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What are Russian weddings like?
The site below (from an online mailorder bride service) tells all about traditional Russian weddings. Read through "day two," and you should get a pretty good idea of why we don't want one.
Traditional Russian Weddings Am I supposed to fly out to Moscow for this?
You can if you want, but we understand not everyone can do it.
If you want to, please RSVP at least three months in advance so that we can help you figure out what to do about a visa and help you find a place to stay.
I need a visa to go to Moscow? Even as a tourist? Even though I have a blue passport?
Yes. If you want a general idea about Russian visas, check out www.visahouse.com. This is where I get my visas processed. Keep in mind that the prices they quote are in addition to the cost of the actual visa itself, which you can check at your local consulate or embassy (SF, Seattle, NY and DC). A tourist visa is valid for 30 days.
Another company recommended by expats is:
How Do I Find A Hotel?
This site might be a good starting point for some:
Be sure to: click on "Find Hotel" under the "Advanced Search" option in the lefthand column menu. Then scroll down and search just in Moscow. The site shows the rates, pictures of rooms, and has comments from people who have stayed at the hotels before.
If you aren't sure about a particular area of Moscow, just email me! For first-timers, I would recommend finding a more central location, but that also drives prices up, so... Check out the maps to see how far a hotel might be from the metro. In most cases, I would recommend that people visiting Moscow for the first time stay closer to metro stations.
What About an Apartment?
Actually, www.gotorussia.com lists some apartments that can be rented out and reserved in advance. This may be a good option for people who know the city a little.
Our first civil ceremony will be held in Moscow, with reception following. We'll get legal in the States later, once we have completed our sojourn through the Seven Levels of Visa Hell and figured out where in the US we are going to live and how.
What is ZAGS? Will there be a church ceremony?
ZAGS is an abbreviation for a civil registrar office. This is where Russians officialize births, deaths, marriages and divorces.
For marriages, you have to "file" with ZAGS at least two months in advance. You don't always get the day you want, and the office is closed on Sundays, so no Sunday weddings.
The ZAGS ceremony, as I've been made to understand, includes the whole "do you take XYZ to be your lawfully wedded ABC?" But it is short, I've been told about only five minutes or so!
Neither of us is religious and I in particular am not Russian Orthodox, so we most probably (but not for sure yet) will not be having a church ceremony. The trick is that Russian Orthodox churches do not perform wedding ceremondies on Saturdays (or Tuesdays, or Thursdays, or before major Orthodox holidays, or from November through April. I'm actually not making this up...)
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