From wedding formula to the chemistry of love: a series of public talks and workshops held as part of the All-Russian Wedding Festival
On the
third day of the All-Russian Wedding Festival, a large-scale cultural and
educational programme unfolded at the National Centre RUSSIA. Experts discussed
wedding trends and family partnership during public talks, visitors tried their
hand at traditional crafts and national cuisine in workshops, and explored
Russian history through the lens of family dynasties on themed tours.
The cultural and educational programme of the II All-Russian Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" covered a wide range of topics and areas. Participants of the public talk "How weddings work today: trends, emotions, meanings" explored how modern wedding planners are reinterpreting visual clichés of the past and drawing inspiration from fashion, art, cinema, and even science. The speakers concluded that today the focus is not on scale, but on precision, meaning, and emotions. The discussion featured Anastasia Isayeva, Executive Director of the For Two wedding agency, DD-CLUB Private Events; Mikhail Braslavsky, founder of the wedding agency Bonweddings; Irina Volkova, decorator, art director, expert in global trends and neural networks, brand strategist, and founder of Trendstorm Game; and Ksenia Bodyagina, wedding stylist and author of workshops for beauty professionals. The moderator was presenter and TOP15MOSCOW member Vladislav Sapunov.
"Trends
usually emerge simultaneously across several industries, so we look to cinema,
music, theatre, and show business. For example, immersive performances from
theatres have found their way into wedding planning. Today we see very diverse
formats in our country. If in 2023–2024 people were looking to American and
European weddings, now everyone is looking to Russian weddings because they are
the most stylish and creative, and our wedding industry is the most versatile.
Moreover, the level of the wedding industry is high not only in major cities,
but also in the regions. Almost every region of Russia offers its own unique
natural locations for weddings, and this approach can be considered one of the
most prominent wedding trends," noted Irina Volkova.
"Truly
remarkable, self-sufficient projects emerge when wedding organisers don’t just
pick something superficial, but dig deeper – immerse themselves in history,
study the work of artists and filmmakers, and explore the original meanings
behind it all, only then interpreting those meanings in their own way. Fashion
is an inexhaustible source of wedding inspiration. But fashion shows can feel
intimidating – everything is overly exaggerated. The stylist’s task is to break
the proposed image down into components and choose the most suitable stylistic
techniques. And we mustn’t forget that people are at the heart of any event.
When the bride and groom arrive in their chosen looks, with their own vibe,
wearing something that makes them feel good and comfortable, they radiate real
energy — and it’s through that energy that the event is created," shared
Ksenia Bodyagina.
Doctor of
Biological Sciences, neuroscientist and professor at Lomonosov Moscow State
University Vyacheslav Dubynin, together with Denis Reshetov, Head of the
Academy of Business Communication, lecturer and bestselling author of
"Tune into Conversation," invited the audience to look at love from a
chemical perspective in their lecture – and to find out what role hormones and
other molecules play in choosing a partner.
"At
first glance, it may seem that the chemistry of love is all about hormones. But
in reality, it’s far more complex. Our brain isn’t just a hormonal system or a
set of emotions – it’s also our memory, our personal experience, our desire to
connect with others, what we call empathy. The subtle chemistry of love lies in
attuning yourself to someone you care about. At that moment, neurons begin to
change their synaptic connections through chemical processes. This ability of
nerve cells is known as neuroplasticity. It is neuroplasticity that forms the
basis of long-term relationships – when it’s not just a fleeting emotion but
genuine closeness, when you live together for many happy years, create things
side by side, and bring wonderful creatures into the world called children. And
if this miracle hasn’t happened to you yet, I wish you a flight to the planet
called Love," said Vyacheslav Dubynin.
The public
talk "Making a family as a creative process" focused on building
harmonious partnerships within a couple. Composer and leader of the Kvatro band
Leonid Ovrutsky, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and partner of the business
conference "Growth Points in Business" Yulianna Viner, long-married
couple Sergei and Irina Shirokikh, participants of the first All-Russian
Wedding Festival Timur and Elizabeth Badmayev, large family of Maksim and Irina
Moisenko, and celebrity couple Yekaterina and Eduard Shapovalov all shared
their views on what makes a strong family.
"In a
couple, there is never true equality: one is the poem, the other is the guitar,
as the song goes. And I’m very grateful to my husband for keeping me grounded.
