Wedding Party Guide

Historical Source of Traditions Regarding Weddings

Every culture has its traditions.  American culture is no exception and regarding tradition, nothing is more traditional that the wedding ceremony.  Of course, we as a culture are more diverse than ever before, and the actual marriage ceremony is often very different from one service to another service.  However, there are some traditions that are observed from one wedding to another which are a part of our culture.  One such tradition regarding weddings is the bridal shower.

Bridal Showers

This custom actually dates to medieval England.  In London and other major city areas, the night before the wedding, a feast would be held in which the bride would brew ale and sell it to the invited guests at very high prices.  This was referred to as the Bride Ale and is on possible source for the term bridal.  The money collected was to provide the prospective bride with a dowry.

Regarding dowries, these were sums of money that were to be paid to the family of the groom to compensate them for the “loss” of their son.  The first historical reference to a “Bridal Shower” can be found in the June 4th 1904 issue of the Grand Rapids Michigan Even Press in which the writer says “And may derive from the custom in Victorian times for the presents to be put inside a parasol, which when opened would “shower” the bride-to-be with gifts.”

The Toast

There is much historical argument regarding the origin of this tradition, but you would have to attend many weddings before you would attend one in which the best man does not deliver a speech, laden with quotes and stories regarding the groom.  Traditionally this humorous and uplifting speech is intended to give the Bride the “real story” on her prospective husband.  Of course, there is occasionally a toast to the broad, which is accompanied with wise quotes about love from the groom or the bride’s father.

The Reception

The tradition most likely goes all the way back to the beginning of the wedding itself.  The various details regarding the celebration are very different from culture to culture but always include a variety of speeches and traditional dances.  This is generally a feast and in some cultures can last days!  There are practices that involve gifts of money, gold, and other valuable items to start the couple’s life with.  Regarding the honeymoon, this term may come from a French term “lune de meil” [lit. "Month of honey"], referring to a one-month supply of Mead (an alcoholic beverage made from honey) that was given to the happy couple to allow them to be happy and left alone for one month. Talk about a wedding party!

The wedding is a ceremony intended to commence the union of two devoted people. Cords, wedding rings and bands are just material symbols of two people becoming one. Numerous wedding rituals are done as paramount representations of a man and a woman’s matrimony. One of the couples’ favorites is the Unity Sand Ceremony.

What is the Sand Ceremony?

The Unity Sand Ceremony is most comparable to the Unity Candle Ceremony. Its significance is to showcase the lasting union and bond between the bride and the groom. Being originated from the cerulean seas of South Hawaii, the sand ceremony is ideal if the wedding is to take place on sea shores. The sand ceremony is traditionally done as the symbol of covenant for western Polynesian nuptial. It is customarily done by obtaining a large container, glass or wooden, to symbolize two people’s conjugal union, perpetual love and eternal respect; two small containers for the bride and the groom to represent conformity and submission to everlasting commitment.

If the wedding is taking place on a beach, the sand ceremony can be done by the bride and the groom’s scooping of sand on the center of the aisle and pouring the sand together on each of the two small containers and after the vows combine it on the larger container to signify their marriage.

If the wedding is not to be held on the shore, the couple can use sands from the beaches memorable to them. Or they can purchase artificial and colored sands that will fit with their wedding motif. That gives a more groovy and lovely atmosphere on the wedding ceremony. The couples can also provide other containers filled with sand for their families and friends so it may serve as memento for the event. The bride and the groom can keep the unity vessel with the sands inside to work as an eternal relic of their coming together.

The sand ceremony is just one of the fun and very essential rites done on weddings. This adds twists that make the wedding ceremony unforgettable and the meaning it signifies remains uncontested. But it is only celebrated to be a sign of the marital ties and in any way could not affect the love and devotion binding a man and a woman. It is your right to choose whatever sparkling ceremony you opt to carry out, what still matters is, for better or for worse, you live up to the commitment you have carved with your partner in life.