Another Culture Lesson

Besides going to the Tower the weekend after my return, I attended a wedding that Saturday. The couple are friends whom I occasionally help out with their English club when their native speaker is unavailable. Anyhow, it was a great day and I was happy to be able to celebrate with them! This led me to asking some questions about weddings in this culture, so I talked with my friend Uulkan who shared some insight into typical Kyrgyz customs.
In the city, the 'wedding palace' is only open on Saturday and Sunday so that is when pretty much all weddings take place. Cars are dressed up with paper flowers, ribbons, and often I see a centerpeice of flowers, with two big gold rings and a dove or a heart, that crowns the couple's ride. Also are the many photo ops at the monumental places all around the city-THE place is the eternal flame, where flowers are left and the couple kiss. And like here, while driving through the city, horns are honking.
The Bride and groom typically have a simple band of gold (worn on the right hand)- not much of the flare and pizzaz of back home with platinum bands donned with precision cut diamonds. After the formalities of it all, it is time for the celebration- lots of food, drinking, and dancing. Pretty similar to home- just different food, music, and alcohol. As for guests, attire is usually your nice stuff, but here, some girls who go to a wedding really dress up- hair and everything! It would be like if you showed up at wedding looking like you were going to the prom, or you were part of the wedding party- but not.
One very interesting thing of note- for the first MONTH after the wedding, the bride lives at her mother-in-laws house and works- cleaning, cooking, etc.!! I laughed to myself as I imagined what that would be like in America :)
But unfortunatley, somehow or another they too have the bouquet toss to see who is the next to be married. All the unmarried girls are called out- even if they are engaged- so it's not just the 'single' girls. Not a favorite traditon of mine b/c no matter how much you do not want to participatein it- people call you out. All people know who should be in that group of eligable girls who must enthusiastically have their hopes in catching a bunch of flowers to foretell their destiny-lame! And if you are not present- the whole thing is put on hold as your name is yelled and you are found. Well, wanting to avoid the previous, I joined the group- standing off to the side, out of the bride's throwing range and watched as someone caught the flowers in a happy victory.
I'll be getting another chance though, as two more weddings are planned for this October. I enjoy going to weddings- celebrating with the people I know as they start a life together, but sometimes, being a single girl in her late 20's in a marriage oriented culture gets a little crazy.