Newlyweds at the III Wedding Festival create their first family traditions

Who cooks family dinners and makes sure there are always fresh flowers at home, and what dish can become a symbol of a first date? Newlyweds shared their family secrets at the III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts". At the National Centre RUSSIA, couples took part in culinary and floristry workshops, where they not only learned new skills but also created the first traditions of their family life.

Participants in the "Recipe for Family Happiness" culinary contest prepared an appetiser, a main course and a dessert. At the "First Date" workshop, under the guidance of Leonid Zharkov, Brand Chef of the Okhotka restaurant and member of the Chefs Team Russia Association of Chefs and Pastry Chefs, the newlyweds made draniki. In the first culinary tournament, our couples prepared draniki — the famous crispy potato pancakes that we have known since childhood and that unite the cuisines of all the peoples of Russia. In Russia and Belarus, draniki are a shared love, but with different accents, though they have common roots. Each couple could choose their own recipe, for example, the classic Belarusian version made with nothing but potatoes and onions, with no eggs or flour. The couples also chose toppings to suit their tastes, from caviar and red fish to such unexpected options as kimchi and strawberries.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

"Draniki are not the most familiar dish for us: I made them once, while Ivan has never practiced. But we had an idea of how it was done and tried to create a version that would truly be our own. The main secret ingredient was love, and we also added cream cheese and some fish. I think ours are the tastiest draniki. We are happy with them," said Ivan and Polina Terentyev from the Vladimir Region.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Despite the responsibility involved, the participants in the culinary contest managed not only to cook, but also to talk about their family traditions connected with food. The newlyweds from Belarus said that in their family, the wife traditionally does most of the cooking, while the husband handles trips to the shops and buys the groceries. The couple from the Vladimir Region admitted that things are simpler for them: whoever gets up first or comes home first cooks. At weekends, they make pancakes together, while for guests Ivan prepares his signature pies, which his wife's father simply adores.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The "Family Hearth" workshop was led by another chef — Yevgeny Mikhailov, Vice-President of the Chefs Team Russia association, Co-Founder and Brand Chef of the Chef's Laboratory gastronomic centre. A true embodiment of family comfort, tender duck fillet combined with a spicy berry sauce and a creamy duo of potato and pumpkin purées is a modern classic. It is these combinations that create that very feeling of home warmth when the whole family gathers at the table. Their task was to balance flavours and textures while working with duck meat, cream, herbs and berries, and then complement the dish with their chosen ingredients, from red wine and balsamic cream to fresh mint and nutmeg. The chef emphasised precision and a calm pace of work, noting that preparing a hot dish together resembles everyday family life: it is important to divide tasks, reach agreement and see the result through together.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

In the final "Honeymoon" slot, Leonid Zharkov was in charge again. The hero of this workshop is the classic Napoleon, a cake loved all over the world. Participants decide for themselves how to decorate their dish. After all, a single berry can set the mood for the entire dessert. What will it be? Sunny strawberry from the South for sweet memories? Cherry from the Central Region with its tangy sourness? Or taiga blueberry from the North for the brightness of new discoveries? The newlyweds showed their creativity, and each couple's dessert turned out with its own twist. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The floristry workshop complemented the culinary programme and became a space for shared creativity and enjoying beauty. Participants were invited to create wedding wreaths from fresh flowers. Florists explained how to combine chrysanthemums, roses and baby's breath, and how to choose the colours and shape of the arrangement so that the wreath would stay fresh. 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The Tikhonov family from Veliky Novgorod said they had chosen delicate shades for the wreath and bouquet: "I chose pink roses and chrysanthemums because after such an eventful first day, today the mood is already calm, joyful and peaceful, just as it should be in a family."

Her husband Yevgeny admitted that the wreath did not work out for him straight away, so he made a small wedding bouquet of red and pale pink roses with baby's breath to delight his beloved. His wife confirmed that her husband gives her flowers all the time and that their vase is never empty: "Perhaps this kind of care is one of the secrets of our happy family life." 

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

Anna and Vladislav Shimansky decided at the floristry workshop to make a wreath as a gift for Anna's sister and her boyfriend. Anna noted that she had deliberately chosen mostly white flowers: "For me, white is especially beautiful. It symbolises purity, love and fidelity. I really enjoyed making the wreath, and surprisingly, it turned out not to be difficult at all. I just needed to get the hang of it."

Her husband Vladislav, in turn, noted that working with flowers was nothing new to him, as his mother has worked as a florist for many years. As a child, he spent a great deal of time surrounded by flowers and now enjoys delighting his beloved with bouquets.

Photo: Press Office of the National Centre RUSSIA

The III All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" is being held at the National Centre RUSSIA in Moscow on 8–9 July 2026. The focus is on the family as a national priority, the Year of Unity of the Peoples of Russia, the love stories of couples from all federal districts, and modern and traditional wedding rituals. The programme includes a ceremonial procession of couples along the Moskva River and through the city, a simultaneous marriage registration ceremony for 150 couples, educational and culinary events, an exposition of wedding traditions, guided tours, meetings with families and a major evening parable performance.