Archive for January, 2009

White Wedding Dresses

January 21, 2009 · Filed under wedding · Tagged , , ,

As a little girl… or even now… I am sure that you have laid about dreaming of marrying Prince Charming, looking gorgeous in your wedding dress. Of course, what color is the wedding dress every time you do this? I am guessing that more often than not it happens to be white and not red like some santa suits. Millions of women and little girls dream of getting married in a fairytale white wedding dress. But wait. Where did a white dress come from and why is it so popular?

Believe it or not white wasn’t always the traditional color for getting married in. Honestly, the tradition of a white wedding dress hasn’t even been around for ages and ages. A white wedding dress is something that every girl is instinctively born with today. You can’t get married in anything but white. Well, while this may be true for some and not so for others, white is worn to symbolize the virtue of the women and to just carry on the tradition. Not surprisingly, the white wedding dress came from a place full of legends, and where tradition is important.

So, low and behold, the white wedding dress was started in the English Monarchy. Queen Victoria was the first “celebrity” that was looked up too, who wore a white wedding gown. Because of her, the popularity of white dresses has become a true tradition among women around the world. The marriage of Albert of Saxe and Queen Victoria in 1840, was not surprising. The gown she wore though caused quite a stir. It was considered flamboyant and did not start the white wedding gown tradition instantly.

Many of the upper class women though, saw this as a unique fashion statement and had no issues in copying the Queen by marrying in white dresses. A white wedding dress though was worn to show wealth. Virtue was not in the meaning at all. If you could get married in a elegant white gown then you had to have money. White was not easy to clean, so a white wedding dress was something that you most definitely weren’t going to wear again. Spending money on a white gown was something that only the wealthy could do.

Only the wealthy and vain women insisted on being married in white. Most women still married in dresses of different colors and styles after Queen Victoria’s fashion statement. During the Edwardian times however, the white wedding dress gained popularity once more when Coco Chanel unleashed its brand new design….. a knee-length wedding gown, with a huge train in none other than white. During the world wars though, most women couldn’t afford to wear white.

Most just wore whatever they had when they were married. Only the rich kept wearing white wedding dresses. After the 1950’s though many Hollywood stars and royalty still wore white at their weddings. This sealed the deal and tradition of being married in white.

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Father and Daughter

January 19, 2009 · Filed under wedding · Tagged , , , ,

Many of our modern wedding traditions have their origin in times past. Here’s a sampling.

The Bridal Shower tradition has its roots in the 1800′s. The story is told of poor a miller who fell in love with a wealthy maiden. But, the father of the maiden was against the marriage. He refused to provide a dowry for her, and a bride could not marry without a dowry. The story goes that the bride had generous friends who “showered” her with so many gifts, they could forego the missing dowry.


Why “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?” The “old” was usually a personal gift from mother to daughter, a symbolic piece of wisdom for married life. The “new” symbolized the new family being formed by the marriage. “Borrowing” is especially important since it is to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital bliss. “Blue” has two traditions, ancient Roman maidens wore blue on the borders of their robes to denote love, fidelity and modesty, while Christians associate it with the purity of the Virgin Mary.

In very early days, fathers would offer daughters as peace offerings to warring tribes. Because of the hostility, the families were placed on opposite sides of the church so the ceremony could proceed without bloodshed. The ceremony united the two warring factions into one family, and the danger was resolved. Today, family members still sit on opposite sides.


Because the early Anglo Saxon groom often had to defend his bride from would-be kidnappers, she stood to his left, leaving his sword-arm free just in case. The “best” warrior in the tribe stood by the groom and was responsible for helping defend the bride, should the need arise. Thus we have the placement for the best man.

Ever wonder where the phrase “tie the knot” comes from? Supposedly this also goes back to early Roman times. The bride would wear a girdle that was tied in many knots, which the groom had the “duty” to untie. As a side note, this can also refer to the tying of the knot in Handfasting Ceremonies, which were usually done without the benefit of clergy.

