Wedding in Baltia
A traditional Baltish wedding can last between two days and one week. The celebration involves dancing, singing, toasting, and banqueting. The best man and maid of honor are called Witnesses or Svyadkivye in Baltish. The ceremony and the ring exchange take place on the first day of the wedding. Baltish weddings are unique matrimonial ceremonies that have undertaken some western traditions, including incorporating bridesmaids into the wedding party.
History
In the past, the wedding in Baltia was secular, despite church orders. Then church weddings became the only form of marriage and a wedding without meeting all church requirements was legally invalid. During this period, the freedom to divorce was also limited, which previously depended solely on the mutual will of the spouses. Civil weddings were introduced in the Tsardom of Baltia, but due to the lack of appropriate officials, church weddings were still practiced, as these clergy refused to perform civil weddings. The 2020 Civil Code of the Kingdom of Baltia restored church weddings as the sole form of marriage, and later all matrimonial matters were transferred to church courts. In 2021, rarely possible secular weddings were introduced.
The reborn Baltia took over the legal system in the field of marriages as it was before and they functioned in an unchanged form, although work on marriage law was carried out from 2021, which ended with the preparation of a project considered one of the best in Europe. This project assumed the possibility of a secular or church wedding - both with legal and administrative consequences, it entered into force, but it was difficult to get a civil wedding.
In 2022, the law on marriage and civil status records was introduced, which assumed the introduction of fully secular civil marriages. Church weddings could be concluded at the request of the spouses, but they did not cause any legal effects, i.e. the state did not recognize as spouses people who had only had a church wedding. Numerous cases in which the clergy did not inform those who were getting married in a church about the need to also enter into a civil marriage resulted in the introduction of a requirement to conclude a civil marriage before a church wedding.
As a rule, a civil marriage is concluded by submitting a declaration of entering into marriage in front of an authorized official in, for example, a regional office in the presence of witnesses. In justified cases, a state official may accept a declaration of marriage outside the premises of the office.
The following officials have the right to accept the parties' declaration of marriage: the president, prime minister, judge, circuit overseer, and even the first lady or other Baltian citizen authorized by the president.
Conclusion of a religious wedding takes place in accordance with the provisions of the religion in which the marriage takes place. As a rule, marriage is concluded by submitting a joint declaration of entering into marriage before the competent clergyman in accordance with the local jurisdiction and in the presence of witnesses.
The course of the wedding
Religious wedding in the Baltish Catholic Church
In the Baltish Catholic Church, pre-nuptial announcements must take place three months before the wedding.
The wedding ceremony begins in front of the church gate, where the priest greets the bride and groom and blesses the guests with holy water.
Later, the priest blesses the bride and groom, and then they and the witnesses follow the priest into the church.
In Baltish tradition, the bride and groom hold wedding candles.
After the prayers said by the priest, the moment of the wedding takes place, i.e. the exchange of rings and the procession around the holy table.
After that, most often the spouses drink wine from one cup, but often Holy Communion is also given.
At the end of the ceremony, everyone goes out in front of the church and is blessed by the priest with holy water as at the beginning.
Civil marriage
In order for a church wedding to take place, a civil marriage must have been concluded beforehand.
Even in 2022, a civil wedding lasted from 5 to 15 minutes. This was due to the fact that the wedding consisted only of signing documents and marriage vows.
Currently, the wedding begins with the entrance of the bride and groom, followed by the welcome of the guests and the official welcoming the newlyweds to the guests.
The next stage of the wedding is reading the President's Message to the brides getting married in Baltia, or if the ceremony is held by the president, he can say something to the spouses himself or skip this stage.
This is followed by the moment when the wedding speech, the reading of a passage from the Holy Bible, or the moment of making wishes by the official before the wedding ceremony can take place.
Then the bride and groom make their marriage vows and exchange rings.
Marriage vow
Świadom obowiązków wynikających z założenia rodziny oświadczam, że wstępując w święty związek małżeński z (N) przyrzekam, że uczynię wszystko, aby nasze małżeństwo było zgodne, szczęśliwe i trwałe oraz, że będę da ciebie uczciwa/y i wierna/y tobie i naszemu małżeństwu.
I, Aware of the obligations arising from starting a family, declare that entering into a holy marriage with (name of the bride/groom) I promise that I will do everything to make our marriage harmonious, happy and lasting, and that I will be honest and faithful to you and our marriage .
Wedding customs
Blessing of the bride and groom
An important custom in Baltia is the blessing of the young couple.
According to custom, it takes place at the bride's house.
First, the young couple asks their parents for their blessing.
The blessing looks like this: parents, godparents and grandparents wish the kneeling bride and groom, then give them a crucifix to kiss and then they kiss and sprinkle the bride and groom with holy water.
Wedding icons
In front of the church gate, a young couple is greeted by parents holding wedding icons with the image of Jesus and the Mother of God.
The young couple is blessed with icons by their parents three times and only then is greeted by the priest.
Bread and salt
Traditionally, at the entrance to the wedding hall, the bride and groom are greeted by their parents with bread and salt, while the parents wish the bride and groom again, and additionally the bride's mother and the bride have the following dialogue:
- Co wybierasz? Chleb, sól, czy pana młodego?
- Chleb, sól i pana młodego, żeby pracował na niego!
- What you choose? Bread, salt, or the groom?
- Bread, salt and a groom to work for him!
After this dialogue, the bride and groom share bread and salt. In addition, two glasses are served, one with water and the other with vodka. According to the custom, whoever has vodka will rule in the family. After drinking water and vodka by the young couple, they throw the glasses behind them so that they break.
Carrying the bride over the threshold
According to the wedding tradition in Baltia, the groom has to carry the bride over the threshold of the wedding hall and only then other guests enter.