Finnish-themed wedding! Help us.

[Ravvy]

I am marrying a half-finn. He's from that area in the UP near Hancock as another member mentioned. I appreciate all of the information on this page!!

More music ideas please!

http://artists.letssingit.com/eppu-norm ... aa-7r428cb

(You are new here so let me explain: this is a joke, I am kidding. )

[Nukkepöksy]

How does the "stealing of the bride" work exactly. It takes place before the ceremony, right? That only makes sense to me, if the husband-to-be has to perform tasks to win her back in order to marry her. I don't really know any of the details. I just know that the groomsmen are supposed to organize it and carry it out.

What happens and when?

[merenneito]

Stealing of the bride actually takes place after the ceremony, at the party. It's just one of the entertainments. The groomsmen come in and escort the bride away (somewhere closeby and keep her well entertained during the operation, so she doesn't just wait bored). Then they make an announcement that the bride has been stolen and tell the groom what he has to do to get his bride back. Usual tasks are singing some familiar song with own lyrics about the wonderful bride etc.. or making a poem about her, or making a speach about something bride-related. It can be anything, but not for too long, as the bride will be "out of the party" during this. Once the groom has done what is asked of him, the kidnappers will bring the bride back to the party.

I must add that though it's not for everyone, in all the weddings I've been with this being done, the groomsmen have given the bride a little something to drink during the kidnapping

[FraserinFinland]

Buffet is always the better option at weddings if you are planning on mixing culinary cultures. Simply putting a dish of salmon/pickled herring and mashed swede might be ok if you are going over to your Grans, but it is best to tread the middle ground in a reception. Mix people up at the tables and then the Finns can explain and recommend the dishes, and vice versa with other dishes. Its a bit like putting a tub of Kraft Cheese whizz and Humpty dumpty chedacorn in front of the Finns, some might be polite and others would feel sick. Remember you are paying for this and it is better the food get eaten and everyone has a good time.

20mls of Lapponia Lakka/cloudberry liqueur in a glass of dry sparking wine or cava is a nice drink to offer at the reception as they come in. Bottle comes in 500ml.

The stealing of the bride from what I understand was done at the reception after the marriage, back in the day the guests would have contributed money or items for the couple, today you send people out a wedding list of things you want. Otheriwise you get 2 toasters and a rice cooker with the wrong plug. The event is a chance to lighten things up a little.

[Pursuivant]

Well its a bit more civilized than an 19th century wedding, where the fortune of the newlyweds was organized by the in-laws selling shots - there was a "viinapöytä" - back in those days weddings were a public occasion, hence the Ostrobothnian saying "not a proper wedding if nobody gets stabbed". The stealing of the bride is said someplaces to stem from the young men kidnapping the bride to procure free drinks. Due to the general mayhem weddings ended up as, the temperance society and priests - due to them having a monopoly of having a still in a village - opposed the boozing tradition. So this also explains why the liquor in a Finnish wedding comes out only after the priest leaves. Usually there is a punch, made out of fruit juce and whatnot, and after the priest leaves the men tend to "spike" it from their hipflasks. So you might want to figure out the "unwritten rules" at a Finnish wedding. The punch is non-alcoholic in the beginning, but after the priest leaves its not for kids any more, which times in when you can also start the dancing (the band also waiting for the priest to leave, as dancing is a sin).

[FraserinFinland]

See I knew there was a deeper reason for this.

[Cloudberry]

Due to the general mayhem weddings ended up as, the temperance society and priests - due to them having a monopoly of having a still in a village - opposed the boozing tradition. So this also explains why the liquor in a Finnish wedding comes out only after the priest leaves. Usually there is a punch, made out of fruit juce and whatnot, and after the priest leaves the men tend to "spike" it from their hipflasks. So you might want to figure out the "unwritten rules" at a Finnish wedding. The punch is non-alcoholic in the beginning, but after the priest leaves its not for kids any more, which times in when you can also start the dancing (the band also waiting for the priest to leave, as dancing is a sin).

LOL the last time I got drunk was in the company of a Finnish priest at a summer cottage after a sauna