“Wedding Ceremony” consists in the rites performed in preparation for the marriage. Precisely in these occasions, music is a number one component and accompanies every single moment of the rite.

The ritual of preparation for the marriage goes through three main phases: engagement, wedding preparation, and wedding banquet.

Engagement is a period of acquaintanceship between families and gift exchanges at the formal betrothal ceremony that crowns the cleaving of two young people to each other over the acquaintance period, which usually goes up to two years.

The wedding preparation is made both by the girl’s family (bride) and the boy’s family (groom). In most cases, to express the rejoice of such an important event, it spans within a time period of one week, i.e. 7 days.

The most typical rituals taking place during this week are: public announcement of the girl’s or boy’s impending marriage (the banns of marriage), bringing the characteristic wedding dress to the bride, laying out the dowry and taking it to the groom, reception of relatives and acquaintances of both families, reception of both the son’s and the daughter’s friends, welcoming the attendance of in-laws (both on the daughter’s and son’s side), families advising their respective daughter and son, as well as sending off the bride (amidst a special and festive atmosphere which lasts about one hour to proceed with the bride going off to the groom’s house, still greeted with the same welcoming atmosphere). This wedding ceremony is accompanied by a series of songs appropriate to every such moment.

Celebrations reach in full swing by the time guests take their seats at the banquet/dinner hosted on this occasion (wedding party). Yet, even though the musical composition expressed in dance songs is prevailing in all moments as mentioned earlier, it is less present at the wedding banquet.