Archive for September, 2008
Like most young couples we wanted a perfect wedding. We wanted the right food and the right number of guests and the right people to toast members of the wedding party. Although we went to great lengths to ensure that everything was near perfect or better, we still had a few imperfections.
It was a given that we would have a church wedding in our own church with our own pastor. Many of the guests were people who knew us from the time we were growing up in our community. Our teachers and principals were invited. Our reception would take place in the quadrangle of our high school. This area was green and lush and well kept.
Around the borders of the quadrangle were the healthiest looking tropical flowers you have ever seen. The table belonging to the bridal party would be on the stage while the other tables would be arranged in a semicircle around it. Everything was perfectly laid out.
The ceremony went very well and the picture taking with the wedding photographer
went without a hitch. The reception was about to begin and lo and behold the clouds seemed to pop open and the rain came down in torrents. Everything had to be shifted to the nearby auditorium. There was just enough time to safeguard against a total disaster. The decoration was shifted without a big loss. Thanks to fast moving and skilled coordination.
The limousine pulled up and the bridal party was greeted with cheers and laughter. The master of ceremony announced our arrival in a specially arranged order with the bride and groom entering last of all. We were so very happy to see the nicely decorated room.
My mind raced back to the attendance at the church versus the attendance at the reception. I wondered silently if everyone had signed the attractive wedding guest book with the color coordinated pen and ribbons. This was our special day and we wanted to preserve the memories for a lifetime.
Marie and her boyfriend Tom had always entertained the idea of getting married one day. The only problem was that they did not have enough money to finance a big wedding to which all their best friends and family members would be invited. Tom and Marie decided that they would go ahead and have a small private ceremony at City Hall and maybe later on they could have a big reception to which all their friends and family would be invited.
What the couple did not know was that Marie’s sister Maizie had been planning a big surprise party for them immediately after the private ceremony. Maizie had asked family members and friends to gather at their local church hall with different kinds of wedding gifts for Tom and Marie. Some of the gifts included spa gifts and personalized champagne flutes. Maizie was sure Tom and Marie were unaware of this plan. It would be a total surprise.
Having a problem finding an appropriate wedding gift for a very special couple? Well, look no more!
Take this opportunity to add a little romance to your friends’ home decor with the statuesque square signature platter & easel set.
It was commonly believed that children were included in wedding ceremonies to add an air of innocence. As time progressed flowers were incorporated in the ceremony because they represent fertility, new life and unending love.
If you allow your imagination to roam you may start thinking of the innocent and beautiful flower girl dressed in her delicate and lacy outfit with matching shoes and tights. She feels like a real princess carrying her elegant chiffon basket. With her small soft hands clutching her flower girl basket filled with fragrant rose petals she prepares for her journey. She begins her slow march towards the front of the church, scattering the fragrant petals as she progressed.
The eyes of the bride were glowing brightly when she lit her unity candle from her husband’s. The groom in turn assumed a leading role in giving light to his new wife. He had actually started his God given role of head of his family as well as provider and protector. He was obviously proud to be perceived by everyone as being in control.
The unity candle is strongly believed to be a symbol of family unity. It is the custom for the church to have three candles during the ceremony. The single unity candle is believed to be a symbol representing the newlyweds. Both the bride and groom together use their individual candles to light the single unity candle. Each candle that is used by the bride and groom to light the single candle represents their families. This is a classic model of getting things accomplished together as a family.
The groom takes great delight in knowing that his special bride is wearing a set of wedding garters and he will have the pleasure of removing and tossing at least one of these garters. In Tudor times it was not so. Guests back in those times could actually throw old shoes at the bride and groom. If their carriage was hit by one of the shoes, it was considered to be a sign of good luck for the couple.
On the other hand in Anglo Saxon times the groom would symbolically strike his bride with a shoe as a sign of good luck. To complete the equation the bride would throw an old shoe at the bridesmaids to see who would be the next to marry. Of course it was believed that the bridesmaid who got hit by the shoe would be the next to get married.
