A Brief Guide Gui de To Serbian Weddings By Miles Milos Smoljo Updated May 2015
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Weddings are wonderful events, but they can be challenging for those responsible for planning and managing them. Proper preparation is the best way to ensure a well-organized wedding. This brief guide to traditional Serbian weddings is based on my experience as both a Serbian wedding !oma"in and a seasoned wedding guest, and will hopefully provide some helpful advice in planning your Serbian wedding. M&MB&"S #' T(& W&$$!G )A"T*
Serbian weddings traditionally have the following as members of a wedding party #or $%ridal party&'( Mlada - The %ride Mladoženja - The %ridegroom #or )room' Kum - The %ridal *ouple+s )odfather Kuma - The %ridal *ouple+s )odmother Stari Svat - The %ridal *ouple+s lder Stara Svatica - The %ridal *ouple+s ldress #and the Stari Svat+s wife if the Stari Svat is
unmarried, then there is normally no Stara Svatica in the %ridal party' Dever - The %ridal *ouple+s %est an #traditionally the )room+s oldest brother' Barjaktar - The Standard-bearer of the Serbian /lag #you can also add a second %ar0a1tar for the
flag of your country of residence' Domaćin - The wedding+s host and aster 2f *eremonies
Please note that in modern times, 3orth 4merican and other wedding traditions have often been incorporated into Serbian weddings, so that many Serbian wedding parties now have ushers, bridesmaids, flower girls and ring boys.
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4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o )"&+W&$$!G %(&%,-ST
6' %oo %oo11 the the hall. hall. #4nd choo choose se the the supp supper er menu. menu.'' 7' *all your your Serbian 2rthodox 2rthodox *hristi *hristian an priest to to ma1e the appropriat appropriatee arrangements arrangements for the wedding ceremony and the wedding rehearsal. 8t is advisable to spea1 with your priest before you boo1 the hall, to ensure that you do not n ot schedule a wedding date that falls at a time of the year when the Serbian 2rthodox *hristian *hurch does not allow wedding ceremonies #there are several such periods in the 2rthodox *hristian *hurch calendar'. 9' %o %oo1 o1 the the band band and: and:or or a !;. <' %o %oo1 o1 the the phot photogr ograp apher her.. =' %o %oo1 o1 the the vid video eogra graph pher er.. >' %o %oo1 o1 the the flor floris ist. t. ?' 2rder 2rder and and mail mail the invita invitatio tions. ns. @' 4rrange for the appropriate appropriate members members of the the wedding wedding party party.. A' 4rrange 4rrange for dresses dresses:tu :tuxed xedos. os. 6B' Schedule a meeting for the %ridal couple+s families to to meet to discuss the details of the wedding. 8 cannot stress highly enough the importance of this meeting and that it should be held as soon as possible. Serbian weddings are as much for the parents as they are for the %ride and )room, so it is important important for all immediate family members members to be involved. 8t is especially important to decide which Serbian traditions will be followed on the wedding day. Schedules for Serbian wedding days are very tightly organized, so try to ma1e ma1e as many planning decisions as possible prior to the wedding day. 66' a1e a seating plan plan for the wedding. !on+t wait until until the last wedding invitation comes bac1 to ma1e your seating plan. Start ma1ing a preliminary seating plan at least one month before the wedding, and then modify it as needed. 4re you inviting the priest to the weddingC a1e sure he and his wife #if she is attending' have a good seat. 67' !ance Dessons. any married couples, when they loo1 loo1 bac1 on their wedding videos, videos, say they wish they had ta1en dancing lessons so that their special %ridal couple first dance was more polished. This is, of course, an entirely personal decision between the %ride and )room. Eowever, if the decision is is made to ta1e lessons, then start ta1ing them well in advance, perhaps three or four months before the the wedding. ost dance studios offer special courses for %ridal couple dance preparation. 4lso, pic1 your song early, early, and if possible, have it shortened #this can be done on computer' to no more than 2 ½ minutes. This may sound short, but when you are out on the dance floor by yourselves, 7 F minutes will seem more than long enough, and your wedding guests will be grateful for a brief and tasteful first dance. Page 7 of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o 69' 4s1 the members of the %ridal party and the parents of both the %ride and )room if they want to ma1e speeches. 