Just like everywhere else around the world, marriage in Ukraine is a big event and the brides are surrounded with care and attention. They are dressed in lavish clothes and of course deserve admiration from everyone.

Ukrainian brides usually take the family name of their new husband and according to the tradition they move to live to his house. But before reaching this happy moment, there are many more small rituals during which they introduce the groom to their family and ask for a blessing to get married.

Usually nowadays the decision for marriage is taken between the man and woman who are in love and have already started a relationship. The harmony in the relationship has many signs and here we are not going to explain that if on this stage there are any quarrels or misunderstanding on important issues, the marriage will not survive for long. The key for a long and happy family life is in the agreement to accept the culture of the partner and to agree with the small rituals everyone has.

When is the most appropriate time to ask for her hand? Well, it depends on many factors, but the most important things are just a few:

Feel her love and be sure that your future bride loves you too. You can always understand if someone is just pretending to love you or her feelings are true. Small gestures of affection show more than the big promises and vows. If she is calling you from time to time, impulsively needs to see you or to share a small victory over daily problems, be sure that your girlfriend feels close enough to you and believes in you. If she can trust you, then this is good beginning and a base for a bigger step.

You should have same interests and desires. Family life means to leave partially your previous lifestyle and to focus on someone else apart from you. Both bride and groom should be well aware of the fact that marriage actually means not only a ceremony with a wedding cake but also shared problems, house and later children.

Be sure that you are on the same wavelength. Most Ukrainians love children and want to have babies as soon as they get married. This is partially programmed in their genes. In addition they will be pressed by their family. The old generation in Ukraine believes that if children do not appear soon after the marriage, therefore there is something wrong in the couple. Your bride will be under big stress if she does not fulfill her family will for grand children pretty soon.

Once upon the time, a century or so ago, the girl and the boy were promised to each other by their families. They rarely knew each other before the marriage ceremony and had no other choice but to obey the decision of the older generation. Today this tradition is dead. Of course the groom should meet the Ukrainian bride family and be introduced to them but be sure that he will have the father's vote because today parents respect their daughters and her feelings more than the old traditions.