| |
| |
|
Marriage & Wedding Information |
|
|
|
Save This Page Links 
allspectrum.info Wedding Dresses - Why They Are White and Other Wedding Lore
Brides have always worn white, right? Not so. In ancient times brides wore bright colored wedding dresses to signify their joy. White for western brides didn't become fashionable until Queen Victoria wore it at her wedding to signify her status. White dresses never did signify purity until the Christian churches put that label on them. So feel free to add a little color to your wedding outfit. Wedding bands made of hemp or braided grass were the earliest rings. They eventually fell out of favor, replaced by durable metals until about the 15th century when diamonds came upon the scene, to signify a valuable strong commitment, a tradition which most modern couples choose to keep. When grooms would "capture" their brides and or were afraid of evil spirits they would comer the woman's head to keep her from being recognized. Bridesmaids' dresses are all identical. Where did this practice originate? Long ago the brides friends wore the same exact outfit as the bride to confuse the evil spirits who wanted to destroy her happiness;. It also helped to prevent the bride from being kidnapped by a rival suitor. The receiving line developed from the ancient belief, that on their wedding day, the bride and groom brought good luck to everyone they touched. Modern couples often pass on this and prefer to "make the rounds" greeting their guests during the wedding dinner. In ancient Rome a marriage was not legal until the couple kissed. The kiss was considered a legal bond necessary to seal all contracts. This is thought to be the origin of the present day custom of banging a spoon against a glass until the newlyweds kiss. Will you have your dad walk you down the aisle? Do you know where this custom originated? Long ago, a woman was considered her father's property until she married, and their she was her husband's property. At the wedding the Dad would literally "give her away," transferring ownership to the husband. Now brides often have their fathers or both parents accompany them, and have the officiant ask "Who supports this couple in marriage?" The parents answer "We do." There is no need to explain what the honeymoon is. But do you know where the term originated? In ancient Ireland, when a couple married, the parents would make sure they had a supply of a drink made from fermented honey called mead, that would last for a full cycle of the moon. It was believed they would be blessed with a son within a year. Back when a bride could be forced by a captor to marry, the groom would have to carry her against her will into her new home. The Romans thought that it was bad luck, for a bride to trip over the threshold so to prevent that, the groom carried her. During the Middle Ages the length of a bride's train indicated her rank in court. The longer her train the closer she was to the King and Queen and the greater her influence with them. During the 18th and 19th centuries gloves were the traditional wedding favor for guests. Here are a few more unusual traditions from around the world. The Greek bride tucks a sugar cube in her glove to "sweeten the union." According to Hindu beliefs rain on your wedding day is good luck.; Some western cultures believe rain is unlucky. In Holland it is traditional to plant a tree outside the newlyweds home as a symbol of fertility. Finnish brides traditionally carried a pillowcase door to door, collecting gifts. An older married man went with her, symbolizing a long marriage. Korean brides wear red and yellow outfits for their weddings. Danish brides and grooms used to confound the evil spirits by cross-dressing. Egyptian parents traditionally do all the cooking for a week, so that the couple can relax. In many cultures including Hindu, Egyptian and Celtic, the hand of a bride and groom are tied together as a symbol of their new bond and commitment to the marriage. This is the origin of the expression "Tying then knot". In Roman mythology the god Juno rules over childbirth, marriage and the hearth. This is believed to be the reason for the popularity of June weddings. African-American weddings often hold to the tradition of "jumping the broom". Slaves in the United States were not allowed to marry, so they would exhibit their love by jumping over a broom to the beat of drums. It now is symbol of the couple's intention to set up a home together. Japanese couples become man and wife when they take the first of nine sips of sake. In Irish tradition once the bride and groom were in the church, the guests would lock the doors to make sure the groom couldn't back out. It was also important that a male not a female be the first to wish joy to the newly married bride. There is an old English rhyme that brides have been obeying for years. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." The actual rhyme also included this line "and a sixpence in your shoe". Relatives usually offer the something old, like great grandmother's antique cameo, or your mom's gown. These items provide continuity from generation to generation. The "new" symbolizes home for the future and can include your gown or veil , a strand of pearls, bouquet of silk flowers, or a new coin to tuck in your shoe. The choices here are endless. Borrowed happiness is symbolized by the something borrowed. It should be something that brought happiness to the owner. Some possibilities are your mother in law's ruby brooch, your dad's silk handkerchief, or your parents' wedding song. The blue something symbolizes fidelity, love and good fortune. Often, there is a blue ribbon on the garter. Other ideas are blue flowers, delphiniums, or irises in your bouquet, sapphire earrings and necklace, or even your lingerie. You may want to consider incorporating some of these ideas into your wedding plans. There are books and magazines that you can search for traditions from your own ethnic or religious traditions. Perhaps you like something you've heard about from another culture that you can adapt for your wedding. If you will have children at your reception you might want to borrow the Puerto Rican idea of pinatas, even the adults might enjoy that one. About the Author