8n my experience, at least the %ridal couple, Gum, Stari Svat and !ever should ma1e speeches. Strongly suggest to all those who want to to ma1e speeches that they should write their speeches out beforehand, and that their speeches should be no longer than five minutes. 6<' 4rrange to have traditional Serbian rosemary boutonnieres made for the wedding guests #the guests are referred to in Serbian as the svatovi'. 8 strongly recommend that you ma1e 6BH more boutonnieres than the number of guests you expect. 8 don+t 1now what happens to these boutonnieres, but somehow Serbian weddings always seem to run out of them, which is unfortunate and disrespectful to your wedding guests. S&"BA! W&$$!G T"A$T#!S
Serbian culture is filled with a great number of wonderful and fascinating wedding traditions. Eowever, when tal1ing about Serbian wedding traditions, two things must be 1ept in mind. /irstly, most of these wedding traditions were developed before the 7Bth centuryIbefore the use of cars. %ac1 in those days, travel was by foot or animal-driven cart, and most most people lived in farming communities where life life followed a very different different rhythm. 8t was common bac1 then for Serbian weddings to last three entire days, which allowed for the the luxury of time. Today, Today, we don+t have that luxury of time. We have, in most cases, only one day to do it all. all. Which means that most couples planning a Serbian wedding today, especially in a modern city, c ity, will have to be careful about which traditions they choose to incorporate into their wedding day. day. Secondly, every Serbian region has its own uniJue traditions, which gives us the saying, 4 hundred villages, a hundred traditions # sto sto sela, sto običaja'. 3evertheless, it is these various authentic Serbian customs that give the traditional Serbian wedding its rich and uniJue cultural flavour. %elow is a short list of some of the more common Serbian wedding traditions( 6' S4SES( S4SES( 8n a Serbian Serbian wedding wedding party, party, it is is traditional traditional for the Gum, Gum, Stari Stari Svat, Svat, !ever K !oma"in to wear a sash diagonally on their torso. The !ever+s sash should be white and should be pinned on by the %ride. 7' LMTMN4( LMTMN4( The !oma"in !oma"in should always always be wearing wearing a traditional traditional Serbian wooden canteenI canteenI a čutura Iwhich is filled with plum brandy or some other traditional Serbian brandy. Whenever the !oma"in is addressing the wedding party #aside from the formal speeches at the wedding reception', he should be holding aloft the Outura. 9' %4N;4GT4N %4N;4GT4N 4DW 4DW4 4S D4!S( Whenever the wedding party is travelling as a group, the %ar0a1tar #or %ar0a1tari, if there are two flags' always leads the way. way. So when the )room+s party comes to the %ride+s house, the %ar0a1tar is the first out ou t of the car or limo. When the %ridal party comes to the *hurch, the %ar0a1tar leads the way. When the %ridal party is introduced at the reception, the %ar0a1tar is the first to be introduced. <' T83) T83) 2/ TE /4 /4TENS( 4 traditional traditional Serbian Serbian wedding wedding begins begins at the )room+s )room+s house, where the )room, Gum, Stari Svat, !ever, %ar0a1tar, !oma"in and )room+s family Page 9 of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o and close friends begin the day+s festivities with some food and drin1. Then the )room and his people travel to %ride+s house. There at the %ride+s house, the first two people to to greet each other are the father of the %ride and the father of the )room. They also exchange bottles of brandy, open the bottles and drin1 from them. Then the rest of the party can exchange greetings. Some Serbs also hold to a tradition where the two fathers, along along with the !oma"in, briefly share food and drin1 privately in a separate room before 0oining the rest of the guests in the morning festivities. =' SE22T83) SE22T83) 2/ TE 4PPD( 4PPD( /or this this tradition, tradition, an apple apple is hung hung high in a tree tree near the the %ride+s house. When the )room arrives at the %ride+s house on the morning morning of the wedding day, he must shoot down the apple with a rifle before he is allowed into the house. While this tradition is fine bac1 in SerbiaQs villages where farmers routinely hunt and 1now how to expertly use guns, in city areas this is a very dangerous practice, and in modern times there have been news reports in Serbia of urban weddings where people have been accidently shot. 8n my opinion, a wedding has enough ris1s involved without adding the potential catastrophe of drun1en men shooting off firearms in a suburban neighbourhood. 