If it weren’t for him, I would have floated away long ago with my endless
creativity. In most couples it’s clear who flies and who stays on the ground —
but the important thing is to be honest about it. It doesn’t happen right away,
so you need to talk a lot. Creative people often have this annoying trait: they
think they’ve said something aloud, but it was all just in their head. I don’t
give advice to young couples, but this definitely works – talk to each other,
say everything out loud. Even if you’ve spent the entire family budget on yet
another creative project, it’s better to be upfront about it. And if the person
loves you, they’ll say: ‘Alright, darling. Let’s sell your car and keep
going,’" said Yekaterina Shapovalova.
At the public
talk "How to combine current wedding trends and traditions,"
participants discussed how to organise a harmonious wedding that respects
tradition without falling into cliches. The speakers included Yelena Buryakova,
publisher of Wedding magazine and co-organiser of Wedding Awards Russia; Inna
Snizhko, Development Director of Wedding and co-organiser of Wedding Awards
Russia; Yelena Shirshova, co-founder of the wedding agency Wedding People and
winner of Wedding Awards 2024; and Yuliya Dubova, founder of the wedding agency
Dubova Event and also a 2024 Wedding Awards winner. The event was moderated by
Dmitry Sokratilin, named Best Host in Russia by the Wedding Awards.
Guests were
invited to explore their creativity through a series of workshops. Guided by experienced
mentors, they made traditional protective dolls called
"Nerazluchniki" ("Inseparable") and charms for the home
hearth. Meanwhile, author and methodologist, and Head of the federal project
"Gastronomic Map of Russia," Yekaterina Shapovalova, together with
RBC channel commentator Denis Gorshkov, hosted a gastro-performance titled
"The Culinary Art." Together with couples who had married in the
previous days of the festival, they prepared the traditional Russian wedding
bread "bannik" and yufakhash – miniature meat dumplings from Crimean
Tatar cuisine, which brides used to make on the second day of the wedding by
cutting out the dough circles with a wedding ring.
The
literary club "What to Read" brought together everyone interested in
literature and family psychology. Together with the Editor-in-Chief of
Psychologies.ru, journalist and co-author of the podcast "Vulnerable
Human" Alexander Akulinichev, Head of Trendwatching at VCIOM Natalia
Ignatieva, and philologist, cultural expert, and Editor-in-Chief and host of
the Punk Monk project Nikolai Zharinov, guests selected the best books about
family, great couples in human history, and the psychology of family
relationships. The discussion was moderated by Alexei Chesnakov, Head of the
Scientific Council of the Centre for Political Conjuncture, professor at the
Higher School of Economics, and author of the Telegram channel Chesnakov.
Library.
Participants
of the themed tours of the expositions "The Birth of Scale" and
"Journey Across Russia" discovered many new and interesting things.
They explored a unique display of children’s works on the theme "A Home of
Happiness for Lovers," created by students of architecture studios and
young visitors to the exposition. They also learned about the role of famous families
in Russian history and culture. Another highlight was the wedding costume
exposition in one of the pavilions of the National Centre RUSSIA. Historic
wedding dresses, outfits from the Soviet era, and contemporary designer
creations illustrated the evolution of wedding fashion and showcased the
artistry of embroidery and lace. Renowned Russian brands such as Valentin
Yudashkin, Alexander Arutyunov, Measure, GAPANOVICH, Edem Couture, and others
presented their models.
Representatives
of government bodies, public organisations, media and the cultural sector took
part in the formal closing ceremony. The highlight of the event was the
awarding of participating couples in various categories celebrating the
achievements of those in love.
The
programme concluded on a high note with a concert that immersed the audience in
the world of music and love. Some of the most popular lyrical compositions of
the 20th century were performed by soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre and
laureate of international competitions Diana Kazanlieva, and laureate of
international competitions and Artistic Director of "Overtone" Yakub
Suvorov, accompanied by Natalia Dudik, principal accompanist of the
Mikhailovsky Theatre.
The project
is implemented with the support of the Presidential Fund for Cultural
Initiatives. The full programme of the festival is available on the official
website of the National Centre RUSSIA in the "Events" section.
On July 10, the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts" finished its work at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The open dialogue "Values of the Future" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting Hearts".
A lecture "Pure Chemistry: how hormones determine who we fall in love with" was held at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the II All-Russian Wedding Festival "Russia. Uniting hearts."