Marriages and at will of the highest persons, for example, tsars and tsarinas were made (we shall recollect Pushkin "the Arab of the Peter the Great"). Matchmaking ceremonies in Russia represented the introduction of the groom and the bride into the new life, new advantage. They had similarity with erection of ancient princes in advantage of their authority that is why the groom carried the name of prince, and the bride - princesses. Here and wedding grades: senior - the manager of all wedding, the big and smaller boyar, friend and butlers; boyars, all visitors (usually it is God, it the put father of the groom; he the manager of a train, changes rings of a couple, pays for wedding also brings home young); sedentary boyars and ladies. Before trip to church of the groom and the bride put on fur, matchmakers scratched it hair, moistening a crest in fault or strong honey. Then showered with hop or the grains mixed with money, the ambassador the candle lit marriage candles. In church the utensils with a grain wine which the priest three times gave to drink to the groom and the bride was taken. On third time the groom threw utensils and trembled down her legs. Then marriage candles stuck together and put in heads of bed newly married in a tub with wheat where candles should remain the whole year. A premise - room where should sleep newly married removed so: on walls put icons, in each corner it was stuck arrow, on it was hung up sables or martens, on benches put on a vessel with honey, and after submission of last dish friend carried him and a piece of bread in the room to bed young.
Before an entrance the put father gave newly married advice how to live in matrimony and at bed the wife dressed in two fur coats showered young money and hop, fed them on bed, before the groom and the bride abstained in drink and meal. In the morning members of wedding came to young, arrow lifted a blanket, checking purity newly married. After that matchmakers conducted young in a bath where the mother-in-law sent the son-in-law a dress, and then fed with its porridge. During this ceremony the young husband should hold the to the spouse for a hand, differently it predicted disagreement in a matrimony. Since XVIII century in society the national ceremony starts to be superseded all-European ceremonies.
The old pre-revolutionary ceremony consist of three basis cycles: pre-wedding, wedding and after wedding, that was identical to all estates. At the most strict following to customs the first cycle included courtship, survey of a house, ceremonial washing of the groom and the bride in a bath (before wedding). The second cycle - gathering of a wedding train, arrival of the groom the bride, a meeting of young parents in the house, ceremonies after first marriage night etc. The second cycle - gathering of a wedding train, arrival of the groom the bride, a meeting of young parents in the house, a supply of things given by parents, ceremonies after first marriage night etc. the Central place borrowed a wedding feast. To the third, final, to a cycle concerned - visits young to close relatives. All estates the ceremony of wedding was identical to. And in all estates ceremonies were directed on maintenance of the consent, riches and posterity in family. Acquaintance... Where young people could get acquainted or have matchmaking? On the big church holidays, specially arranged domestic evenings, at "fairs of brides", paid evenings, joint celebrating of the maximum man's and female educational institutions, and also through marriage announcements in special newspapers. Acquaintance occurred necessarily at the presence of the senior relatives, missed not later than 11 o'clock in the evening.