8f the %ridal party insists on incorporating this tradition, 8 would suggest a modified practice 8 have seen used successfully and safely( hang an apple from a tree branch, an arch or even an eavestrough, and then give the %ridegroom a long-enough pole with a hoo1 on the end to unhoo1 the apple and bring it to the ground. Tradition is satisfied and no one gets accidentally shotR >' %M83) %M83) 2/ TE TE %N8!( %N8!( This is a very very old-fashio old-fashioned ned Serbian Serbian wedding wedding custom that some choose to do while others don+t. 8f you want to incorporate this custom, it goes li1e li1e this( when the )room+s party comes to the %ride+s house, the %ride is is hidden inside the house. 4fter some eating, drin1ing and dancing, the time time comes to slowly begin preparing to leave for *hurch. 4t this point, point, the )room and his Gum must immediately immediately leave for the *hurch #the )room is not allowed to see the %ride on their wedding day until she is escorted into the *hurch by her father'. When the )room and Gum have left, the the !oma"in then loudly announces that the )room+s party has come to the %rideQs house to underta1e a tas1 of great importanceR They have come to to bring a beautiful flower flower to *hurch, to be 0oined with the one who is meant meant for her. 4nd they are willing willing to pay handsomely for this rare flowerR The !oma"in then calls upon the !ever to negotiate negotiate with the %ride+s eldest brother #or another of the %ride+s male family members' for the %ride. This buying is, of course, 0ust humorous playacting, and the main fun is to be had in the negotiations. 3ormally the !ever will start with an offer of some small amount, perhaps twenty dollars, and the %ride+s brother will give him something li1e a picture of %ride for this unsatisfactory offer. The !ever then ups the offer, and the %ride+s brother gives him other things or people for these higher offers, li1e one of the bridesmaids, or an old woman, or even a man in a dress or wedding gown. The !ever, of course, while expressing exaggerated dissatisfaction with with being denied the %ride for his )room, is not put off by these things and valiantly v aliantly ups the price until he satisfies the %ride+s brother, who then brings out the %rideR The !ever then announces to the !oma"in that they have finally received the flower for which they have comeR The !oma"in then greets the %ride and presents her to the )room+s father. The )room+s father then gives a short speech welcoming the %ride to his family and offers a toast in her honour. The %ride is then greeted by the Stari Stari Svat and a 1olo is danced as the %ridal party and guests leave for *hurch. 8f you choose to include include this tradition, 8 strongly Page < of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o recommend that the !ever and %ride+s brother wor1 out their little act ahead of time, agreeing on how many offers will be made made and what the final price will be. The final price in these negotiations is usually in the neighbourhood of a couple of hundred dollars, which the !ever pays, and the money is given later to the %ride and )room #this usually serves as the !everQs gift to the %ridal couple'. 8n fairness to the !ever, the final price shouldn+t be set too high, and shouldn+t be changed on the day of the wedding after a prior agreement is made. The playacting for the buying of the %ride is is often the most entertaining part of the day and should be filled with nothing but goodwill. 3ote( once the %ride %ride is bought, the !ever stays by the %ride+s side until she enters the the *hurch with her father. 