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Find The Perfect Wedding Dress You want the perfect wedding dress, so you have made it a major focus of your pre wedding planning. There are some things you need to find from the bridal shop, before you even look at your first gown. New Trends for Wedding Favors 2005 Wedding favors have evolved over time. Wedding favors today combine the traditional with the modern and elegant design with great functionality. Want To Know More About Wedding Planners? Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel and Bookpleasures is pleased to have as a guest Judy Allen. Judy is the author of Your Stress Free Wedding Planner (Sourcebooks, Inc. Choosing the Perfect Wedding Gown Selecting a wedding gown is possibly one of the most exciting things for a bride to do. It's one of the most fun aspects of preparing your wedding. Saving Money on Photography for Your Wedding Weddings are momentous occasions to all people involved; especially the families of the bride and groom. One very important aspect of a wedding is to commemorate the event with beautiful pictures so that the day never really disappears. You're Making Your Wedding List and Checking It Twice-What Have You Forgotten? Preparing for a wedding, large or small, is overwhelming! A way to combat that feeling is to break down the required tasks, divide the responsibilities and assign deadlines. Ok, all that is fine-but what have you forgotten?A wedding is a public affair, and it's everyone's fear that somewhere, somehow, despite all the planning, arrangements, expense, and hard work, something will happen to make one or more of the principles appear foolish in public. Fitness Tips For Looking Your Best On Your Wedding Day Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day. Selecting a dress that will make you look and feel great is an important first step. Wedding Budget - What Can You Do To Shave It, Yet Still Have A Memorable Wedding? OK, so you have your heart set on the top banquet facility in the area. The only thing is once you've done that, your wedding budget is shot. Faulty Expectations: 4 Essential Don'ts The more realistic you are as you prepare for marriage, the more likely you are to have a successful one. Therefore, it is incumbent upon you to give serious consideration to your expectations of your fiancé. Engagement Rings & Celebrities Whether we like it or not current trends in engagement rings say bigger is so much better. Just have a look at what style engagement rings celebrities are choosing. Wedding Flowers: How It Emulates Your Personality Your wedding day, what is presumed to be the happiest day and the start of your new life. The excitement of all the preparations, and so many things to do to make it perfection. Diamond Engagement Ring, on Two Months Salary - Maybe Not! Diamond spending - well, that is up to you. What to spend on a diamond is a tough and personal question. Choosing Your Groomsmen: No Matter What They Say, Nobody Must Be In the Wedding Party Your lovely fiancée has chosen her 'maids, and now you're stuck with the task of finding just the right number of family and friends to pair them with. How do you decide who makes the cut? The Usual Suspects Remember: No matter what your family or friends say, there aren't people who "must" be in the wedding party. What You Should Know About Buying Engagement Rings Online Buying engagement rings online doesn't have to be confusing or intimidating. In fact, the nice thing about shopping online is that you can browse several online stores without the hassle of traveling from store to store listening to endless sales pitches. Three Ingenious Anniversary Gift Ideas If you have met the person or the couple several times you must be familiar with how they express themselves. Therefore, one of the best anniversary gift ideas would be to portray that pose through a life-size pencil sketch and frame it in bamboo or white plywoodAnniversary gift ideas should have sentimental values. Getting Married? What You Should Do With Your Checking Accounts and Credit Cards Marriage is a wonderful thing, but planning the wedding is a difficult task. The coming together leaves many things as an afterthought to the wedding. Cancun Honeymoon Vacation - Pleasure Unlimited! The Cancun honeymoon vacation comes with its bagage of sweet promises of fulfilment and bliss for one and all. Lying in the lap of nature in the arms of your loved one is one of the many cherished experiences you would have in a Cancun honeymoon vacation. How to Choose the Perfect Headpiece and Veil for Your Facial and Body Features All brides want to be beautiful on their wedding day, and often it is easy for them to picture themselves in a wedding gown. But once something is placed upon the head, the whole perception of self-image is altered. Beach Wedding Cakes Looking for beach theme wedding cake ideas?When it comes to wedding cakes, long gone are the days of following tradition. Since you are considering a beach theme wedding cake, you are obviously not a slave to those traditions. Honeymooning on the Waves Cruising down the river was always deemed by couples the ultimate romantic date. You can't be much more together alone than when you're separated from the rest of the world by sheets and sheets of water.
|
