30 September 2009

A Little On Wedding Traditions

By Fisiwa Masu

Wedding traditions are worldwide; some traditions have been in place for centuries and other traditions however are quaintly new, you can even start your own family wedding traditions. One lovely wedding tradition is the wearing a tiara and is taken from ancient times where there was a white ribbon worn around the shoulders and head of a king, which signified his power and wealth. Obviously this tradition has changed and the woman has taken over the wearing of a tiara which is normally half moon shaped encrusted with expensive gems.

If the wedding is truly traditional then the bridesmaids will also wear tiaras on their heads albeit smaller and less well adorned examples than that worn by the bride. The tiara is the finishing touch to the wedding dress and many women will keep this beautiful item for the rest of their lives, such is the importance of it. Often the bride's attendants like bridesmaids, flower girls and maid of honor are presented with rings shaped like miniature tiaras which can make really beautiful wedding favors for those directly involved in the wedding.

It wasn't that long ago that the people belonging to the wedding party would take the newly weds to the honeymoon location. It was then the party's task to try and take the garter from the bride's leg as the prize would be for this person to then wear it like a band around their hat or alternatively to a woman for whose attentions they were after. The enthusiasm that this wedding tradition produced was often too much and the attempt to remove the garter ended in the bride being undressed so to stop this unseemly behavior, brides tried throwing the garter to the men in the party as soon as she was married.

Tradition said that the man to catch the thrown garter would be the next to be wed but unfortunately many men that had consumed too much alcohol would attempt to take the garter by force. Once again it was necessary for a wedding custom to be changed so brides started too throw the bouquet of flowers to the ladies at the wedding instead which had the same meaning as the thrown garter. Most brides have taken to wearing the garter again even though they are rarely ever used to keep stockings up anymore; nevertheless they have become very popular.

The garter should really be blue as a sign of good luck although this tradition has not really stuck as women often favor red garters nowadays. The tradition of the garter has not been lost though and is still used albeit the tradition has evolved so that the groom now removes it from his wife's leg and throws it to the male wedding party. Tradition says that the man who unmarried man that catches the garter will be the first of the wedding party men to marry within twelve months.

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