8n the olden days when brides were sometimes 1idnapped to extract a ransom from families ma1ing weddings, the !ever was in charge of security for the %ride during the important 0ourney from her parent+s house to the *hurch. !uring this 0ourney in those olden days, it was not unusual for the %ride to travel in a large and heavily armed company of family members from both sides. ?' TE GM+S 23%4)( 23%4)( !irectly !irectly after after the the wedding wedding ceremony and the the usual usual congratulations to the %ridal couple from those in attendance, the guests then wait outside the *hurch to cheer the %ride and )room. 4s the %ridal party exits exits the *hurch, the %ar0a1tar stops to one side at the top of the *hurch stairs and the Gum and Guma stand beside him, along with the %ride and )room. The Gum has a bag filled with coin money #which sometimes also includes wrapped chocolates or candy'. The guests then yell yell out to the Gum that his moneybag is burning # Kume, Kume, izore ti kesa!', and the Gum in response starts throwing the coins into the crowd of guests, who then pic1 up the moneyR 2nce the Gum+s moneybag is empty, then the %ridal party 0oins the guests outside the *hurch for a traditional Kolo dance. @' ST4D83) ST4D83) TE TE %N8!+S %N8!+S SE2( SE2( 4t some some point point on the day day of the the wedding, wedding, after the wedding ceremony #usually at the wedding reception', the %ride may find that someone steals her shoe right off her foot. This is a 0esting Serbian wedding custom. The idea here is that without her shoe, the %ride can+t dance, and if the %ride can+t dance, then no one can dance, and so you no longer have a wedding. The solution to this problem is to have the shoe-stealer immediately ta1e the stage #the band should play along with this' and announce that he will accept a ransom for the shoe from the wedding guests, and when he is given enough money, he will return the shoe to the %ride. %ride. 4 youngster can help the shoe-stealer collect ransom from guests in a box or bowl. When the shoe-stealer is satisfied, he gives the shoe and the mone" to the %ride. 8 find this to be a cute tradition tradition #as long as it+s 1ept short and the shoe-stealer doesn+t hold out for too much money' that adds a little humour and light drama to the evening 8t also helps raise a little extra money money for the %ridal couple, which is always a good thingR A' 4N82MS %N8!4D %N8!4D TN4!8T823S( TN4!8T823S( EereQs EereQs a very short short list of of some traditions traditions followed followed by brides at Serbian weddings( i.
The first first time time afte afterr the the weddin weddingg that that the the %rid %ridee comes comes to her in-l in-laws aws++ house, house, she she throws a spoon of honey over the house if the spoon lands honey-side up, it+s a good sign. Page = of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o ii.
The %rid %ridee holds holds a young young male male chil childd on her her lap at at some some point point durin duringg the wedd wedding ing day day,, after the wedding ceremony. cere mony.
iii. iii.
When When the %rid %ridee steps steps out out of the the car after after the wedd wedding ing cerem ceremony ony,, she she must must first first step step on her right foot in order to ensure good fortune.
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6' )3N4D )3N4D SP8N8T SP8N8T 2/ TE TE !4 !4( While While weddings weddings are times times of great celebrati celebration, on, they are also, in the Serbian 2rthodox *hristian tradition, the beginning of one of life+s most important spiritual 0ourneysIa solemn mutual oath of love and loyalty ta1en before )od. 4 Serbian wedding must always retain its essential 2rthodox *hristian character and maintain a good balance between celebration and holiness, and it is the !oma"in+s duty to 1eep the wedding day festivities on the right path. 8 have a friend who plays in a Serbian band and has played at more than a hundred Serbian weddings, and he once shared this observation with me( the mood of the wedding guests always reflects the mood of the %ridal party and the head table. 8f the head table is Juiet or miserable, miserable, that+s how the guests will be. 8f the head table gets too drun1 or unruly, so will many of the guests. 4nd if the head table is happy and celebrating in 0ust the right way, the wedding guests will follow suit. #eselo #eselo i častno! 4 Serbian 2rthodox *hristian wedding day should be both merry and honourableR 7' %DSS83):PN4 %DSS83):PN4 N N %/2N %/2N SMPPN( SMPPN( Supper should not start start at a Serbian Serbian 2rthodox 2rthodox *hristian wedding reception until a blessing:prayer is read. 8f a priest is in attendance at the the wedding reception, then he performs a brief blessing. 