By Georgina Clatworthy

There are many superstitions, myths & traditions that surround weddings across many societies & cultures.  Here are some that you may or may not be familiar with:

• Arrangements of red & white flowers were considered bad luck as it was thought to represents blood & bandages.
• Bridesmaids are dressed similar to the bride to confuse any evil spirits who may wish her harm on the wedding day.
• The presence of a best man is said to protect the groom from bad luck.
• It is said to be good luck to tie the bride’s shoes to the wedding car.  It is also thought to be lucky if the guests throw shoes at the wedding car.
• A wedding veil is said to protect the bride from evil spirits.
• It is bad luck for the bride to make her own wedding dress.
• It is bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding day.
• It is bad luck for the bride to try on her wedding dress before the wedding day.
• Never drop the wedding rings on the floor or bad luck will befall the bride & groom.
• The bride should never bake her own wedding cake or else she will have a hard life as a wife.
• Guests must taste the wedding cake.  Should they refuse then they will bring bad luck to the couple & themselves.
• If a single girl places a piece of wedding cake under her pillow she will dream of her future husband.
• By keeping a portion of the wedding cake the bride can be assured of her husband’s faithfulness.
• It is bad luck for the bride to practice writing her new married name before they are married.
• It is bad luck to marry on Friday & Saturday.
• Should a bride see a toad, lamb, spider, black cat, chimney or rainbow on the way to the church she will have good luck.  But she will have bad luck if she sees a monk, a nun, an open grave, a pig, a lizard or a crow.
• The spouse who goes to sleep first on their wedding night will be the first to die.

By Jason Hennessey

lternatives to throwing rice at your wedding
The way that a wedding comes to a close isn’t a factor that is given much thought. It can however be a way to add that special sparkle to your wedding. Throwing rice at the end of a wedding ceremony has been an integral part of weddings for years. It is a traditional ritual that symbolized fertility of the couple and the possible grace of having many children. In modern times, brides have opted to add that extra twinkle to their wedding by improving on the way that the ceremony comes to a close. Giving a grand conclusion to your wedding can be just as interesting as the grand entrance that the bride makes. With so many new options available, throwing rice has almost become a thing of the past. Popular things that are now used as send-offs include petals, butterflies, sparklers and bubbles

Sparklers
Sparklers that are in the form of slow burning fireworks will give your wedding an amazingly impressive finish. This can have a larger effect on a wedding reception when held in the evening. The sparklers may have multiple colors

Petals
The couple can have their guests throw rose petals as they walk out of the church. The rose petals would blend in with the theme of the wedding if their color matched the colors of the wedding. It’s possible to personalize the petals by writing your names and the date of your wedding on them. You might decide to use either fresh or freeze-dried rose petals. The beauty of it is that you can order your petals for up to three months before your wedding. They are then kept in storage for you awaiting your big day.

Confetti
The couple can decide to have confetti sprinkled on them by their guests as part of the send off. Confetti gives the air of a parade and choosing this as a send-off will make it feel like a private parade. It will be very exciting for the bride and groom and their guests.

Bubbles
Bubbles are a particularly good send off because they do not leave a mess to clean up afterwards. Bubbles can be blown by guests from tiny bottles that contain the bubble solution. The bottles are found in many different shapes, colors and sizes. The solution is not toxic and does not stain garments. The bottles may be well decorated to match the colors the wedding and then handed over to guests. Choose bottles that blend in with the wedding theme. Blowing of the bubbles is popular with both children and adults and it will be a fun way to conclude your special day.

Butterflies
These are especially ideal if you are having an outdoor wedding. They offer a unique and beautiful option for your send off. When they are released all at the same time as your wedding ceremony comes to a close, they will be a beautiful sight and a wonderful addition to your big day.

With these new and spectacular ways to conclude you wedding, the big send off no longer has to be a messy affair.

By Jason Hennessey

If there is one thing that is universal, it has to be love. But the way that people express their love is as diverse as the polars. Every culture has its own unique way of going about wedding ceremonies. From the bizarre to the nobly, wedding traditions are a whole subject of study and admiration. Below are some of the most unique wedding traditions from around the world.

