Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

In Wedding Traditions from Around the World, Part 1, we discussed how wedding traditions and customs vary from one country and culture to another, and that each one is special and celebrates the marriage bond of the newlyweds. Here are some other traditions from around the world:

ENGLAND

• Tossing the bouquet is a tradition stemming from England. Women used to try to rip pieces of the bride’s dress and flowers to obtain good luck, so to escape from the crowd, the bride would toss her bouquet and run away.

• Anglo-Saxon Englishmen often had to defend their brides, so the bride would stand to the left of her groom allowing his sword arm to be free.

• The bridal party was originally established to fool evil spirits. The bride’s friends dressed similarly in order to confuse them and to ward off bad luck.

FINLAND

• The bride walks from house to house with a pillowcase to collect her wedding presents while a married man walks beside her with an umbrella, which symbolizes protection and shelter.

• The bride wears a golden crown during the reception and is blindfolded. She’s then spun around, while unmarried girls dance around her. The one she crowns is thought to be the next one who will get married.

FRANCE

• The wedding couple drinks from the traditional two-handled wedding cup called the “coup de marriage” denoting togetherness.

• On the wedding night, pots and pans are banged together as a way of disturbing the newlyweds.  The groom invites the jokesters in for refreshments.

GERMANY

• To make the wedding night as difficult as possible, friends of the couple do lots of funny or sometimes cruel things. They might fill up the room with balloons, take the bed apart or hide lots of alarm clocks in,

• Friends sometimes kidnap the bride, and the groom has to find her.

• The Polterabend is an informal party held the evening before the wedding. Plates and dishes are smashed, and the broken pieces are thought to bring good luck to the bride.

GREECE

• The mother of the bride spends years collecting various household items for her daughter’s dowry. Once the dowry has been presented to the couple, friends volunteer to set up and decorate the newlyweds’ home.

• The bride and groom are honored as queen and king for the day. They wear crowns made of either gold or orange blossoms connected with ribbons, which signify the couple’s union.

• Once the wedding is over, the bride and groom walk around the altar three times symbolizing the trinity.

ITALY

• The bride does not wear any gold. It is considered bad luck.

• Sunday weddings are believed to be the luckiest.

• To ward off envious people, the groom carries a piece of iron.

• At the reception, the men are supposed to kiss the bride for good luck…and to make the groom jealous.

• To start the festivities, strong drinks are served to toast the couple with “Per Cent’anni” which means “for 100 years.”

JAPAN

• Brides wear purple dresses. Purple is considered the color of love.

• The bridal couple takes nine sips of sake. They sit across the table from each other, looking directly into the eyes of the other, taking a sip at the same moment and being very careful to set the cup down on the table at the same time.  It is believed that this will keep one from dying before the other.

KOREA

• The groom’s family welcomes the bride in a private ceremony.

• The bride wears a multicolored silk dress with white sleeves and a black silk crown.

• The bride is made up with red points on her cheeks to scare away bad spirits.

• One important part of the wedding ceremony is the sharing of a special white wine (jung jong), which is poured from cups made from two halves of a gourd made by the bride’s mom.

NORWAY

• Friends and neighbors plant small pine trees on either side of the bride and groom, which symbolize fertility.

• The bride wears a silver crown and silver charms. The music created by the charms is supposed to ward off evil spirits.

• The wedding cake (Brudlaupskling) is made of flour and a mixture of cheese, and cream and syrup are added to it.

PHILIPPINES

• The groom throws a spear onto the front step of his bride’s house to let everyone know about the intended marriage.

• The bride’s gown is often custom made, and it is bad luck for her to try it on before the wedding.

• Pearl jewelry is considered a bad omen.

• The groom presents his bride with 13 gold pieces as a pledge of his dedication to his wife and the welfare of his children.

• Knives and other sharp objects are not given as gifts because it is believed that they will lead to a broken marriage.

• Raindrops are considered lucky because they bring prosperity and happiness. Rice, when thrown after the wedding represents rain.

• It is considered bad luck if the groom does not arrive before the bride.

RUSSIA

• Russian law does not recognize church weddings, so couples wishing to marry must have a civil wedding ceremony.

• After the civil ceremony, the couple takes a tour of the city visiting memorials of those who have died.

• The traditional wedding in Russia lasts two days.

