Wedding customs and traditions including the sixpence in a brides shoe, sprig of live ivy, Bride’s Handkerchief, Pouch Hanging Off The Garter, Celtic Love Symbols, Something old, something new, ideas including A bilingual wedding, exchanging flower girl with flower child and allowing boy or girl to serve as ring bearer. Also discount wedding mall for personalized wedding gifts and bridal accessories, information and planning resources directory, reception information, remarriage articles, unique wedding customs and ceremonies.
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Wedding Customs & Traditions
By Nily Glaser
©All rights reserved, 2007
Marriage is the strongest bond the world has ever known. It is a pledge meant to last a lifetime.
A wedding ceremony occurs when a bride and a groom solemnly pledge themselves to one another for a lifetime, some say for eternity, in the presence of friends and family.
Celebrated today, as it has been throughout history, even to Biblical days, marriage and a wedding have been considered a sacred and solemn yet happiest event. Every culture considers a wedding, when the bride and groom enter their marriage as two individuals and becoming inextricably a part of each other, creating a new family, as the highest of all celebrations.
As the saying goes, Love makes the world go around.
Most cultures celebrate the love, devotion and commitment called wedding, with unique customs and traditions. Because the wedding is a wonderful and touching event, brides and grooms want both ceremony and reception to be personalized and unique to them. Thus, they look for meaningful experiences and often adopt customs and traditions of cultures other than their own.
The USA and recently to many other countries have become homes to people from all over the world. These people enrich the cultures with their Old Country customs, traditions and cuisine. It is not a surprise then, that many of the wedding traditions and wedding customs that are so beautiful, have been adopted by brides and grooms of all backgrounds who found them meaningful. In fact some traditions have become an integral pare of the modern wedding ceremony and reception.
If you are interested in the customs and traditions of a specific ethnic group click on it.
For African American wedding traditions CLICK HERE
Aisle Runner The white aisle runner, signifies purity and a pathway into happiness. sprinkled with rose petals the bride's path lead her to a sweet and happy future.
Attire
Brides in many Latin-American countries wear a light blue slip beneath their dresses.
in many Latin-American countries as well as in in many Latin-American countriesThe flower girls and ring bearer may be dressed as miniature versions of the bride and groom.
Brides from Eastern Europe tend to wear a floral wreath rather than a tiara or crown. In fact, in a traditional Greek wedding, gold crowns but more often wreathes made of orange blossoms connected by silk ribbon, are placed on the heads of both bride and groom, considered king and queen for the day. They wear them throughout their entire wedding day.
In Hawaiian weddings, both the bride and the groom dress in pure white, with the groom wearing either a red sash or a black cloth belt tied around his waist. Both bride and groom also wear flower leis, which symbolize love and respect. Each flower lei consists of 40 to 50 fresh flowers strung on a colorful ribbon and are one of the oldest symbols of Hawaiian culture.
Auction Anyone?
At the wedding reception in the upper Midwestern states, the best man - not the groom - auctions the garter instead of tossing it .He carries a hat around the reception site and guests put dollar bills in it. The bills are counted and the amount of money accumulated revealed. A spcified time frame is announced and after it has elapsed, the best man gives the garter to the last person to put money in the hat. This and the money dance, raise money for the honeymoon and / or establishing a home.
Bible
In many cultures, and religions it is traditional to give the bride and groom a keepsake bible as a wedding gift. It is also considered important that the bride carry one to the wedding ceremony to signify God as witnessing and blessing the marriage.
Blue - Something Blue
In ancient Israel, brides wore a blue ribbon to signify love, modesty, purity and fidelity.
Brides in many Latin-American countries wear a light blue slip beneath their dresses.
Bread, Salt and Wine Ceremony
An Eastern European tradition calls for the bride and groom to partake in bread sprinkled with salt and drink a sip of wine.
The interesting thing about this custom is that different cultures have different interpretations.
So while according to Polish tradition the symbolism of the bread is hope that the couple will never go hungry, the salt that life will have its difficulties, and the wine is a blessing for health and happiness, - in Lithuanian tradition the symbolism of the bread is hard work, the salt tears and the wine joy.
bridal Bouquet
Wedding bouquets were originally made of such strong herbs as thyme and garlic, which were meant to frighten away evil spirits. Today most couples opt for flowers either because they are favorites, have special meaning or are in their wedding colors.
Bridal Handkerchief
Early farmers thought a bride´s wedding tears were lucky and brought them rain for their crops. Later on in history, a crying bride meant that she would never shed another tear about her marriage. Today, the handkerchief that dabs away the tears of wedding joy and happiness is kept as a family heirloom, often in a frame or shadow box, until it is lovingly passed down from mother to daughter or to future daughter in law to use on her special day. She in turn is expected to continue the family tradition and pass it down to the next generation.
In Belgium, the family of the bride takes a handkerchief embroidered with the bride's name to the wedding. As it fter the event, the handkerchief is displayed proudly in the family's home. As subsequent daughters in the family marry, their names are added and then displayed.
