Russian mail order brides have long been popular. With the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, new opportunities opened up not available before and countless Russian women have seen the bride service as a method to escape the not always abounding social and economic well-being them awaiting them there, and many western men see much good in the Russian woman.
Sites which cater in Russian mail order brides offer a lot of services for prospective clients. They will give you information about prospective brides, often pictures, videos and bios. Many will also sponsor trips to Russia to allow you to meet some of these women for yourself. These trips will generally cost somewhere in the vincinity of $5,000 and will provide you with round-trip airfare, two week stay in a 4 night hotel, a tour of the city you visit, some social gatherings where you can meet prospective brides as well as one intimate meeting where you can talk with a woman you are specifically interested in and more.
Some sites will also allow you a “dating e mail” which allows you to e-mail prospective women, getting in contact with them without having to hop on a plane and fly all the way to Russia. This can be a good way to get to know your prospective spouse a little bit and see if there is anything happening there. Remember all marriages are between two people and you should find a wife not only that you like but likes you in return.
One important issue that has come up in the world of Russian mail order brides for residents of the United States is the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005, passed under President George W. Bush. In the interest of protecting mail order brides it requires criminal background checks of prospective American husbands, and also requires a search through sex offender registry lists for the men getting married.
More reputable Russian mail order bride services will also recommend that men request the same sort of criminal records check on their prospective brides. Trouble can come from both sides of the world. One story tells of a man who married a Russian mail order bride, only to have her return to Russia shortly after the marriage due to family problems. He flew to Russia to chase after her to never return: the only information that his family received was that he died “in a fall,” the family believes he was a victim of foul play.
Finding yourself a Russian mail order bride can be very expensive, but it can often be worth it. Some studies suggest that marriages made through mail order bride services can often be more successful than other marriages: one example given here is the lower divorce rate for marriages arranged in this fashion than in the general population. However there is also a lot of possibility for problems, there are many sad stories about marriages made through such services. Remember to always be careful and know exactly what you are getting into when looking for Russian mail order brides. Some brides may only want to use the marriage as a way to gain residency in the United States, for example.
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