Toasting the Bride and Groom

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

toasting the Bride and Groom

Toasting comes from an ancient French custom of placing bread in the bottom of the glass – a good toaster drained the drink to get the “toast.” According to legend, when a bride and groom drink their wedding toast, whoever finishes first will rule the family. 

A very lovely English toast goes like this:

Love, be true to her,
Life, be dear to her,
Health, stay close to her,
Joy, draw near to her,
Fortune, find what you can do for her,
Search your treasure house through for her
Follow her footsteps the wide world over
And keep her husband always her lover.

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The First Kiss

November 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

First kiss as a married couple

No ceremony is complete without the kiss. In fact, there was a time when an engagement would be null and void without one. Dating back from early Roman times, the kiss represented a legal bond that sealed all contracts.

The kiss that seals the wedding is much more than a sign of affection. It has long been a token of bonding – the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of the self into the new spouse’s soul, there to abide ever after.

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Back in the 18th Century, Invitations…..

February 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Envelopes
In the 18th century the invitation would be placed in a handmade envelope and sealed with hot wax imprinted with the family crest. Servants were then made to deliver the letters as there was no postal service. Now because this task was completed on horseback in all weathers, there became a need for an ‘outer envelope’. This not only protected the invitation, but was used to write directions for the servants. For example “Travel one day north to Newcastle. There, cross the stone bridge and proceed past three farms until you see the stone entrance marked ‘Williamson’. Remove this covering, and give the invitation to the doorman. Wait there for a response and make a note of same”.

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Why is it called “Tying the Knot”?

January 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The expression “tying the knot” actually dates back to Roman Times when the bride wore a girdle secured by a knot. On the wedding night, the groom then had the honors of “untying the knot.” The couple’s lives were then tied together. Rituals of binding were also popular in ancient Carthage. The couple’s thumbs were laced together with a strip of leather. In India, the Hindu groom knotted a ribbon around his bride’s neck, and once tied, the marriage was legal and binding. For much of history the rope was the most powerful way to connect things and people. So, it made sense to talk about “tying the knot.”

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Legends of the Honeymoon

January 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Legend 4.
The term ‘honeymoon’ comes from the tradition of the bride drinking mead (a brewed, fermented drink made of honey) for one month after the wedding to encourage fertility, and a male child in particular.

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Legends of the Honeymoon

January 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Legend 3:
Honeymoon -  The word first appears in the 16th century. The honey is a reference to the sweetness of a new marriage. And the moon is not a reference to the lunar-based month, but rather a bitter acknowledgment that this sweetness, like a full moon, would quickly fade.

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Legends of the Honeymoon

January 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Legend 2:

In ancient times, the Teuton people began the practice of the honeymoon. Teuton weddings were only held under the full moon. After the wedding, the bride and groom would drink honey wine for thirty days. Therefore, the period immediately following the wedding became known as the honeymoon. While the name survived, the purpose of the honeymoon changed. After the wedding, newlyweds would leave their family and friends to go and do what newlyweds are supposed to do. Today that purpose survives, only now a vacation is incorporated, usually to a romantic get-away locale.

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Legends of the Honeymoon

January 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Legend 1:
In ancient times, many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice.  When early man felt it was time to take a bride, he would often carry off an unwilling woman to a secret place where her relatives wouldn’t find them.  While the moon went through all its phases, (about 30 days) they hid from the searchers and drank a brew made from honey.  Hence, we get the word, honeymoon.

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Why do you want Bridesmaids?

December 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The bridal party is a tradition that has been established for many centuries. For a long time the purpose of the bridal party was to fool evil spirits. The bride’s friends dressed similarly to her in order to confuse any virulent presences that might be lurking about. Today bridesmaids are there to support the bride in the stressful times during the wedding.
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Why are Wedding Dresses White?

December 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

 

Brides have always worn white, right? Not so. In ancient times brides wore bright colored wedding dresses to signify their joy. White for western brides didn’t become fashionable until Queen Victoria wore it at her wedding  to signify her status. White dresses never did signify purity until the Christian churches put that label on them. So feel free to add a little color to your wedding outfit.

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