It was believed also that throwing an old shoe at the bride indicated that the authority of her father was transferred to her husband.
Today brides all over the world celebrate the bouquet and the wedding garter toss. Cheers to the lovely bride!
Among the many important wedding conversations that the bride and groom usually have long before their special day, is one that addresses their wedding pictures. The bride usually wants a photographer with much experience that will make her look smashing in every pose. The groom usually wants the event to be over, so that he could just have his bride all for himself.
The parents on both sides usually want at least one or two nicely framed pictures to be displayed in their home in addition to other small impromptu shots of the wedding party. Members of the wedding party are usually delighted to receive a special shot of the ceremony in a nice frame.
A popular and safe way to store the special pictures that are too numerous to frame, but none the less very important, is the special wedding photo keepsake box that is decorative and creates a startling impression in any room in your home. The photo box comes in many different shades and textures and are quite easily maintained. This is a delightful gift for members of the wedding party or can serve as a gift to the couple.
When I was a small child I thought the people who threw rice at the weddings I attended were angry at the newlyweds. I used to also think that the adults should find a more suitable place to display their anger. I asked my grandfather why the adults were so very angry at the newlyweds and he explained that what I witnessed was not anger, but rather good wishes for a prosperous life of plenty.
My grandfather told me that rice was also a symbol of good luck. He also said that throwing rice on a couple, in the Orients means ‘may you always have a full pantry’
Whether the guests decide to throw rice or confetti, the sentiments usually are the same.
In this culture, everyone usually wishes the best for the couple. In addition to wishing them all the best for a wonderful married life the couple usually receives an assortment of attractive wedding gifts. These gifts can be personalized or left plain. The most important thing is that the gift is appropriately selected for the receiver. Cheers to the wonderful couple!
It is believed that girls just want to have fun! The bridal shower is just the event to make some of the bride’s wishes come true. My grandmother told me that the idea of giving the bride a gift at the shower is fairly new and that dating from the 1890’s this was not practiced. Before gift giving at the bridal shower became a regular practice it is commonly believed that at one shower a friend of the bride placed small gifts inside a Japanese parasol, and then opened it over the bride’s head so all of the presents would shower over her. This news quickly spread and received overwhelming acceptance. Gifts became commonplace at bridal showers.
Apart from the gifts and food, bridal showers were also meant to reinforce the bonds of friendship between the bride and her friends. It is also designed to provide her with moral support at a time when she really needs it, in preparation for her upcoming marriage. As friends and acquaintances of the bride, who have a better idea of her needs; use this information to provide the essential gift items that will mean a lot to her. One item that always seems to last a lifetime is a wedding picture frame. Nice frames are ideal to display cherished pictures of an unforgettable event. So, go ahead and select the frame. The bride and groom will provide the elegant shot!
It is believed that the dark rich fruit cake has its origin in the Caribbean. This is believed to be a part of the African inheritance of the Caribbean people. It is also commonly believed that beginning in early Roman times the cake has been a special part of the wedding celebration. It is told that a thin loaf was broken over the bride’s head at the close of the wedding ceremony to symbolize fertility. The wheat from which the bread was made was a symbol of fertility and thus the guests were eager to pick the crumbs as good luck charms.
This tradition was believed to have spread to England during the Middle Ages where guests at a wedding would bring cakes and stack them together. A very smart baker had a clever idea. He fused the small cakes together and covered them with frosting. This gave birth to the modern tiered wedding cake.
Today, whether the couple chooses to have a rich fruit cake or a plain yellow cake it really does not matter. As a matter of fact nobody would know the difference until the cake is cut by the bride and groom. What really matters is the attractive personalized wedding cake top that adorns the top of the cake. There is such an attractive variety to choose from. Most people consider the event incomplete if the cake is not displayed and also if the couple does not openly cut the cake when the master of ceremonies instruct them to do so.