibility to approach the choice of stone, since each has its own meaning. Ruby symbolizes blood, pearls - tears, diamond chips - broken love;
• and do not forget about the preferences and tastes of the chosen one.

Gifts and congratulations for a young couple

If you are invited to a festive lunch or dinner, then naturally you need to figure out how to congratulate, what words to choose so that they sink into the soul and at the same time be parting for the couple. They can be pronounced in your own words or in poetic form, also write on a postcard, because the main thing is not the form, but the essence. More complex issue- What to gift?

Gifts should be useful, useful to the future family for the establishment of everyday life or joint recreation. It can be unusual, beautiful dishes, linens, a set of towels, and close friends can order a couple of T-shirts with funny and cool inscriptions.

• bath towels with initials;
• small porcelain figurines;
• jewelry is presented to the bride (tiaras, bracelets, earrings, chains);
• carpets are given if the young have a place to live;
• a large umbrella for joint walks;
• for a honeymoon trip, a roomy suitcase or travel bag will be a useful present.

An unforgettable surprise will be a gift made with your own hand. After all, it is not always possible to find what you need in stores. A delightful bouquet of sweets prepared with your own hands will become a worthy decoration of the festive table.

A collage of photographs of future spouses will be a unique surprise. If you can't come to the celebration, you can limit yourself to a bouquet, ordering delivery and investing original postcard... Young people must obligatorily thank the donor with a reply card or call.

It doesn't matter what gift they give you, the most important thing is to carry and preserve your feelings throughout life together.

Master class on how to make a bouquet of sweets with your own hands.

An engagement is a step towards starting a family that combines fear and excitement, surprise and sincere joy at the same time. After all, this is the very moment when a beloved person holds out the coveted box with a ring with the question "Will you marry me?" ... It is unlikely that a girl is able to just forget him. But how do you celebrate an engagement to make it memorable?

Celebration

Abroad, the engagement itself is already a weighty occasion for the celebration. So it is not surprising that it is traditionally customary to celebrate it there on a grand scale and solemnly, almost like the wedding itself. And some countries can even boast that they officially confirm the engagement day of the future newlyweds in the newspapers.

Of course, there are no such things in Russia. And the engagement can be called valid only after the statement left in the registry office. But not only fashion comes to us from the West - more and more often Russian couples decide to celebrate such a significant event for them.

Here are a few useful tips for those who decide to celebrate their engagement:

1. An engagement is undoubtedly important holiday... But still not the one that takes a lot of time, effort, preparation and money. Therefore, it is better to mark it with " light hand"And sparklingly.
2. You don't need to be tied to a specific date. If it is accepted in the relationship of the couple, you can remember the day of the engagement and subsequently celebrate the anniversaries, but the very first celebration can be held when it is convenient! At the same time, it will not be at all bad if there is at least a month between the celebration of the engagement and the wedding itself. But even if not, this is not critical.
3. It is not advisable to invite to the engagement celebration those friends or relatives whom the couple does not plan to invite to the wedding in the future. It's ugly, so it's either everywhere or nowhere.
4. Some lovers try to combine engagement with a bachelorette party and a bachelor party. Do not do like this. These are completely different "holidays" and trying to cram one into the other is tantamount to mixing champagne with milk.

Ideas - how to mark

Picnic

A picnic in nature is cheap and cheerful. It is also a barbecue, a pleasant pastime and, as a rule, funny company... And if the time of the year with the weather allows, then why not? Gather all your friends and close relatives in the country or in a country house. You can even arrange a surprise for those who are not yet aware of the engagement and report such a joyful event already at the picnic. Or immediately warn everyone about what you are going to. And let a bottle of champagne become a pleasant and unusual highlight at natural gatherings, which will brighten up the moment when the news is announced.

Party at home

At the present time, it is already rare to meet those people who celebrate the holidays in the home circle, but they may well come to the liking of couch potatoes. This idea is also suitable for those who do not have so many friends to spend money on a cafe / restaurant. Set the table, prepare music, invite guests and you can start celebrating! It can be just a sincere get-together with the announcement of the engagement of a couple, or real irrepressible fun. After all, the main thing is not the place where the holiday is held, but who surrounds. And, of course, attention.

You can diversify your home party by arranging a “cocktail table” for guests, where you can mix your own drinks.

Limousine

If you don't want to stay at home at all, then it's time to get out into the streets and freak out! Book a limousine for yourself and close friends. Rent it for the evening and just drive around the city. Glasses of champagne, cityscape streaking outside the window and great company nearby. What could be better? Such a celebration of the engagement will surely be remembered not only by the couple, but also by friends who will remember her for at least three more days. And memorable photos from such a "party" will surely turn out to be original and will warm the soul for a long time.

