5 Wedding Traditions in Slovakia / Ema & Peter
This September we had the absolute best time capturing Ema & Peter’s traditional Slovak wedding. It was a full day, from 7 am to 3 am the following day, as you would have it in this part of the world.
Ema & Peter fell in love during high school in Slovakia and they’ve embarked on every new adventure together since then. They studied in England, worked on internships in Spain and they are currently continuing their studies in Belgium.
But no matter where the road takes them, home will always be in their hearts as this is where they met and this is where they decided, a few years after, to celebrate their love with all family and friends.
Their wedding day was a truly special experience, both for them and for us as we witnessed some of their local traditions entangled in a day filled with laughter and tears of joy.
As Romanians observing this Slovak wedding, we were constantly finding similarities between our cultures and they way the day unfolded. However, for people born in other parts of the world, some of these traditions might seem surprising.
Keep reading to discover some of the most common traditions in Central and Eastern Europe.
Getting ready
In the morning, the bride usually gets ready at her parents’ house. In this case, Ema and Peter both got ready in the same house, with the help of their bridal party. However, the bride and groom didn’t see each other until the first look. This was an intimate moment in the garden where Peter was waiting with his adorable dog-faced blindfold on. Tears started falling down her eyes as they both took a moment to reflect on their relationship and anchored themselves in the beauty of the day.
As the guests start gathering at the bride’s house, the groom comes in with someone to speak on his behalf called a staroste. This man will often have a typical traditional discourse where he asks the bride’s parents for their daughter which is hidden away in the house. Once the groom is deemed worthy, he is presented with the bride and then the staroste will ask the parents for their blessing. The couple offers a gift to the parents to show their appreciation for all the love and support given in raising them. This is followed by traditional music while the guests enjoy snacks and traditional drinks such as slivovica (a colorless, strong spirit, usually made from plums, served in shot glasses).
The ceremony
It is custom for people to have their religious ceremony on the wedding day. In Slovakia, anyone is invited to attend so you will often see strangers mixed in with the wedding party. After the service, the bride and groom are expected to wait in front of the church as the guests form a line to come and congratulate them, offer their best wishes and give the bride flowers. They are again served with snacks and slivovica. After the formal photos, everyone heads out to the next location.
The party
The guests arrive first and they will wait outside. Before anyone can enter for the reception, it’s time for another tradition. Borrowed from the Jewish weddings, the breaking of a plate and sweeping of the shard together is a tradition that was meant to scare away the evil spirits and demonstrate that the new couple will collaborate well together. While the groom is trying to sweep all the pieces, the guests or the staroste put him to challenge by spreading the shard away. Any pieces left on the floor symbolize the coming of children into their life.
The groom caries his bride on his hands as they walk into the reception venue and they take their seats for the first meal: the soup. The newly-weds are given custom-made bibs as they have to use one bowl and one spoon to feed each other. This symbolizes the sharing of their life and looking after each other.
Once the meal is served, the couple have their first dance and then the party starts. Ema & Peter got married at a local winery, which meant the night couldn’t properly started before the first bottle of wine was opened. And is there any other way to open a bottle than with a sword?! Both of them proved to be really skilled at this!
As the evening unfolded, the bride and groom’s compatibility was tested both on the dance floor and with a quiz. The guests had loads of fun and the throwing of the bouquet was another great highlight.
At midnight, we witnessed the traditional ritual of Čepčenie. This was the most complex moment of the wedding as the dancefloor was taken over by girls dressed in traditional clothes, singing and holding candles. During this ritual, the bride wears a floral headdress, called parta, which symbolizes her purity and innocence. The red ribbons have a protective purpose, shielding her from any bad spirits. The parta is taken off and replaced by a traditional bonnet or čepiec - the bride has now officially become a married woman. To celebrate her new status, the ritual continues with a traditional dance where the guests take turns to dance with the bride and the groom can only go back to her once she has danced with everyone as she is now accepted among the adult members of the community.
Ema and Peter and all of their dear ones carried the party on until the morning, celebrating their wedding day in true Slovak fashion.
If you’ve managed to get this far, I hope you got a vague idea about what weddings look like in Slovakia. In all honesty, they are long, eventful and at times can be chaotic, but they are a feast to the eye. No words can do them justice, so if you really want to have an authentic experience, make yourself some Slovak friends and go to their wedding. I can guarantee you will have an amazing time.
Do you know of any other beautiful wedding traditions? We would love to hear them! Let’s connect on Instagram and Facebook and tell us all about weddings in your area. Better yet, if you’re getting married anywhere in this world, let us to come along. We want to learn and experience as many different traditions as possible.
Drop us an email to get a quote for your traditional wedding day.