A little about weddings in Vaarum.
The wedding begins at midnight.
The bride is kidnapped by the groom's relatives and carried into the forest thicket. If the groom has brothers his age or older, then they do it, if not, then uncles or friends of the father. The groom's father blindfolds the groom, and after that, before dawn, he must find the bride using only hearing and smell.
When the groom finds the bride, he must bring her back at dawn, still unable to use his eyes.
At home, the groom's mother removes the bandage. The bride is dressed in a dress, and the groom in an embroidered wedding zhupan.
Then preparations for the festive feast begin.
At this time, the young people tie blue ribbons to each other, the groom's tail, and the bride's cape made of owl skin. After this, they separate until the feast. The groom and his unmarried friends go to the bride's realm, where they must find, kill any predator, skin it, wash it and hang it on the groom's belt. The bride spends time with the groom's mother and other wives of markuls. If the bride wants, the groom's father can transfer her friends to Vaarum for the duration of the wedding.
When the skin is obtained and hangs on the groom's belt, all the guests gather in the hall for the ceremony. The groom's mother hangs a ribbon with the bride's name on his shoulder, and diagonally - a ribbon with an inscription in Markulata: "Marok ul ruffu, Adla aul adela, ułar Ejłe." The guests attach one feather to the bride's dress. Either it is an owl's feather, or her own feather.
"To the altar" the groom and the bride go together. There is no altar itself, the newlyweds go to the end of the hall, standing in front of everyone. They are crowned by a priest of Marok. They take vows to each other. It is noteworthy that the groom has a huge list of obligations, and the bride only has "to be honest with her husband".
The newlyweds are presented with wreaths and the priest puts a wreath first on the bride, then on the groom.
Then everyone goes to a feast, where they drink, eat, and have fun until the morning.
Markuls don't have a tradition of the first wedding night, since their culture doesn't prohibit sex before marriage, and there is no need for it.
Wreaths made of blue bush roses growing in Vaarum. They are woven by the guests responsible for this, anyone can be assigned to do it.
2. Ribbon with the bride's name. (This one says Tanija, which is markulata form of the name Tatiana)
4. Skin of a predatory animal from the partner's realm.
5. Wedding ribbons of the newlyweds.
6. The groom's embroidered zupan.
7. Face paint, referring to the titan of Daydream. The bride's lips are painted blue or light blue as a sign of joining to the markulkind.
8. Feathers from the guests, since the bride doesn't have her own feathers. Also a sign of joining to the markulkind.
9. The newlyweds' hair is loose.
10. The bride's dark blue dress with "starry sky" embroidery. Referring to Adela, the mother-night.
11. Orange apron, refers to the Titan of Daydream.
12. Temple decorations: feathers, silver rings, claws and teeth of animals.