Wedding rehearsal

But some still want to celebrate the engagement with a wedding scale. It will not be possible to truly recreate the entire wedding commotion, but no one bothers to do the so-called rehearsal: let it be a gala dinner in a good restaurant. The bride-to-be should dress in Nice dress, while the groom - in a suit. It will be good if the invited friends support the couple's initiative and dress appropriately. During such an evening, you will need to exchange rings and vows of loyalty and love.

First, it looks very nice. Secondly, such a rehearsal can serve well already at the wedding itself. Having felt the moment, in the future it will be possible to avoid stupid mistakes. Or maybe even so that good ideas regarding the upcoming wedding will visit your head.

Family dinner

Celebrating an engagement with friends is not a bad thing. But she's like New Year or Christmas in the first place, family celebration and event. Therefore, it is a good idea to set a small table and gather the relatives of both lovers at it. In addition, such gatherings can be combined with family council and further discuss the details of the upcoming wedding.

A selection of interesting videos

A wedding is a significant exciting event, preparation for the celebration of which requires solving a lot of related issues, primarily related to the organization of the celebration. On the territory of our country, it is customary to celebrate a wedding on a grand scale, therefore, the question of competently drawing up a menu, choosing dishes that should decorate wedding table and saturating the invited guests is especially acute. Newlyweds should decide not only what types of treats should be included in the wedding menu, but also how many dishes should be on the table.

How many dishes should be on the wedding table?

Wedding planners advise that menus should be composed of interchangeable dishes whenever possible. It should be borne in mind that guests have different taste preferences, and someone may have serious gastronomic contraindications. So that none of the invited guests go hungry, the menu of the wedding table should be balanced and varied. Among the obligatory treats there should be cold snacks, vegetables, fruits.

For those couples who intend to celebrate the wedding at home, the issue of drawing up a wedding menu and preparing delicacies for the table is especially difficult. This is one of the reasons why celebrating such a large-scale celebration is easier, albeit financially more expensive, in a cafe or restaurant. Professional chefs, as well as the administration of the institution, will help determine how many treats should be on the menu, as well as their portions and composition. In addition, you do not have to bother about the subsequent cleaning of the wedding table, washing a huge amount of dishes.

The menu of the wedding table, as a rule, is organized so that the serving of the treats takes place in stages. Traditionally, there are up to 4-5 shifts per wedding evening. This mode helps to revive guests a little, make the holiday active and cheerful. It should be noted that during a visit to the registry office, walks and photo sessions, some guests come to the restaurant even before the young ones appear there. For such a case, the menu should provide light wedding a buffet table, including several glasses of wine or champagne per person, fruits and light snacks on the table.

Sample menu of a banquet table for guests

Whether you are celebrating a wedding at home or in a restaurant, your banquet table wedding menu should cover the main points. The wedding table should look aesthetically pleasing. As a rule, it is decorated with fresh flowers or decorative details of a wedding theme. By the beginning of the celebration, all kinds of assorted and portioned snacks should flaunt on the table. Drinks offered early in the evening should include juices, mineral water and alcohol. Try to keep a balance of fish and meat treats, sausage and cheese treats in the wedding menu.

Appetizers and salads

Snacks are the first serving of treats on the wedding table. The menu should include seafood snacks, for example, salads with shrimp or squid, fish jellied, assorted red or white fish. Cold appetizers also include meat treats in the form of neatly chopped meat of all kinds, veal tartare. Do not forget about vegetable cuts with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, herbs, which should be on the festive table.

After that, salads should be served on the festive table. The ideal option is to have several variations on the menu. Make sure your wedding table includes cold cuts such as chicken Caesar salad, vegetables and fish. It would be appropriate to include treats with cheese, eggs, butter in the wedding menu. After serving salads, you should take a break for young people to relax and to communicate with guests. Then comes the turn of hot dishes.

Main hot dishes

Festive hot treats should not only be tasty, but also aesthetically pleasing. Experts recommend giving preference to whole piglets, stuffed fish or poultry, such as turkey. As a rule, before serving a hot meal, the table is complemented by portioned snacks, the task of which is not to satisfy hunger, but to let the guests forget about it for a while. During the treats with portioned delicacies, an entertainment program is provided.

