Before a groom can take his bride home, he may find that the road to her home is not quite as easy as he expected. A group of local lads block the way and demand that he negotiates – and sometimes pays – for the right to take his future wife with him. They certainly don’t make it easy, and while the groom is busy bargaining, the bride may impatiently start wondering how long all this is gonna take.

The tradition is usually a playful battle of jokes, bargaining and good-natured teasing, with the groom having to prove that he is worthy of the bride he has come to take. In some regions, including the Vipava Valley, šranga takes place on the evening before the wedding rather than on the wedding day itself.

Behind the jokes is an old sense of community – weddings were never only about two people, but about families, friends and neighbours coming together to celebrate. Today, šranga keeps that playful spirit alive, giving the groom one last little challenge before he gets his bride.

After all, we’re better together.