A bizarre and growing trend of bride napping is taking place in Romania in the city of Bucharest as the women soon to be wed are dragged away in a mock abduction by friends.
According to the Huffington Post, every Saturday night, brides from Bucharest and beyond are taken away in a fake kidnapping by friends and driven to a top tourist spot where they are “held hostage” – all the while pouting, dancing and striking provocative poses for the cameras. The ransom varies from a few bottles of whiskey to a public display of affection by the groom as the “kidnappers” negotiate with the groom via phone.
The purpose of the interesting theatrics serves as a fun activity to add a bit of risk and fun to the nights festivities. The odd tradition started a few years ago when a football player proposed to his girlfriend at Bucharest’s Arch of Triumph. The monument soon became a symbol of marriage and a prime place for fake bride napping. On Saturday, approximately 20 brides were “bride napped” and held hostage at the Arch of Triumph. While one bride was driven in from her wedding in a town an hour east of Bucharest with her guests right behind her, another grabbed the toy machine gun of her kidnappers, dressed up as Taliban in front of the monument.
Authorities turn a blind eye to the illegal partying on the historic grounds around the monument as the harmless fun deems no cause for arrests or citations. 25-year-old Alisar Dragne describes her entirely scripted abduction, “Everything was staged and ready in my case. The limousine was waiting for me in front of the restaurant, I was given the leave signal by my friends and together we came here to have some fun. Now everyone’s thinking what ransom to ask the groom.”
photo provided by ruifernandes
Weird Tradition – A Growing Trend of Bride Napping in Romania.