It will be good if one of your close guests takes on the task of monitoring that the waiters take away dirty dishes on time, keep the wedding table clean, and bring new drinks. The main hot dish must be served with an appropriate side dish. These should be fresh vegetables or, for example, baked potatoes. After tasting hot as well entertainment program the time for serving sweet treats is approaching.

Wedding cake and loaf

As a rule, the wedding feast begins with a loaf, but now the cake is served at the peak of the celebration of fun or closer to its end. Wedding loaf should be round shape... The cake is decorated with paintings, ornate patterns. The treat should be offered to the young before entering the restaurant, it is more of a traditional wedding symbol of family happiness and well-being than a dessert from the menu.

A wedding cake, unlike a loaf, opens up an endless field for the imagination of the young and the pastry chef. Holiday cakes come in all kinds of shapes, with paintings, lovers' figurines, photographs, and other decorative elements. Usually dessert should be prepared by weight, at the rate of 1.5-2 kilograms for ten people. Guests should be served tea or coffee for the sweet treat. In order for the invitees to have the opportunity to have a cup of hot drink whenever they want, you should notify the administration about this in advance, and add this condition to the wedding menu.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks

Alcoholic drinks are an integral part of any wedding menu festive table... The question of how much alcohol should be at a wedding is difficult. When solving it, as a rule, the following proportions are taken as a basis: 3-4 bottles of spirits, 2-3 bottles of wine or champagne for five people. It is important to make sure that there is a sufficient amount of juices and mineral water on the wedding table. When calculating the amount of soft drinks, you should take into account the time of the year. On average, the proportion is 1.5-2 liters per person.

What should be on the wedding table for newlyweds?

Traditionally, the tables of guests at weddings abound with all kinds of treats and drinks. However, the wedding table of the young is usually very different from the rest. On the day of the celebration of the celebration and banquet, beloved ones are in an extremely exciting state, as a result of which the newlyweds often do not pay attention to the contents of their plates. For this reason, the menu for lovers must be agreed in advance. This is done by the wedding organizer, the parents of the heroes of the occasion, their friends or themselves.

It is important for young people not only to endure such a joyful, but at the same time emotionally stressful day, but also to leave strength for their wedding night. A wedding menu for newlyweds should be light, rich in vitamins and useful microelements. The table should contain vegetables, fresh fruits, berries, lean meats such as, for example, chicken breast. Foods rich in aphrodisiacs will be especially appropriate for young people. To do this, it is recommended to serve salads with avocado, tomatoes, shrimps on the table, walnuts, sandwiches with caviar.

The optimal alcoholic drink for young people is champagne. Among other things, sparkling wine is also an excellent aphrodisiac, served with fruits and chocolate. It is better for the future husband and wife to refrain from drinking strong alcohol this evening. The bride and groom should be cheerful until the end of the holiday, and also leave strength for the long-awaited wedding night.

What to cook for a wedding - recipes with photos

If you nevertheless decide to celebrate your wedding at home, then you need to work in advance not only on what should be on the wedding menu, but also on how to prepare holiday treats, what ingredients you need. You should immediately make a reservation what to cook a large number of the meal from the menu for the invited guests will not be possible for the bride alone. Call your relatives and friends for help, so that together you can organize a delicious wedding banquet and a cheerful friendly holiday.

Cheese basket salad

• hard cheese - 200 g;
• one apple;
• ten percent cream - 100 ml;
• wheat flour - 10 g;
• olive oil - 10 ml;
• one teaspoon of salt;
• one teaspoon of dried marjoram;
• two cloves of garlic.

Cooking method:

Pineapple snack

What should be among the ingredients:

• canned pineapples - one can;
• hard cheese - 100 g;
• two eggs;
• iceberg lettuce - one bunch;
• one tablespoon of mayonnaise;
• crab sticks - 200 g.

Cooking method:

Pork leg with rosemary

What should be among the ingredients:

• pork leg - 1.5 kg;
• two tablespoons of olive oil;
• salt, ground pepper;
• two tablespoons of mustard;
• garlic - four cloves;
• two sprigs of rosemary.

Cooking method:

Tomatoes with garlic and cheese

What should be among the ingredients:

• two tomatoes;
• hard cheese - 180 g;
• mayonnaise;
• Dill;
• garlic.

Cooking method:

Beef jellied meat

What should be among the ingredients:

• beef tails - 2 pieces;
• beef pulp - 1 kg;
• one onion;
• two bay leaves;
• three cloves of garlic;
• carrots - two pieces;
• ten black peppercorns.

Before you get married and become legal spouses, lovers must go through the obligatory ceremony of preparation for the wedding - the engagement. After this ceremony, the young can be officially considered the bride and groom.