In Switzerland, Junior bridesmaids carry colored hankies. Guests may "buy" the handkerchieves by contributing a money to the couples "nest egg."
Bridal Shower
Prior to the wedding itself, it is traditional for the Maid of Honor to throw a bridal shower as part of the bridal ceremonies.
It is customary to give the bride gifts to be used at the wedding such as wedding accessories, decorations, pew bows - bridal chairs decorations, gig type gifts of a humorous nature, gifts to use on the honeymoon.
Bridal Car
Cans Tied To The Bumper and - or Honking the Horn
One of the Middle Ages wedding traditions was to bang pots, ring cowbells and generally make a lot of disturbing noise after the marriage ceremony in order to ward off evil spirits. This custom has been replaced with tying tin cans to the bumper of the car transporting the bride and groom and or and or honking horns at it while following the bridal procession to the reception to announce the marriage.
Shoes on the Bumper:
Either combined with the cans or on its own, the custom of Tying shoes to the bumper of the car has become quite popular.
The shoes reflect a rather ancient tradition.
In ancient Egypt it was customary for the father of the bride, that as he gave his consent allowing the groom to marry his daughter, he would also give him the bride's sandals to show that she once married she belonged to him.
Cake(s)
bride or wedding cake
The wedding cake tradition goes back many centuries to ancient times. Originally it represented fertility. Ancient Romans would cake was made of wheat or barley. Thogh the actual procedure is unclear, the custom was to break it over the bride's head as a symbol of her fertility. ..like just about anything else, the wedding cake evolved over time. Since the Roman wedding cake has passed various transitions. One of the major ones is that of stacking several cakes of different sizes atop one another, as tall as possible. The challange was for the bride and groom to kiss over this tower without knocking it over. Another important transition occured when the cake became palatable, iced and decorated. In modern times, the cake has a cake top that represents the bride and groom, their interests or wedding theme and even children. Traditionally the top layar of the cake is to be placed in the freezer and eaten on the first anniversary.
Groom
Southern wedding tradition enriched the wedding scene with A cake for the groom. Originally, Southern Belles ordered special single layer cakes for their beaus. Today it has become an integral part many weddings. However, this cake that is usually frosted in a dark color (chocolate is a popular choice) and represent his personality or interests, is usualy kept secret. The groom who does not suspect that there will be a cake in his honor is often surprised to discover it at the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception.
Children
With more and more FAMILY weddings, it has become quite popular for brides and grooms who have children to have a special single layer cake for the children. These cake are often frosted in the favorite colors and are topped with a cake top that depicts a family. Some choice inscriptions are
The first names of all - children, bride and groom and the wedding date
Today we are a family - and wedding date.
A family since - Date of wedding Date
Welcome to the family - Love mom and... or Dad and... or first names and date.
This cake may be served to their friends.
For Catholic wedding traditions CLICK HERE
Flower Petals - most often rose petals
Originated in England where custom dictated that petals are placed on the path of the bride and her attendants as they walk down the aisle.
In India, flower petals are sprinkled on the bridal couple at the close of the wedding ceremony.
flowers
Flowers are the symbol of spring beauty, life and freshness and everybody loves them. This is what a wedding is all about beauty, life, love and freshness. The wedding flowers are chosen for their availability, and - or colors as they coordinate with the wedding colors and - or for what they represent as many flowers are symbolic, For example:
Gerbera Daisy represents Loyal love
Lily represents Majesty, honour, beauty
Rose Depends on its color has various meanings, a PINK rose represents Grace, a RED rose represents pure Love, a WHITE Rose represents Innocence, while a YELLOW Rose represents Friendship.
Garter
Today, many brides will wear two garters. The garter that coordinates with her wedding accessories will become a wedding keepsake and another, a Tossing Garter, to be tossed to be retrieved by one of the single men in attendance.
Garter Pouch
Another lesser-known Victorian wedding tradition involved small bags with a bit of bread, cloth, wood and a coin to protect the new family against shortages of food, clothing, shelter and money. Add a lump of sugar to bring them sweetness all their married life.
Ivy
Ivy symbolizes eternal fidelity & wedded bliss.
A popular
Victorian tradition was for a bride to plant the ivy in her bouquet after the wedding
and watch it grow through the years, passing down sprigs from the same plant for
her daughters & granddaughters to use in their weddings.
For Jewish wedding traditions CLICK HERE
Kiss the Bride
In almost all cultures the marriage ceremony ends with the bride and groom exchanging a kiss.
From ancient times to the modern day, the wedding kiss symbolizes for all people everywhere the physical uniting of two souls . One interpretation is that when the couple kisses, they exchanges spirits with their breath and part of each ones soul left to abide in the other affirming their being Soul Mates.
Kissing in public is unusual to Japanese culture and is frowned upon. Kissing at a wedding takes however, takes a certain amount of courage. Therefore it is usually the groom who takes on this 'chore' and kisses his bride.
