Before meeting the bridegroom in church, Nada and the second best man, or "stari svat," dance on the lawn with their attendants, attired in traditional "nosjne" of Lika. The holds her hand tightly as it is his role to protect the bride on her wedding day.
Katrina Thomas's notes: Serbian society centers around the Orthodox Church, as does the community in Milwaukee, where I photograph two weddings in a splendid cathedral, built in 1956-58, in which couples celebrate both the nuptial rite and the reception. One couple belongs to a folk dance group and elects to wear national dress, keeping many old-world customs at the home of the bride before the church ceremony as well as later during the reception in the church hall.
