It was a tradition for the young couple to choose two men to be their representatives, who went into the Volga River Valley to invite guests to their marriage ceremony. These men carried with them a cane that the bride-to-be had tied a ribbon on. At each household, they recited a poem, which was really an invitation to the wedding. If the family tied a ribbon on the cane, it meant they were accepting the invitation. Weddings were looked forward to and eagerly attended. The ceremony must be held in the wintertime, on a weekday, and not during Lent. Farm work was at its slowest season and there was ample time to prepare for it. A Dutch Hop was held after the wedding, and everyone loved dancing to the music played by a polka band. The groom would tuck a flower in his left lapel and pin a long, wide ribbon under it. The light colored sash would drape down the entire length of the dark suit coat. The bride would place a fancy handkerchief on her wedding gown, and as a man would dance with the new bride they would pin money to the handkerchief. The dance would go on until midnight, then begin again the next morning, lasting for two days.
Ancestry's Journey
Susan Davis
Lovely - I've always wondered about the ribbons and flower on the man's lapel. Great information.
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