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Oksana Bratseiko, a 29-year-old wedding planner, has been working in Ukraine’s wedding industry for seven years. Living and working in Kyiv, she has dealt with the repercussions of Russia’s attacks for almost a year now. Recently, Bratseiko shared her firsthand account of what life has been like for her professionally, and how couples have been able to celebrate their love for one another.
“Wedding planners have always had a lot of responsibility,” Bratseiko shares. “You have to live up to a couple's expectations—but it's especially tough right now, when Russia's brutal assault on Ukraine has everyone's nerves strained.” Her company, Forever Bride Wedding Agency, has had a plethora of challenges in this new, overwhelming landscape.
Between February and June 2022, the first months following Russia’s initial attacks on Ukraine, Kyiv alone registered 9,120 marriages. That is eight times more than the 1,110 marriages in the same period in 2021. That being said, the size and scope of an actual ceremony has changed. Bratseiko says, “Peoples' fantasies haven't fundamentally changed. Girls still want beautiful wedding dresses and stunning photographs—but they're putting off their ‘perfect weddings' until the end of the war. My team organized very few weddings in 2022 because most couples didn't bother with a big event: they opted for modest, last-minute weddings at Kyiv's City Hall.” So, the weddings that Bratseiko has had to plan are expectedly smaller, cheaper, and most times, under an intense time-crunch.
Bratseiko describes two weddings that particularly highlight the vehemency of wedding planning during wartime. Vadym and Anna were set to tie the knot on February 25, 2022, the day Russia launched its full-scale invasion. They obviously paused wedding preparations, and it took until May 2022 to relaunch them. Their wedding was the first one Forever Bride Wedding Agency organized under Russia’s attacks. Bratseiko says it was reimagined as a “stylish and classic ceremony with about thirty guests,” with plans for a bigger celebration during peacetime.
Another couple, Roman and Victoria, had been planning since November 2021. Most of their caterers and contractors had already been booked. “Victoria's father was serving on the front lines in eastern Ukraine with the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Bratseiko says, “and they didn't know when he'd be able to come home.” So, in June 2022, they made the decision to pause plans.
In Ukraine, it is customary for guests to bring bouquets of flowers for the newlyweds. Roman and Victoria thought of Victoria’s father, instead. Bratseiko explains that army vehicles seldom last very long, due to heavy shelling. So, “in lieu of flowers,” Bratseiko says, “Victoria collected funds to go toward buying an off-road vehicle for her father's unit.” They raised all of the money within a month of the wedding. Even more incredible, Victoria’s father was finally granted leave to attend. “We dug straight into preparations and arranged an intimate, vibrant wedding in about a month,” Bratseiko says.
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Currently, Ukraine is under martial law, meaning that the government can impose restrictions on civilians for the better interest of the country. Bratseiko’s team has worked hard to comply with these new regulations. Ukraine’s curfew is set at 11 p.m., so Bratseiko has had to adapt wedding schedules to fit all of the typical celebratory events, but make sure that no one is in trouble. She explains, “We have to work frantically to dismantle all the decorations in time for our contractors to get home before 11 p.m.” As well, due to systemic Russian attacks on Ukraine's power grid, starting in October 2022, power outages are a constant issue for Ukrainians. Bratseiko says her solution is to find venues that come with generators. “These are pricier,” she says, “but it's worth it for avoiding the extra stress of a blackout.”
Arguably most importantly, Bratseiko has had to navigate the psychological and emotional welfare of her clients. Weddings are always full of hard decisions and intense emotions, but Bratseiko has described, “The war has heightened everyone's emotions.” To manage this overwhelming change to public wellbeing, she says she has “more frequent check-ins in the run-up to the big day.”
Beyond her new professional challenges, though, her personal life has dramatically changed. “I live in Kyiv with my husband and our young daughter, and I'm often very scared,” she admits. “My dad's a soldier, and I worry about his safety. I have lots of friends fighting on the front lines.” Through all of the hardships Bratseiko and Ukrainians have faced, love has been a welcome and unifying element. “Planning weddings during wartime is like a light in the dark,” she says. “Couples in love are very inspiring. Yes, organizing a wedding at a time like this isn't easy, but it gives a boost to everyone's life.”
Scroll below to see pictures of the beautiful ceremonies Bratseiko and her Forever Bride Wedding Agency team has planned.
Oksana Bratseiko, a 29-year-old wedding planner, has been working in Ukraine’s wedding industry for seven years.
View this post on Instagram
Bratseiko’s company, Forever Bride Wedding Agency, has had a plethora of challenges, since Russia's invasion.
View this post on Instagram
Amidst the war, the wedding planner says, “My team organized very few weddings in 2022 because most couples didn't bother with a big event: they opted for modest, last-minute weddings at Kyiv's City Hall.”
View this post on Instagram
“Peoples' fantasies haven't fundamentally changed. Girls still want beautiful wedding dresses and stunning photographs—but they're putting off their ‘perfect weddings' until the end of the war.”
View this post on Instagram
The weddings that Bratseiko has had to plan are expectedly smaller, cheaper, and most times, under an intense time-crunch.
View this post on Instagram
The first wedding that Forever Bride Wedding Agency organized under Russia’s attacks was reimagined as a “stylish and classic ceremony with about thirty guests,” with plans for a bigger celebration during peacetime.
View this post on Instagram
In Ukraine, it is customary for guests to bring bouquets of flowers for the newlyweds; but, in another ceremony, the bride and groom asked for donations instead. They wanted to purchase an off-road vehicle for the bride's father who was serving on the frontlines.
View this post on Instagram
They raised all of the money within a month after the wedding.
View this post on Instagram
Even more incredible, the bride's father was granted leave to attend last minute. “We dug straight into preparations and arranged an intimate, vibrant wedding in about a month,” Bratseiko says.
View this post on Instagram
Bratseiko's team has worked hard to not only ensure the safety and happiness of their couples, but also to comply with Ukraine's new regulations, including 11 p.m. curfews.
View this post on Instagram
Choosing venues with generators and keeping a tight schedule ensures that contractors and guests are able to enjoy the festivities without blackouts—a common occurrence due to Russia's attacks.
View this post on Instagram
“I live in Kyiv with my husband and our young daughter, and I'm often very scared,” Bratseiko admits. “My dad's a soldier, and I worry about his safety. I have lots of friends fighting on the front lines.”
View this post on Instagram
Through all of the hardships Bratseiko and Ukrainians have faced, love has been a welcome and unifying element.
View this post on Instagram
“Planning weddings during wartime is like a light in the dark,” she says. “Couples in love are very inspiring. Yes, organizing a wedding at a time like this isn't easy, but it gives a boost to everyone's life.”
View this post on Instagram
Forever Bride Wedding Agency: Instagram
h/t: [Business Insider]
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