"If you're going to have a wedding, this is how it should be": couples share their impressions of the All-Russian Wedding Festival
The III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" became far more than a wedding day for hundreds of couples — it marked the beginning of a new chapter in their family lives. A cruise along the Moskva River, a festive procession, traditional national costumes and hundreds of couples saying "I do" on the same day created an experience that participants say surpassed even their highest expectations.
Yevgeny and Alexandra Tikhonov travelled from Veliky Novgorod to take part in the festival. Although they had expected the celebration to be grand, they say the reality was even more impressive. "The emotions are incredible — the event exceeded all our expectations. It was amazing, on such a huge scale, so well organised, everything was first class. If you're going to have a wedding, this is exactly how it should be: no stress, no hustle, with every detail taken care of for you, so you can simply enjoy the moment and each other."
The newlyweds said they were especially moved by the sense of unity. Couples from different regions and even different countries gathered together, each with their own love story, yet all sharing one celebration and the feeling of being part of one big family.
Vladislav and Anna Shimansky recalled arriving at the festival expecting a beautiful wedding ceremony but instead experiencing two memorable days filled with new impressions and meaningful discoveries. "Everything was wonderful and incredibly heartfelt, but what impressed us most was the programme on the second day. We made wreaths from fresh flowers, took part in the educational programme, and learned about traditions and customs. It was so interesting and so beautiful that it felt like a separate celebration within the celebration."
According to the couple, taking part in the Wedding Festival helped them see their own wedding as something much greater — part of a wider story about family, culture and tradition.
Another couple, Farid Ismailov and Vera Pravdina, both citizens of Kazakhstan, said they had deliberately chosen the All-Russian Wedding Festival as the venue for their marriage because they wanted an unforgettable ceremony, where dreams could come true as if in a film.
"Everything was exactly as we had dreamed of, and even more. Reality surpassed our boldest expectations: the scale of the event, the number of couples, the atmosphere of togetherness, so many surprises and so much beauty all around us… At one point, we caught ourselves thinking that this wasn't a film — it was our life, and it was even better than any screenplay."
Anton and Maria Borisov travelled from St Petersburg, following a tradition started by their friends. They learned about the festival from a couple who had married there the previous year. They said that getting married on the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity in the country's capital made the occasion especially meaningful, as it felt like a shared celebration for everyone taking this important step towards family life.
Boris and Olga Bedin admitted that when they submitted their application, they had not fully realised the scale of the event. It was only when they joined the festive procession that they truly appreciated being part of something so significant for the entire country. "We were fortunate to find ourselves here, at the heart of such a huge and beautiful celebration," the couple said.
For Maksim and Yulia Yakovlev, the festival fulfilled a long-held dream. Yulia said she had always wanted to get married on 8 July — the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity. "My parents also applied to get married on 8 July, so for us it has already become something of a family tradition that we are now continuing," she shared.
The III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" took place at the National Centre RUSSIA on 8 and 9 July. Its main event was the ceremonial wedding of 186 couples from across the country, including 150 couples in Moscow. Celebrations were also held simultaneously at National Centre RUSSIA branches in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Primorye Territory and the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra. For the participants, the All-Russian Wedding Festival provided an opportunity to connect their personal stories with the country's shared values, establish new family traditions and strengthen a sense of unity.
The open dialogue "Forms of Love: Literature and Art" formed part of the educational programme of the III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts".