In early times the bride had to be carried over the threshold because she was (or was pretending to be) reluctant to enter the bridal chamber. In those days, it was considered ladylike to be hesitant at this point. Another legend has it that the bride was carried over the threshold to protect her from any evil spirits which might be lingering there.

The term “Honeymoon” also originated centuries ago. It was the custom for couples to get married beneath a full moon. Then they would drink honey wine for thirty days in a row, to foster good luck. This created the term honeymoon.

The wedding cake originated from the ancient custom where a loaf of wheat bread was broken over the bride’s head to symbolize hope for a fertile and fulfilling life. The guests ate the crumbs which were believed to offer good luck. The custom found it’s way to England in the Middle Ages where guests would bring small cakes to a wedding and put them in one large pile. The bride and groom were expected to stand over the cakes and kiss.

Loud noises were said to drive away evil spirits, and during the ceremony the guests would make noises to keep the evil away. Today, it’s traditional that the bridal party honk their car horns and drag rattling tin cans while leaving the ceremony.

http://www.xuxu.tv/cat/6/1.html

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How to Select a Wedding Date and Time

January 14, 2009 · Filed under wedding

Once you become engaged, the question you’ll here most often will be “when’s the big day?” Like Christmas and birthdays, your wedding date will hold a special place in your heart, year after year.

The reality is, until you set a date, all other planning is practically impossible. But beware of selecting the date and time of your wedding without careful thought. There’s more to this decision than you might imagine.

The first question to ask yourself is how much time do I need to plan the wedding? Be realistic, a large, formal wedding could easily require a full year of planning. Wedding consultants report approximately 200 hours are needed to plan an average wedding. Spread over a year, those hours can be easily managed; however, spread them over three months, and the result will be serious stress and exhaustion. On the other hand, a small, less formal affair could be smoothly planned within four to six months.


In selecting your month, ask yourself: What season do I prefer? Or does the season matter? Is there one time of year your family or the groom’s family would find particularly meaningful? Perhaps Christmas has always been special to you, so an early December wedding would fulfill your dreams. As an added benefit, seasonal weddings such as Valentines Day or Halloween can simplify decorating decisions.

Experts say the most popular wedding months continue to be June, August and September.

If saving money is of primary importance, think about having your wedding on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon. Wedding vendors and banquet halls will be much more likely to negotiate the price on any day but Saturday, their busiest day. There is a trade-off, however, as out-of-town guests may find it tougher to attend Friday or Sunday events.


Should you choose a holiday weekend? On the plus side, your guests may appreciate a wedding on a long weekend, since it gives them an extra day for travel time and recuperation. On the other hand, some family members may already have other plans for those special weekends. Again, you face a trade-off.

To cut down on conflicts, plan around major events in your area and significant events in your family. You don’t want to worry about your cousin’s college graduation falling on the same weekend as your wedding. Check with the local convention & visitors bureau to make certain no big conventions will be in town on your date, taking up all the hotel and banquet space. If you can’t avoid a busy weekend, lock-in your hotel rooms as early as possible.

Be sure to take weather into consideration. Many a bride has planned an outdoor summer wedding in chilly January, forgetting to take into account that July weather can be unbearably muggy and 95 degrees. I still marvel at photos of myself, a bridesmaid at an August wedding, with sweat running down my face and wet hair sticking to my forehead–not a pretty picture. Likewise, in some parts of the country, a wedding in January could be hindered by eight inches of snow on the roads.


Wedding and reception times do matter, especially when it comes to feeding your guests. In times past, ceremonies were often held in the morning and guests sat down to a wedding brunch afterward. Morning weddings are much less common now. For example, a 2:00 p.m. wedding is an appropriate time if you’re planning to serve only punch and cake. But a later wedding, such as 4:00 p.m. or after usually means the guests expect substantial food. Serving complete meals will have an impact on your budget, so take that into account when setting the time.

By now you must be thinking…how can we ever settle on a date, but take heart! You will find a workable day to exchange vows and with a dash of deliberation all your family and friends will be on hand to share your joy.

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