8f there is no priest at the reception, then the !oma"in or someone else can lead a brief prayer, usually a recitation of The DordQs Prayer #$tče %a& in in *r1venoslovens1i or $če %a& in in modern Serbian'. This blessing or prayer cannot be started until there is at least salt and bread on o n the dining tables #or else there is no food on the table to bless bless or pray over'. The !oma"in should arrange with the banJuet hall manager to ensure that bread and salt s alt are on every table as soon as the reception rec eption starts. 8 would also advise that the blessing:prayer be read immediately after the the entrance of the wedding party, while the guests are still standing. This saves guests the trouble of having to stand again for the blessing:prayer. ;ust before the !oma"in introduces introduces the wedding party, he can let the wedding guests 1now that they should remaining standing for Page > of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o the prayer after the %ridal party has completed their entrance. 8f a priest is present, ma1e sure that he 1nows when he will be called upon to give his blessing for supper. 9' ST4N ST4NT T SMPPN SMPPN 23 T8R( T8R( 2ne of the most most important important things things at a wedding wedding reception reception is to start supper on time. 4t weddings that that are rated poorly by their guests, the usual main complaint is that supper started too late. 8n my experience, supper should begin no later than ?(9B P. 4 start time of ?(6= P is ideal, and even ?(BB P on the dot is not too early. The most common reason that wedding suppers are delayed is that the wedding reception greeting line ta1es longer to complete than expected. To avoid this problem, 8 have used the following strategy to manage the reception line( first, have a set time for when you want to end the reception line in order to introduce the %ridal %ridal party. 8 prefer to have the %ridal party begin their entrance at exactly ?(BB P. Ten Ten minutes before the scheduled time of the %ridal party entrance, the !oma"in should stand close to the reception greeting line and loudly but courteously announce to those guests still waiting in the greeting line that the %ridal party must ma1e their entrance no' so that supper can begin on time. time. The !oma"in should then select a wedding guest who is very close in the reception waiting line to the %ridal party, and designate that guest as the $last person& to go through the greeting line. The !oma"in can then sincerely apologize to all the guests standing in the line after that last person and as1 them to please ta1e their seats, promising them that the %ride and )room will come around to their tables tables after supper to personally greet them. 8t can also be helpful to as1 a bridesmaid to stand behind the $last person& and inform any latecomers that the greeting line has been ended in order to ensure that the %ridal party entrance starts on time, and tell the latecomers that the %ridal couple will come around to their table to personally greet them. This reception line strategy can ma1e for a bit of an aw1ward moment, but if the greeting line is not managed firmly and supper starts late, it will sour the mood of the entire wedding reception for everyone. 4lso, 8 recommend that the hall hall manager be told to start serving the first course #which is usually salad' immediatel" after the blessing:prayer is read. <' %N8!4D P4NT P4NT 3TN43* 3TN43*( ( This reJuires reJuires good management management and and teamwor1. teamwor1. The following entrance order is traditional( 4. %ar0 %ar0a1 a1ta tar# r#i' i' %. Mshers Mshers K %rid %ridesm esmai aids ds *. !ever #the #the main main !ever or or best man' man' K the aid aid 2f Eonour Eonour !. Parent Parentss 2f The The %ri %ride de . Parent Parentss 2f 2f The The )room )room /. Stari Stari Svat Svat K Sta Stara ra Svat Svatic icaa ). Gu Gum m K Gum Gumaa E. Ning Ning bo boyy K /lower /lower girl girl Page ? of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o 8. %ride K )room The !oma"in should have in hand a list of the entire %ridal party in order of their entrance, along with their full names, roles in the %ridal party and their relation to the %ridal couple. Eere is an example of a %ridal party member entrance announcement given together in both Serbian and nglish( Dever i (rijatelj mlade i mladoženje Iusher and friend of both %ride and )roomI Milan #uković!) *Deveru&a i nećakinja mladoženje Ibridesmaid and niece of the )roomI #era #era Marković!