This rite is very old. In ancient times, many customs and rituals were observed during the engagement. Today, all these rituals and ceremonies are already considered unfashionable and they have lost their beauty, solemnity and style.

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What is an engagement and what is it for?

In our times, the engagement ceremony has become an everyday formality. But many girls would like to carry out this ceremony the way it was in the old days.

This ceremony is not limited in time. She can last for months... Basically, it lasts up to 6 months, but there are couples who stretch this process over several years. During this time, future spouses must solve many issues that relate to their life together. The most important of them are the housing issue and the future family budget.

Together with these basic problems, they must carefully prepare for the wedding celebration. Namely:

1. Choosing a honeymoon trip (honeymoon);
2. Purchase of jewelry and accessories;
3. Ordering a wedding banquet and choosing its venue;
4. Sending invitations;
5. Car order;
6. Choice wedding dresses and a lot of other, no less important problems.

These worries are pleasant in nature, but they still take a lot of nerves, time and effort.

On social networks, it is now very common to see status with a guy or a girl that they are engaged to someone. But it so happens that for them to get engaged is simply to be in a relationship with someone. And the engagement ritual itself at this time had not yet taken place. For this reason, one should not particularly trust the statuses that are written on the pages social networks, it is better to personally ask the person if this is so and congratulate him with warm pleasant words.

How to organize an engagement properly

In ancient times, this rite was equated to some kind of holiday. The script was as follows:

Today, the place where the engagement takes place does not play a special role. Everything is at the discretion of the young. The main thing is that the groom pronounced the necessary words to offer his heart and hand to his future wife, and put a ring on her finger.

In turn, parents give their consent and blessing, and then give parting words for further family life.

To make this day memorable for a lifetime, prepare for it in a dignified manner... Invite guests in advance and create a menu for the table. The groom should present a bouquet of flowers to the bride and mother-in-law, and a small souvenir to the rest of the guests. Also, plan your activities ahead of time so guests don't feel bored.

How Russians get engaged

Russians do not have certain rules on how to properly conduct an engagement. Basically, this is happening now according to this scenario: the relatives of the young people gather and discuss all the organizational and material issues that should relate to the wedding, what should be on it and where it will take place. Such an event in ancient times in Russia called the word "handshake".

Now not all future husbands give their beloved a ring. It is revealed that he has to buy an engagement ring. But what it will be depends only on the choice of the lovers. It can be carved, stone or simple.

For some, the day of the engagement is considered the date when the application for registration of marriage was submitted. This day can also be celebrated on a grand scale or in a small family circle.

It should also be noted that in Russia it is not fashionable to announce at a banquet that you are going to connect your life with your chosen one by marriage. The older generation prefers to find out such good news in advance. They need to prepare mentally and financially to help you, if there is such an opportunity and need. Besides, will not be very pleasant surprise if your choice did not suit the taste of your parents, and they are against the upcoming wedding.

Some have a habit of talking about everything in last moment, immediately before the wedding itself or a few days before it. This is done in order to make sure of your feelings and the correctness of your choice.

Organizational points in the engagement

When you arrange your engagement, do not forget about these points:

Engagement ring

The Russians have recently acquired the custom of giving an engagement ring... But not everyone gets this attribute. A lot of young people are not particularly bothered with information about what it should be like and give any they like.

But it is necessary to take into account that the ring when proposing to become a wife must necessarily be with a pebble. Even if it is not a diamond, but a simple stone. The engagement ring should be different from the engagement ring. If the groom gives a ring when proposing a hand and heart, which he subsequently puts on the ring finger to his chosen one and in the registry office, then this will be wrong.

A common question is which finger to put on such a ring. In Western countries, such a ring is worn on left hand on the ring finger, but our engagement ring is worn on the right hand. This is due to the fact that it is there that in the future the girl will wear wedding ring... After the wedding, a girl can, if it is convenient for her, wear two rings at the same time... In this case, they must be of the same type of gold and be combined with each other.

The choice of a ring also depends on the budget of the future spouse. If there is any doubt or uncertainty when choosing such a decoration, then the groom can consult with future mother-in-law or best friend the bride. They should know the bride's taste better.

Many grooms, due to the absence of any rules during the engagement for a long time, come up with their own original versions of the proposal of the heart and hand. Can buy a wedding ring and wear it on any finger, someone just buys a ring from any alloy and gives it to the chosen one. The most important condition is that the groom gets a positive answer, and the bride is happy.

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