Wedding Traditions: Some to Ditch, Some to Keep and Some to Tweak

 

 

You’ve heard of the traditional rhyme, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” Centuries old, this phrase not only represents a good luck token for the bride, but is also a fun way for the bride to express herself. 

 

 

 

“Something old” refers to continuity and is linked to the bride’s family, particularly her mother or grandmother. Examples include wearing a piece of family jewelry incorporating material from the bride’s mother or grandmother’s dress, handkerchief or lace.

 

 

 

Incorporating something “new” is normally represented by the bride’s wedding gown, but could be anything that is purchased for the wedding including flowers or wedding bands. 

 

 

 

Did you know that having an item “borrowed” is especially important and is supposed to come from a happily married woman who will be there to share your special day? 

 

 

 

 

 

Something blue symbolizes purity, loyalty and faithfulness and represents fidelity and is often seen in items such as the bride’s garter, shoes or flowers. 

 

 

 

On average, couples register at three stores for their registry and the typical items on their wish list have slowly shifted. Casual/every day china is on the rise as formal and fine china continues to decline. (XO Group Inc.)

 

Other registry trends include:

• Universal Registry – This growing trend, which grew from five percent (2010) to 78 percent (2011) allows couples to add products from anywhere on the internet and merge all their items into one comprehensive list. (XO Group Inc.)

• Honeymoon Registry – Give your guests the opportunity to spoil you on your honeymoon by purchasing fun activities such as horseback riding or a hiking trip. 

• Charity Registry – Yes, your wedding is all about sharing your love with your spouse, friends and family. Why not spread the love by setting up a gift registry to benefit your favorite charity?

 

 

 

 

 

A traditional white wedding cake goes hand in hand with a bride’s white wedding gown, representing fertility and prosperity.

 

Through the years wedding cakes have come a long way.  The origin of the wedding cake can be traced back to the Roman Empire – before icing was invented. Couples baked a loaf of barley bread for the ceremony and the groom would eat some of the bread and break the remaining piece over the bride’s head.  

 

Today, wedding cakes are not only for your guests to enjoy, but also are the ultimate vehicle for self-expression and have become more of a custom work of art.

 

 

 

Who says all bridesmaids have to be women and all groomsmen have to be men? Ten percent of brides have a Man of Honor and seven percent of grooms have a Best Woman. More couples are opting to include their closest friends or relatives in their bridal party - regardless of their sex. (Brides Magazine)

 

 

 

The tradition of throwing the bridal bouquet or garter goes way back to possibly 14th Century France or England. According to lore, the bride is supposed to be lucky and when riotous wedding-goers got overly zealous, the bride would throw her bouquet or garter to ward off the crowd. Over time, the tradition evolved so that single women would gather to catch the bouquet and the one who caught it was thought to be so lucky she would be the next to marry. New traditions include florists providing the bridal-toss bouquet at no charge or the bride tucking a gift card in the arrangement. Some brides are opting not to have such a bouquet toss at all. 

 

 

 

This tradition stems from the time when arranged marriages ruled the day and the bride and groom had never seen each other at all! The theory was that if the groom saw the bride before the wedding day he might back out and refuse to get married. The veil was supposed to prevent him from seeing her until the last possible minute. Fortunately, this tradition has changed and brides and grooms prefer not to see each other to add to the excitement of the big day. Some couples today are opting to see each other for a quiet moment before the whirlwind begins while others see it as a way to add more time for quality photography when everyone is fresh and well rested. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Engagement and wedding rings date back to ancient Egypt when the circle symbolized eternity. The ancient Egyptians believed that the vein on the ring finger led directly to the heart. In the 1870s, brides hoped for an engagement ring of diamonds and pearls – which represented a mini-version of a tiara.  Today, the popularity of matching engagement/wedding rings has waned and each of the three pieces of jewelry are considered individual and different. As gold prices have risen, other metals such as white metal (as opposed to white gold) have gained in popularity, as have vintage rings.