For Latin wedding traditions and Mexican wedding traditions CLICK HERE
Money Dance
Originating from most European countries, the Money Dance has become so popular accross all weddings that a special Purse - Money Bag is one of the items present with the wedding accessories collection. Called in the USA the Dollar Dance, is where male guests "pay" to dance with the bride. Various methods are used by differnt cultures. In some, the bride carries a Purse and the dancers place monitary bills in it, in others the dancers pin the bills on the wedding gown, yet in others, the maid of honor wears an apron and collects the money given by the guests to dance with the bride. In all traditions, the guests are expected to be generous when "paying" for a dance with the bride. since the money collected is to be used by the newly weds on their honeymoon and for setting a household.
The money dance is so widely accepted as an integral part of a wedding, that most guests anticipate that it will be included in the celebration providing a way for brides and grooms to generate cash without requesting or even suggesting money as wedding gifts.
NOTE: We at A-wedding Day have received many inquiries regarding the proper way to ask wedding guests to give money instead of gifts. The answer to ALL was the same. There is NO proper way. It is tacky if and in bad taste. DO NOT do it!!!
Ribbon Pull
A wedding event called a "ribbon pull" is traditional to Victorian weddings. A charm is purchased for each of the bridesmaids and engraved with a wish for the future. Each charm is tied to a ribbon or a silver necklace chain. The charms are places between layers of the wedding cake as it is being assembled. Just Before the bride and groom share the first slice of cake, the bridesmaids gather so that each can pull one ribbon, claiming a "ribbon pull" that holds the promise of her future. Today, many couples offer the Ribbon pull with the rehearsal dinner cake, so the bridesmaids may wear the charms at the wedding.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Lucky Sixpence
Something Old - Signifies a sense of continuity, tradition and represents the link to the bride's old life and her family.
Something New - Signifies the couple's new beginning, new life together as well as their hope for the future.
Something Borrowed - Borrow something from a happily married friend or family. To wish you that your married life will mirror the happiness in her marriage, Brides can borrow Jewelry or a handkerchief from a family member or close friend.
Something Blue - Blue represents fidelity, love, and purity.
Lucky Sixpence in her shoe- Signifies wealth both financial wealth and a wealth of happiness and joy. This is an ancient custom to appease Diana, goddess of chastity and unmarried maidens, so that the bride could lose her virginity and bear children. A lucky sixpence in your shoe encures a life of fortune. The sixpence first became known as a lucky coin then introduced by king Edward VI of England in 1551 and later became part of bridal wedding traditions in the Victorian era.
Tying the knot 
The expression - Tie the knot - refers to two people getting married. You make a knot when you wrap two pieces of rope or ribbon around each other in such a way that they will not come apart.
It is symbolic of marriage because when you - tie the knot - you make pledge that you will stay - tied - together with one person you marry.
A new custom is just beginning to emerge. Bride and groom take a silk rope (curtain ties work great) usually in their wedding color, or white or ivory. Just before the vows they make a knot.
This new custom is becoming especially prominent when the bride and groom in a blending family, invite each child to add a knot.
After the wedding this wedding keepsake often finds itself in a shadow box with other wedding memorabilia keepsakes.
Wedding Ring
We hear of wedding ring as early as the Bible. When Abraham sent his servant to bring a wife for his son Issac, the servant gave her a gold ring and bracelets as he asked her to accompany him and marry Issac.
By its round shape, the wedding ring symbolizes the circle of life and its wholeness and since it has neither beginning nor end, undying, unending love. The metal symbolizes the permanence of marriage while gold with it's lasting qualities stands for beauty and purity.
In Jewish tradition, the ring must be plain with no stones and must belong to the groom.
Unity Candles
The ever popular Unity Candle ceremony might have originated in the Philippine Islands. A part of their wedding ceremony presents a set of three candles. The bride lights one candle, the groom lights another, and together the bride and groom light the Unity Candle that signifies their union as husband and wife. lit. Actually the Unity Candle ceremony in the USA took on an additional aspect. The candle not only unites the bride and groom, but their families as well. This is why it is customary to have the mother of the bride, not the bride, lighe one candle, the mother of the groom lights another, and the bride and groom light the Unity Candle itself. The Unity candle has a very profound meaning for blending family where each child lights a taper candle to signify the new blended family.
Veil
The wedding veil which today is sheer, originated centuries ago and was not sheer. One theory is that the veil stems from the days when the Groom and his friends, the Groomsmen, would throw a blanket over the Brides head when he captured her.
Another theory is that, during the time of arranged marriages, the Brides face was kept covered until after the ceremony. That way, the Groom was committed, and could not run off if he was disappointed in her looks.
In some cultures the veil is worn to protect the Bride from evil spirits that might be floating around.
There is also a reason why the veil is sheer. It goes back to the biblical story of Jacob who married Leah instead of his beloved Rachel. The custom of the day was for the groom to lift the bride's head and face covering after the marriage ceremony. Since Leah wore a cloth covering, Laban, Rachel and Leah's father, "switched"" brides as he wanted the oldest daughter to be the first to marry. So unbeknown to him Jacob was marrying the wrong bride.
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