Wedding Fever

Registry Office Wedding Party

Move over Wills and Kate, the wedding of the year was in Palamartsa, Bulgaria last weekend, on the 30^th and 31^st July to be exact.

After our arrival at Jeni & Jordi’s our time was taken up with wedding preparation tasks, Meg made yet another bridesmaid dress and the house and gardens had a complete tidy and clean.

Guests started to arrive on the Wednesday evening, Jeni’s dad, quickly followed by Jordi’s mum, sister and auntie, who Megan christened the Spanish Armada, because they sailed into the house on various occasions taking over the kitchen with Spanish food preparation, yummy!

Steve and Barry 

Rings

Waiting for the 'off'

Up until Thursday 28^th we all thought there was not going to be a legal wedding at the registry office as the paperwork was horrendous, three different countries, Bulgaria, Spain and the UK all with their own rules and regulations, the Bulgarian being the worst, physcological  appraisals, VD, and aids tests amongst the requirements.  However, Jeni was on the case and the go ahead came through and the ‘legal’ wedding was set for 5 o’clock Saturday evening in Popovo.  We think the on/off nature and the full on preparations for the ‘Bulgarian’ wedding on the Sunday meant that this first wedding was a surprise, the emotions it set off in both families, when they realised that they were actually married!  Tears flowed and there were lots of hugs and kisses and smiles and laughter.  This was followed by what started out as a meal for friends and family before the ‘big’ day, it turned into a party celebration where the drink flowed and everyone danced the night through except for Jeni & Jordi who had another ‘wedding’ the next day.

 The Sunday started off low key with a few hangovers, us included, final preparations and at 3pm Jordi heading off to Popovo to his Mum’s hotel to get ready, leaving Jeni and retinue to prepare at home.  So the scene is set, Jeni shut in at home, Jordi motoring to Palamartsa.  At the edge of the village he is stopped by a crowd and has to prove he is man by doing a number of tasks including shooting an onion – don’t ask me I was busy photographing the bride and retinue who were late getting ready and I missed it!!

The Bride

Jordi's retinue

After passing his tests he advances on foot to the house to claim his bride with traditional dancers and musicians leading the way, only to be met at the gate by her protectors who won’t let him in, after trying to force his way through he has to concede to buy her.  So reluctantly pulls a few coins out of his pocket and hands them over, these are dismissed as worthless so he tries again, with the same result.  So out come the notes, first 2 lv, then 5 and 10 lv, to no avail, then 20’s no luck, so a girl in his retinue pulls him away saying, Jeni is not worth it, but "she is" says Jordi forcing his way back to the gate only to be rebuffed again.  So out come the 50lv notes to cheering of the crowd.  600lv later he is let in but does not get to see the bride who is locked in the kitchen with her mother to the sounds of traditional songs and tears as she is told to say goodbye to her mother as she has to leave with her man to live another family.  Jeni didn’t actually leave then as she wanted to ‘walk up the aisle’ with her father to get married, so she followed Jordi down the road and she now had the dancers and music accompanying her.

'Buying the Bride'

Inside the gate

The ‘aisle’ was in the village square and was a strip on fabric strewn with flowers leading up to an arch where the ceremony took place.  This carried on through to the hall where the food and drink were and more ceremonies took place, eating bread and salt from the grooms mother, bread and honey from the brides mother, drinking wine and throwing the glasses over their shoulders and ripping a large loaf of bread in half.

Father and Duaghter on their way

'The Aisle'

We survived the wedding, both weddings, and both hangovers and a 20hr, 3 buses, journey to the Aegean cost of Turkey to our next Helpx hosts where we are now, but more of that next time, you will not believe it, we didn’t.

The End