Africa

Probably the most unique aspect African wedding tradition is the payment of dowry. A groom has to bring to the bride’s father a specified number of domestic animals like cattle, goat, camels, etc for him to get the permission to marry the daughter. In other parts of Africa a marriage can be arranged before the bride or even groom is born.

Asia

In this expansive continent, traditions are so much diverse littered with ancient traditions. But one of the most poignant is the Chinese one where the bridal gown is screaming red, and a gift of a whole roast pig has to be given to the bride’s father beforehand.

European countries

One of the most unique things about weddings in Latvia and Lithuania is that the wedding has to be published in the church bulletin for up to six months beforehand. And then the bride has to spend at least a week with the groom’s mother to be evaluated whether she is a fitting wife for the son.

In Germany, there is a tradition where the night before the wedding, friends, guests and relatives bring and break old dishes in front of the couple’s house as it is held that the broken dishes will forever bring luck to the union.

Believe it or not, a good number of wedding traditions in common practice today are borrowed from Europe. There is a European tradition and belief that the bride should not step on the threshold of the couple’s new home, as that would bring bad luck to the marriage. Thus the groom has to carry the bride over the threshold when entering the house for the first time.

The Americas

In Mexico, the bride and groom during the ceremony have to be draped together in a special ribbon known as the lasso to signify their unity as a single matrimonial unit. And tradition has it that the groom has to give thirteen gold coins to show his ability to take care of his bride.

In Peru, between the wedding cake layers is a wedding charm attached to a ribbon. Single women are then called upon to pull the strings and then one who pulls the one attached to the charm has the luck to be married within year.

In Puerto Rico, the presiding priest blesses a plateful of coins and gives them to the husband to be. Afterwards, the new husband presents the same to his new wife as a sign of luck and lack of want in that marriage.

There are very many other unique traditions from around the world that serve to bring out the esteem and the high regard in which the marriage custom is held. Whichever way you do it, let it be from the heart and of course true love.

By Jason Hennessey

Great Britain has one of the longest and famous cultural histories across the world. When it comes to weddings, British nation and its people draws wedding traditions for over two thousand years of culture. Over the time, they have flourished wedding occasions to uniquely elegant events filled with a sense of deportment and class. Some cultures have emulated wedding traditions from the British, making their wedding a world-wide festivity characterized by receptions and ceremonies from British heritage. Their style has been recognized internationally for their attractive and apposite sophistication. So if you wish to wed this time soon, a British wedding festivity could be just the right thing.

According to British wedding traditions, the ceremony starts off with a flower girl showering flower petals to the daisies along the church aisle closely followed in succession by the bride and the bridesmaids. The bridesmaids and the bride are expected to wear similarly. This tradition has a long practice; dating back to the ancient traditions of the country’s far province of the Roman Empire. This period is famous with the legendary tales of how brides used to be abducted by robbers and highway gangsters as they made their way to the church during the day of the wedding. Bridesmaids were supposed to dress like brides so as to ward off the abductors. Some of such wedding superstitions still exist although they lost significance with the coming of the church doctrines.

Wedding superstitions are another phenomenon that characterizes British wedding traditions. For instance, sewing a silver horseshoe onto the hem of the bride’s dress was a common practice as it was believed to be a good luck charm. If it happened that it was to rain during someone’s wedding, this was perceived as a sign of good luck. Some of the traditions that have remained dominant not only in Britain but also worldwide include wearing of rings when the couples tie the knot. This gesture was long practiced by King Edward VI way back in 15th century, who designated his left hand finger for her bride’s wedding ring. Since then the wedding rings have revolutionalized from iron ones to classic gold.

Typically, the wedding ceremony is characterized with rehearsal dinners and the “hen parties” although brides are not exclusively expected to attend the later. These parties are attended by the groom and the bride’s friends to cheer them up and wish them good luck as they become a husband and wife. Wedding traditions in Britain has merged with church practices; which offer a formal announcement of the union between the couples. The bride and the groom usually recite vows in the church as the congregation witness.

After the wedding, guests and other participants joins the couple in a “wedding breakfast” with cakes and chocolates. At times the breakfast may include fruit cakes made of cherries, ground nuts and other delicious ingredients. It is a norm to most of the newly wedded couples to go for honey immediately after the wedding ceremony. The honeymoon is usually between the two only. This is another practice which has gained a number of followers and popularity all over the world.