Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian, and Bulgarian Orthodox parishes in the US (OCA, ROCOR, UOC-USA, and the Serbian Orthodox Church in North America among them) all follow the same underlying rule: there is no set fee for the wedding sacrament — only a free-will donation to the priest and parish, with the exact customary amount varying parish by parish. Layered on top are reception customs — the kum/kuma sponsors, the vykup ransom, “Gorko!” toasts, the Ukrainian korovai — that involve gifts and theater, not tipping.
Standard amounts
| Role | Amount | When/how to give |
|---|---|---|
| Priest — donation | No set fee; varies by parish, ask the parish office | Before or shortly after the wedding |
| Church — donation | Often bundled with the priest donation or given separately | Before or after |
| Choir / chanters | No published standard; varies by parish | Often a group gift to the choir fund |
| Wedding coordinator (some parishes) | One example: $100 at a Serbian cathedral | Set by the parish |
| Kum / kuma (sponsors) | Not paid — family honor role | Gifts to the couple, not cash to the sponsor |
| Starosty (Ukrainian elders/emcees) | Not paid — family/friend role | Thanked with a gift, not cash |
| Naș / nașă (Romanian godparents) | Not paid — family honor role | Gifts to the couple, not cash to the sponsors |
| Vykup “ransom” | Small and symbolic — a few dollars, flowers, or chocolates | At the bride’s home, pre-ceremony |
How the tradition handles money differently
Eastern Orthodox theology treats the sacraments — including marriage — as something that cannot be bought or sold. Parishes across Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Romanian, and Bulgarian jurisdictions consistently describe wedding giving as a free-will offering rather than a fee: it’s appropriate to give, but the amount and even whether you give directly to the priest versus the parish office is left to the family’s discretion and the local parish’s own custom. That means, unlike a Catholic parish with a published donation range, there is no single number that applies across Slavic Orthodox America — the right move is always to ask your specific parish.
What’s consistent across all these national traditions is the sponsor system. The kum/kuma (Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Bulgarian) and naș/nașă (Romanian) are not vendors — they’re spiritual godparents of the marriage, frequently inherited through a family line across generations, standing beside the couple through the entire service holding the crowns and exchanging the rings. Because this is treated as sacred kinship rather than a hired role, no source describes it as paid; the sponsors instead give substantial gifts to the couple, the same pattern this site documents for the Greek koumbaro and the Catholic padrino in other posts.
Role-by-role
The priest
Donate directly to the parish, per that parish’s own guidance. Because Orthodox parishes describe this explicitly as a free-will offering rather than a fee, published figures are sparse and inconsistent — one online discussion among Orthodox parishioners described a breakdown of roughly $250 to the priest and $300 to the church at one parish, alongside other posters describing $50–$75 plus a reception invitation, or a flat $200 at another parish. Treat these as illustrative examples of the range people have reported, not a standard — your parish office will tell you what’s customary there.
The choir or chanters
Many Slavic Orthodox weddings are sung nearly entirely by a choir or chanters rather than a soloist. No published standard donation exists for this; parishes with a formal choir fund often welcome a group gift directed there, distributed at the choir director’s discretion.
The kum and kuma (or naș and nașă)
Not paid, ever. This is the deepest honor a Slavic or Romanian Orthodox couple can extend outside their own parents — spiritual sponsorship of the marriage, sometimes carried in a family for generations. The kum/kuma hold the crowns, exchange the rings three times, sign the register as official witnesses, and often lead the first toast at the reception. Thank them with a meaningful gift, not cash.
The starosty (Ukrainian tradition)
The starosty are the wedding party’s elders — often the godparents — who function as official witnesses and masters of ceremony, carrying icons draped in a rushnyk and presenting the korovai bread, salt, honey, and wine at the reception entrance. This is a family/friend honor role, unpaid, same as the kum/kuma.
Reception customs
Vykup nevesty (the ransom)
Before the ceremony, the groom “ransoms” the bride from her family’s home — answering riddles, completing playful tasks, or paying small symbolic amounts (flowers, chocolates, a few dollars) to guests blocking his way. It’s theater, not a real negotiation, and any money involved is minor and ceremonial.
”Gorko!”
Throughout the Russian reception, guests shout “Gorko!” (“bitter!”) after toasts to prompt the couple to kiss, on the idea that their kiss sweetens the otherwise “bitter” drink. No money changes hands — it’s a guest participation custom, and it’s worth briefing your American guests on it in advance.
Bread and salt (Ukrainian korovai)
At the reception entrance, parents and the starosty greet the newlyweds with a tray holding the korovai (ceremonial bread), salt, honey, and wine — each element symbolizing prosperity, protection, sweetness, and abundance. This is a family ritual gift exchange, not a tipped service.
Tipping at the reception
Beyond these cultural customs, the secular side of a Slavic Orthodox reception — catering staff, bartenders, photographer, DJ or live band, hair and makeup — follows the same national norms as any American wedding. See our full vendor tipping guide, caterer, and DJ pages rather than inventing separate figures here.
The bottom line
Slavic Orthodox wedding giving has no fixed national number — Orthodox parishes treat clergy donations as free-will offerings set by local custom, so the only reliable answer is to ask your parish office directly. What is consistent: the kum/kuma, starosty, and naș/nașă sponsor roles are family honors, never paid, across Russian, Ukrainian, Serbian, and Romanian tradition alike.
Sources
- What is the parish policy regarding clergy honorariums? — Archangel Michael Orthodox Church
- Clergy Compensation — Orthodox Church in America
- Kum (godfather) — Wikipedia
- Kumovi: The Sacred Bond of Godparenthood in Serbian Orthodox Tradition
- Weddings — Saint Steven’s Serbian Orthodox Cathedral
- Vykup: The Ransom — A Stylish Event Blog
- Why Do Russians Shout “Горько!” (Bitter!) at Weddings?
- The time-honored tradition of bread and salt in Ukrainian society
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