4n assistant for the %ridal party entrance should also have a copy of this list, and this assistant should stand by the entrance doors to the hall waiting for the !oma"in to announce the person:people about to enter. The assistant then immediately sends this person:people in. 4 Serbian band will normally accompany the %ridal party entrance with the traditional Serbian musical composition, Mar& na Drinu, written by Serbian composer Stanislav Binički during the /irst World World War. War. This musical piece, as played at weddings #the original version is very symphonic and doesnQt end in a 1olo', uses two tempos( a slow marching tempo and a fast dancing tempo. The slow march is played during the introductions introductions for all of the %ridal party prior to the %ride and )room the music then switches to a fast tempo when the %ride and )room are introduced. 8 strongly recommend that the band be told beforehand to stop playing the song 6= seconds after the %ridal couple reaches the head table and ta1es their their place standing behind their their seats. The !oma"in can also arrange for the band to watch him and end the song at his signal. The reason that this last part of the %ridal party entrance needs to be managed so s o carefully is that at most Serbian weddings, the band plays the fast part of the wedding version of Mar& na Drinu for what can seem li1e an unnecessarily long period of time after the %ridal couple have reached the head table. 2f course, the wedding guests feel obligated to 1eep clapping for the %ride and )room while the music is still playing, which can result in sore hands and an aw1ward moment at the end of the %ridal party entrance. 4gain, 8 advise that the pre-supper blessing:prayer be read immediately after the band stops playing Mar& na Drinu, while the wedding guests are still on their feet. =' %N8!4D *2MPD /8NST !43*( Some couples couples choose choose to to dance the traditi traditional onal %ridal %ridal couple dance 0ust before the dance floor is opened to guests #following supper', but others choose to perform their special dance as people start eating. ither choice is good, but in my experience, having the %ridal couple dance at the beginning of supper wor1s a little better in terms of the evening+s time time management. 4lso, some wedding photographers prefer to leave early during the reception, so this gives them an opportunity to photograph the first dance early in the evening. 8f the %ridal couple decide to do their first dance at the beginning of supper, then the !oma"in can introduce introduce the dance while the first course is being served. 8 strongly recommend that the !oma"in personally do a double-chec1 with the band, directly before the %ridal party entrance, to ma1e sure sur e that they are ready to play #or play the *! of' the %ridal couple+s first dance music, and that the correct song will be played. The %ridal coupleQs first dance is the romantic highlight of the evening and extra care should be ta1en that it goes smoothly. Page @ of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o >' MS8* !MN83) !MN83) SMPPN SMPPN(( Serbian Serbian bands routinel routinelyy play too too loud during during supper, supper, ma1ing ma1ing it very difficult for wedding guests to carry on normal conversations during the meal. 8 recommend that the band be told beforehand that they must be prepared to play Juietly #and appropriate musicIelegant not lively' lively' during supper. Someone, usually the !oma"in, must be firm with the band on this matter. ?' SP*ES( SP*ES( Speeches Speeches are often considered considered an important important part of a modern wedding. wedding. There are basically three ways to schedule wedding speeches( a' throughout supper, with brea1s between speeches b' at the end of supper sup per c' near the end of of supper. supper. 2ne thing to to always 1eep in mind with speeches is that it is very hard to 1eep the attention of a wedding hall full of feasting guests for any serious length of time. /or that reason, 8 li1e to have all the speeches done in one bloc1, and to start them near the end o+ the main course, so that the last speech is being given at the same time time that the guests are finishing their dessert. That way, the reception can go directly from the last speech to the eveningQs eve ningQs dancing. 