The Pre-Wedding Phase
The Wedding Day
The Post-Wedding Phase

Dating
Currently, mutual affection between prospective spouses is more important in contracting the marriage than the parents' matchmaking decision. Young people have a relatively free choice in whom they choose to date. This period of courting may last anywhere from a few weeks to several years before any engagement takes place.

The Betrothal/Engagement
The young man and woman typically make the decision to get married on their own. It is not uncommon for the young man to surprise his girlfriend with the engagement, devising a secret and romantic plan when asking her to marry him. It is then up to the young woman alone if she will accept or refuse his proposal. Afterwards, does the young couple shares the good news with family and friends.

Arrangements
In most cases, several months before the wedding, the bride and groom have to organize various arrangements for the wedding. These can include booking the church, ordering the food, selecting the wedding party, photographer, renting a hall in which to hold the wedding reception, compiling a list of guests, hiring musicians, and other such things. In some communities, engaged couples might need to book the hall almost a year in advance. Closer to the wedding itself, there are final details to be set. They decide where the brides and bridesmaids' hair and makeup will be done. A day or two before the wedding, they decorate the reception hall. They also pick up the dresses, tuxedos, flowers, and any other last minute items. These preparations continue right up to the night before the wedding.

Pre-Marriage Course and Marriage Banns
Often, the church requires the young couple to meet several times before the actual ceremony to discuss various issues and become acquainted with their responsibilities in the church. The structure of these courses depends on the church where the couple has their wedding ceremony. This may be a group "retreat" for several couples, or individual sessions for one couple at a time. The couple usually meets with the priest/pastor for these sessions and is given various materials to read and discuss regarding married life. Many parishes maintain the tradition of announcing the couple's intention to be married. The announcement is repeated three Sundays.
Furthermore, it is not uncommon for the newly engaged couple to officially announce their engagement in the local newspaper, community gazette, or church bulletin. This usually consists of a few sentences stating who the engaged couple is, whose children they are, and the wedding date. Often, a photograph of the young couple accompanies this announcement.

Licence
One of the wedding arrangements includes official paperwork in the form of a marriage licence. This may be obtained from specific government agencies, and several wedding stores include this service. The bride, groom, priest and witnesses sign the licence in a ceremony near the end of the marriage service, making it a lawful union.

Dowry
In the contemporary Ukrainian-Canadian wedding tradition, there is no dowry for the bride. Instead, the parents may offer to pay for a portion of the wedding, and usually give a significant gift of money or household goods.

Invitations
Shortly after the engagement is announced, months before the impending nuptials, the bride (sometimes with the assistance of her groom) goes to a printing company and chooses her invitations. The bride and groom sometimes choose a Ukrainian motif (i.e. korovai, rushnyk) bilingual text for the invitation design. In most recent years, the bride and groom may produce their own invitations on computer in order to save money or create a unique design.

Two to four months before the wedding, the invitations are mailed out to all of the guests. Reply cards are included in the invitation, on which the guests then respond and send back to the appropriate address

Bridal Shower
A bridal shower, somewhat reminiscent of divych vechir, is usually held a month or two prior to the wedding. This is usually planned and hosted by the bridesmaids at one of their homes as a means to honour the bride as a single woman for the last time. Invited guests, usually important women in the bride's life, commonly bring gifts such as household items and objects for the bride's own personal use. Food and beverages are usually served, and sometimes trivia games about the bride are played. The event is meant as a social gathering.   Specifically in the province of Manitoba, "wedding socials," are held prior to the wedding. Organized by the bride and groom themselves, with the assistance of family and friends, an evening is planned and advertised widely by word of mouth. Guests usually include family and friends of the prospective bride and groom. The social typically takes place in a rented hall where a cash bar and foodservice is usually provided at a reduced cost. The guests dance to live music or in some cases, prerecorded tapes. Some couples also organize a door raffle of various items or a silent auction. Tickets are purchased to enter the event, and then for each of the services. The social is meant to collect funds to help offset the anticipated wedding costs. It also gives family and friends of the young couple an opportunity to gather and celebrate the upcoming wedding.

