Monday, July 9, 2007

The Tradition Of A White Wedding



The traditional “white wedding” is an affair in elegance and formality. The traditional custom of the bride wearing white in her wedding originated in the Victorian era when the white wedding dress was recognized as a symbol for purity. The wearing of a white wedding dress was only appropriate in the first marriage for both bride and groom.

Today the term “white wedding” means that the event is going to be traditional or semi-formal. The term is actually speaking in terms of the color of the gown, white, which has come to symbolize purity of heart and body.

The Influences of World War I On The World Of Weddings

Prior to World War I, most women wore formal style dresses during their wedding that were useful and could be worn later for special occasions. The modern bridal gown as part of a formal wedding began post World War I when mothers began to plan large events for the marriages of their daughters. In many cases, young women of today begin planning their dream marriage long before they ever meet the man of their dreams.

Bride’s Magazine, a popular bridal magazine created in 1934, began as an advertising leaflet that created the idea of formal weddings. Their competitor, Modern Bride came into existence in 1949. These two magazines significantly affected the “white wedding” as it is known today. With the influence of these two magazines, the small family event once known as a wedding is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

The White Wedding Of Today

Today, a traditional “white wedding” is an event that includes a formal wedding service at a church or religious facility. Only guests that received formal wedding invitations attend the event. The guest list is made up of family, friends and business associates. The ceremony is followed by a reception that usually includes a meal, an elaborate wedding cake and champagne toasts to the newlyweds. The reception provides an opportunity for guests to meet the bride and groom and to celebrate the wedded union. In addition to the meal, there is usually a first dance between the bride and groom, the cutting of the wedding cake and the throwing of the bouquet and garter.

Today brides in a traditional “white wedding”, usually follow an age old tradition found in a wedding poem, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. It is considered good luck for newlyweds if the bride carries something from each of the stanzas of the poem or if she is able to find one item that fills all the categories. Often times she will receive a gift from a family member that completes the poem and provides a special memento from this special day.

Choosing the Right Wedding Vows



More people are choosing their own wedding vows rather than leaving it to their priest, pastor, Rabbi, or other religious leader to decide which vows the bride and groom should make to one another. Many more people are taking an active role in this decision.

One way to choose wedding vows is by faith. For most people, getting marriage is a commitment of body, soul, and faith. Getting married means marrying the whole person and that person’s family as well. Therefore, making the wedding vows reflect their deep commitment to each other and the life they will build together is a good idea.

Common American Faiths

Christianity is the most predominant religion in the United States, and as a result many people prefer to vow to their future life partner in the name of God and their church. There are many faiths considered to be Christian and each individual branch may have somewhat different wording to their particular vows.

Non-denominational wedding vows will hit many of the traditional points of commitment between two people, omitting the direct mention of God in any form. People being married by judge or justice of the peace may prefer to use nondenominational vows if, religion is unimportant to them. Or this could take place if each person practices a different faith and they would prefer that neither religion was the focus of their wedding ceremony.

Jewish wedding vows are commonly given when the rings are exchanged. The focus of the vow is a commitment to be wed to that person by the laws of Moses and Israel. In addition to this is the promise of love, honor, and appreciation of each other for the rest of their lives.

Muslim wedding vows are more of a contract between two families which state the conditions desired and expected by each family and a commitment to uphold those conditions in the name of Allah.

Buddhist wedding vows give the two people an opportunity to voice their love, dedication, and future hopes for their lives together with respect given to their shared religious beliefs. Their use of meditation and contemplation to make their lives and marriage stronger is an important part of their vows to one another.

Pagan wedding ceremonies are often preformed by a priest and/or priestess, which will join the couple under the name of the deities of their preferred branch of faith within the heading of Pagan religions. Many Pagan wedding vows will require the couple to commit to each other as partners in life until love ends, rather than until death separates them.

Wedding vows are a personal choice that can only be decided by the people to be married. The bride and groom can choose traditional vows of their faith, to write their own wedding vows, or to allow the person performing their marriage to choose the vows.

Weddings Bring People Together



Weddings are some of the most joyous occasions in life whether it is your own or that of a loved one. It is a time to celebrate love and commitment and thanks to these sentiments, weddings often bring people together who may or may not see each other often. This makes it an even more special occasion.

When a couple plans their wedding, they create a guest list of all their friends and family. The bride and groom want to surround themselves with their loved ones on a day that they will remember forever. Weddings are the perfect time for everyone to come together and have a good time.

Since families often live far away from one another and friends move away and start their own families, weddings are a wonderful reason to take the time and make the trip to be together. This is an excellent time for the bride and groom to reconnect with old friends and distant family. Weddings give people a reason to put their own lives aside and celebrate the love of the bride and groom.

Weddings and the Dysfunctional Family

In the world we live in today, few families are still completely intact. There is divorce and there are personal grudges and weddings can be difficult to plan when these problems exist. The bride and groom want everyone to be with them during their wedding and they must find ways to not only get everyone to the wedding, but to also keep everyone happy.

Depending on the severity of the disagreement, many people will agree to bury the hatchet when it comes to weddings. People will set aside their own differences in order to make sure that the bride and groom have an amazing day. They may also be doing this for the selfish reason that they actually care about the bride and groom and really want to attend the wedding at any cost.

The bride and groom must consider these differences during wedding planning. Weddings are not easy to plan and throwing this wrench into the works can add a significant amount of stress. It is important for the bride and groom to speak with the guests and make sure they are willing to behave for the sake of the wedding. Once this is agreed upon, the bride and groom should try to accommodate the guests to seat them separately so they do not need to have much contact. Weddings sometimes help bring these people together and unite on common ground and perhaps even get them to talk.

Weddings are meant to be beautiful, perfect days! These days are filled with love for family, friends, and especially the bride and groom. The day should be relished and spent enjoying with friends and family instead of sorting out squabbles!

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