The secrets of Siberia’s frozen snow brides revealed

[sioned]

The secrets of Siberia’s frozen snow brides revealed

What do you do if you have no option but to get married in the harsh and cold Russian winters? We find out…

The secrets behind keeping Siberia’s brides happy - and warm - in the midst of our harsh winter have been revealed by one of the region’s top photographers.

Novosibirsk-based Vera Salnitskaya knows exactly what it takes to help women realise their dream of becoming real-life snow queens for the day.

From recommending footwear and hiding thermals under dresses, to covering up reddening cold noses and lacing tea with brandy, the 30-year-old has perfected the art of making her wedding parties forget that temperatures outside might well be -37C.

She tells The Siberian Times: 'Why do couples choose to marry in winter here? Well, what choice do they have in a place where winter may last for nine months?

'The first couple I ever took pictures of were called Ekaterina and Sergey. It was December and it wasn’t very cold, only about -20C perhaps, but still when the bride was taking her coat off to pose with her naked arms and shoulders I was shaking my head and hurrying her to get dressed.

'I told her, 'You’ll get cold’'but she answered back, 'Never mind that – I want to look beautiful'.

'Oh that brides’ desire to be beautiful! The thing is, the coats that are offered in wedding dress shops are made from teddy bear skin. They are pure synthetics and, frankly, I think that it would be warmer without them than in them. The coats are usually short with the neck open to every wind. And no, you can’t put an ordinary coat above the ‘princess dress’, and it is often too expensive to buy a luxurious real fur coat'.

Born in a village near Novosibirsk, Vera graduated from the electromechanical faculty at Novosibirsk Technical University before starting her working life as a designer.

She is now one of the Siberian city’s top photographers, working with a number of local newspapers.

With long winters, many brides have no option but to get married in snowy conditions and Vera often has to give out impromptu fashion, and weather, advice to her couples. She says: 'I am always asking my brides to be take something warm with them. It doesn’t matter what it us, just as long as they can have it when we are walking from the car to the area where they’ll pose for me.

'I also ask them to wrap something around their necks. I think the person that invented the typical style of wedding coats have only seen real snow in American Christmas movies.

'On their legs you can put warm thick tights or thermals under the dress. I am very strict with my brides in saying that they can choose anything they like – as long as their legs and feet are warm. So traditional Russian Valenki or Uggs or other warm boots.

'Typically the wedding dress is long and it is more important to keep their legs warm than to get sick after posing in high heel shoes in the middle of a snow drift.

Read more:
http://siberiantimes.com/home/born-i...ides-revealed/

[Loki]

Very cute! Way too cold for me though ...