Wedding traditions and money

[Marita Nummikoski]

Have the wedding traditions changed since the fall of the Soviet Union or
has money always been present in wedding ceremonies? I recently viewed a
very interesting wedding video and what amazed me was the amount of money
that the guests were charged, either jokingly or otherwise. In this video,
the guests were charged an "entry fee" to the banquet dinner. They also had
auctions where photos and other wedding memorabilia were sold to the highest
bidder. Of course, a lot of guests also gave money as a gift to the couple,
in addition to these extra fees.
As a comparison, I read some internet discussions on whether the wedding
will pay for itself, and it seems to be going both ways. So, my question is,
was this common in Soviet times, too, or is it something new?

Marita Nummikoski
University of Texas-San Antonio




.....но приглашенных было 50 человек, а денег подарили 80 000. они и не
ожидали сами что так много получится! Плюс еще 5-7000 с разных конкурсов!



and



...Сомнительно, что окупится. Может окупиться только, если вы выствите тариф
для всех приглашенных,ну например, не менее 5 тыс. р с лица, но это уже
жлобство какое-то. Вообще, свадьбу делают не для окупаемости, а для радости.