4lthough it is best to 1now beforehand who is ma1ing a speech, if someone at the last minute, even a guest, as1s to ma1e a speech, it is considered proper etiJuette to allow allow the speech. The order of speeches should follow the same order as the %ridal party entrance #1eeping in mind that %ar0a1tars, ushers, bridesmaids, ring boys and flower girls arenQt usually expected to ma1e speeches'. The !oma"in usually introduces the spea1ers. 8 also recommend that the hall manager be as1ed to not serve the toasting champagne at tables right at the beginning of the night, but rather, at the !oma"in+s signal, ten minutes minutes before the speeches start. This way, when toasts are made during the speeches, the champagne won+t be flat from sitting in a glass on the table for an hour. @' )D4SS-T4 )D4SS-T4PP83) PP83) /2N %N8!4D %N8!4D *2MPD *2MPD G8SSS( Will Will the %ridal %ridal couple couple want to allow allow glass-tapping by guests as a reJuest for the %ridal couple to 1issC This isn+t a Serbian tradition, and some of the older generation donQt li1e to see this practice at a Serbian wedding. 8 recommend that a firm decision be made made before the wedding day as to whether or not to allow this practice #or to allow some variation, li1e singing a song or reciting a poem for the %ridal couple to 1iss' and stic1 to it. The !oma"in can announce the policy for this at the beginning of supper. 8n my experience, if the !oma"in as1s the wedding guests to refrain from this practice, the guests usually comply without any complaints. A' S*MN8T S*MN8T /2N TE TE )8/T %2( This a much much over-loo1ed over-loo1ed issue issue at Serbian Serbian weddings weddings,, and bad luc1 in this matter #i.e. the gift box being stolen' can be a devastating financial blow to the %ridal couple, especially since Serbs often give cash as a wedding wedding gift. The important thing here is to recognize the ris1 and ma1e a plan. The plan can be as simple as 1eeping the gift envelope box under the table where one of the %ridal couple+s parents are sitting, and have a family member there at all times. times. 8 have also heard of weddings where a police officer was hired #standard off-duty security services' to stand near the the box. 4nd 8 have been involved in a wedding where a security guard guar d was hired from a private security firm to par1 with his mar1ed car in the driveway of the )room+s home during the reception two relatives drove the gift box to the home right before the wedding supper started and hid it in the home. 6B' %N8!4D %2MUMT K )4NTN )4NTN T2SS( T2SS( Will there be a bouJuet and garter tossingC 8f yes, ma1e sure these are scheduled accordingly #8+d recommend somewhere around 6B(BB Page A of 6B
4 %rief )uide To Serbian Weddings 5 iles ilos Smol0o P, 0ust before the dessert table opens up'. 4n extra effort may be reJuired to to ensure all those eligible to catch the tosses are gathered accordingly. accordingly. 4s the evening goes by, by, people tend to get into the $party spirit& and are harder to organize. 66' TE %N8!4D *2MPD *4G-*MTT83)( This is a wonderful opportunity for the photographer and videographer to get some great photos:footage. This doesn+t reJuire guest participation or attention, so it can be done at any time. 4 good time for the ca1e-cutting is directly after the first Golo #which should traditionally be the Kraljevo Kolo'. 67' 3! 2/ 38)ET( 38)ET( /ind out when the the banJuet hall is closing their bar and when they reJuire the wedding reception festivities to end on their their premises. 4t the end of the night #as previously advised by the banJuet hall', if some wedding guests are still celebrating, then the !oma"in may have to announce to these wedding guests both the banJuet hall barQs $last call& and the bandQs last 1olo.
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Throughout the planning process, and especially on the actual day of the wedding, it is essential to 1eep in mind that some things will unfortunately and inevitably not go according to plan. Negardless of how the wedding day turns out, don+t let the the unexpected trouble you. our family and friends will be attending your wedding to celebrate your love, not your event planning s1ills. 2n the day of your wedding, the most important things to do are smile, relax and 0ust have fun.
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4 special than1s to !uVan uri", Nadomir !angubi" and il1a Du1i" for their their invaluable help over the years with my own involvement in helping to plan and manage Serbian weddings. This guide draws heavily upon their extensive 1nowledge of Serbian culture and Serbian weddings.
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