Wedding tree [derevtse or hil'tse]
A ritual wedding tree, typically a young sapling or the top of a spruce or other evergreen, symbolizes the tree of life and the new family tree that is being established with the coming together of two clans in marriage. This tree is decorated with ribbons, coins, pinecones, candles, flowers, and berries during the vinkopletennia.

It is carried by the best man [druzhba] and commands a place of honour next to, or sometimes planted into the middle of the korovai. Though it was not uncommon to see the ritual tree at a wedding in the early part of the twentieth century, it dropped out of popular practice for the most part by World War Two. However, there now seems to be a revival of the derevtse in certain Ukrainian-Canadian communities as they learn more about traditional wedding elements. In some cases, related to changing ecological values and its appropriate symbolism, the families may choose to use a potted live tree as their derevtse rather than a cut tree. It is later planted with the intent that it will grow and prosper as does the couple's relationship.

Wedding breads [korovai]
Bread is a symbol of abundance and generosity in many European cultures. Though traditionally two korovai and many kolachi were made for use at various points during the ceremonies, this tradition has been altered in the later twentieth century, and usually there is just one korovai made, one for the bride and one for the groom. One or more women in the community are recognized as specialists in making korovai. They are commissioned to prepare this bread for a given wedding. It may be decorated with flowers, ribbons, periwinkle, myrtle, dough birds, or other dough symbols. In some cases, the colours of the flowers and ribbons are specially chosen to match the colour scheme of the bridal party's dresses or the hall decorations.

The korovai is used during the blessing by the parents of the bride and groom and is then displayed either on or near the head table during the reception. Traditionally, the korovai was cut into pieces and shared by all those present at the wedding, however in recent times, the young couple may decide to retain it as a keepsake of their wedding. In some cases, a spray varnish or special glass case is used to help preserve it for many years.

Stag/Stagette
Typically, in final celebration of the intended groom's single life, his groomsmen and male friends plan a "stag" in his honour. This takes place sometime before the wedding, and is usually a raucous night of fun. It may occur at a bar, restaurant, or house, and usually includes the conspicuous consumption of alcohol.
Likewise, in addition to the "bridal shower" discussed previously, a "stagette" may be planned for the bride by her bridesmaids and female friends. Whereas the bridal shower is a somewhat more subdued, "proper" event, the stagette is similar to the stag in that it takes place at a bar, restaurant or house, and usually includes much drinking and revelry. It, too, occurs sometime before the wedding, and may take place directly after the bridal shower.
Some groups plan a combined "stag/stagette" and organize a mixed party instead of separating the genders.
In both cases, the bride and groom are made out to be the centre of attention and sometimes may be "dressed up" for the occasion in some sort of costume piece.

Wreath-weaving [vinkopletennia]
This is a ritual wreath-braiding ceremony. This ritual has been revived in some communities since the 1970s, especially in urban centres. Typically, this takes place a day or two before the wedding at the home of the bride. Though men can be present, traditionally, only women take active part in the ritual. The important women in the bride's life (grandmother, mother, sisters, aunts, cousins, bridesmaids, and friends) gather to make the wreaths worn by the bride and groom during the wedding ceremony. It is not uncommon for the important women in the groom's life to also be present and take part. These wreaths are made from either periwinkle [barvinok] or myrtle [mirta]. Both of these plants are common to most areas of Ukraine and Canada and are evergreen, symbolizing ever-lasting life and love. While braiding the wreaths, the women can sing specific ritual songs, which describe the action that is taking place. In recent times, because the traditional ritual songs are not generally well known, people may substitute them with whatever Ukrainian folk songs they may know, therefore the lyrics may not necessarily reflect the event.** Historically, this tended to be a sombre and emotionally charged event, and tears may be shed. The custom may remind those involved of loved ones who have passed, it may revive the ethnic identity within those involved, or it may remain to be a symbol of separation for the bride from her family.

Click here for text and musical notes for "Horila Sosna"