The marriage traditions of the Hutsul ethnic group, in the Carpathian Mountains of western Ukraine, have not changed in hundreds of years. Horseback rides, traditional songs, and ribbon-covered trees are all part of the mix. Take a look!

It's a happy day for Marichka Sandulyak and tearful too, as she prepares to leave her parents and begin a new life with her husband. Dressing for the wedding ceremony takes hours.

She wears a blouse with traditional embroidery which she made herself, along with traditional shoes, skirt, and coat. Guests are specially chosen to braid her hair.

Most important is the ornate headdress, a multicoloured arrangement with red ribbons, that's placed on her head after her hair is braided.

As she gets dressed, women perform a traditional song. Hutsul women marry young. Marichka is 16. Her Orthodox Christian wedding in the Carpathian village of Kosmach is celebrated as if it were taking place centuries ago.

Kosmach is one of the rare places in Ukraine where the traditions of the ancestors are followed to the present day, and father of the bride Stepan Sandulyak says it is very important to continue this.

"We respect our traditions and make everything like in the old times - like our grandfather or parents were doing it, like I celebrated my wedding," said bride's father Stepan Sandulyak.

Marichka and her bridesmaids leave her home and ride on horseback through a snowy forest to the church. The journey takes about one hour.

Her groom, Andrii, is waiting at the church for her beside a tree festooned with white and blue ribbons, symbolising happiness and prosperity.

"We have this tradition from ancient times. For the wedding to be happy and joyful we bring this tree. Later it is put outside the newlyweds' house," said the groom Volodimir Skrigunec.

Andrii gives his bride presents and money to persuade her to reveal her face and leave the house to start a new life together.

Only after that ritual is done are guests invited into a tent specially constructed in the village for the reception.

Today, four hundred guests are marking the occasion with prayers, food and drink. They are mostly villagers but some have come from further afield.

The wedding and this meal are just the first day of a celebration that lasts for three days. On the second and third day, guests just eat and drink - a happy outcome for all!