• The bride and groom usually tie a doll to the wedding car if they wish their first child to be a girl and a teddy bear if they want a boy.

SCOTLAND

• Grooms carry a large basket filled with stones (on his back) from one end of the village to the other till the bride comes out and kisses him.

• Bagpipes are played during the parade.

• The groom wears his traditional kilt.

• When the wedding vows are completed, the groom pins a strip of his clan’s tartan color to the bride’s dress…signifying that she has become a member of his tribe.

SWEDEN

• The mother of the bride places a gold coin in the bride’s right shoe, and her father places a silver coin in her left shoe. This ensures that their daughter will never be poor.

• The groom presents his bride with three gold rings…an engagement ring, a wedding ring and a motherhood ring.

• Imaginary trolls were once thought to bring misfortune to the wedding couple, so they were kept away by the bride and her bridesmaids by carrying bouquets of pungent herbs and stinking weeds.

Photo Invitations are a great way to show the world how you and your man feel about each other. They make great keepsakes too!

Lisa Bakewell

Want to make your wedding anniversary a party–every year? Then consider having your wedding on New Year’s Eve! As a bonus, it will be very unlikely that either you or your spouse will forget your anniversary.

Arrange to have an early evening ceremony, so that you can plan to get your personal New Year’s Eve party started around 8pm. Not only will you and your spouse have a great time; your friends and relatives will have an awesome New Year’s Eve party to attend where everyone knows plenty of other people.

After the wedding ceremony, and prior to your New Year’s Eve party/reception, you and your groom should change into party clothes. You could wear a cocktail gown (the more glitter, the better), and, if you’d like, your groom can change into a suit instead of wearing his tux.

Good colors for a New Year’s Eve wedding reception might be silver, gold, white and black. These colors are very sophisticated and will go well with nearly any décor.

Consider opting for a nice buffet of appetizers and finger foods instead of serving a dinner. Veggies, fruits, crackers, meats, and cheese trays are perfect for this occasion. You might also include finger foods such as Buffalo wings and shrimp. These foods lend themselves to being eaten while standing, so your guests will feel more in the New Year’s party mode.

Plan on offering a fully stocked bar, since you won’t be buying a full meal. Make sure that you include non-alcoholic beverages, as well, and provide champagne for the mid-night toast. Using plastic wineglasses instead of champagne flutes for the toast will help to keep expenses down.

You’ll want your table décor and reception decorations to be very festive. Consider using confetti on the tables with candles that can be used to set the mood for the mid-night toast when the lights are turned down. Also, baskets of noisemakers and hats make nice table decorations and double as wedding favors and toasting gear when the time is right.

Make sure that your DJ or band has Old Lang Syne prepared for the mid-night festivities. Another nice feature would be a large screen television so that you can watch the ball drop at mid-night.

Last, make sure that you provide plenty of coffee and pizza to your guests before they leave your party. It would be a shame if anyone was pulled over by police when leaving your reception. Better yet, reserve a block of rooms at a nearby hotel, and have your guests stay.

A final note, when planning to have a New Year’s Eve wedding reception, you should give your guests plenty of time to plan for it. Make sure that you send out your Save the Date cards well in advance.

Lisa Bakewell

Traditionally, the most popular day for a wedding is Saturday, which makes for tough competition when it comes to securing venues and services for your big day. To avoid hearing “that date has already been booked,” why not plan an “off-day” wedding instead? Not only will you have a better chance of having your wedding on the date of your choice, it also makes economic sense because:

Banquet facilities, caterers, photographers, videographers, musicians/entertainers and limousine services are much more willing to negotiate. (Vendors tend to see Friday and Sunday as bonus days, a time when they can earn income.)

Some hotels and restaurants require a lower minimum number of guests during the week.

Lower airfare is often available for your out-of-town guests during the week.

If you choose Friday night as your off-day wedding day, you’ll probably have your wedding later in the evening. This means that your reception will follow immediately after the ceremony, and you’ll avoid the extra cost (and hassle) of having to provide an interim reception or cocktail party. (Also, having the ceremony and reception back-to-back ensures that more people will attend the wedding ceremony.)

Keep in mind, too, that restaurants are usually thrilled to have rehearsal dinners booked on Thursdays or other evenings during the week. These are, typically, their slower business days, so you’ll find that the staff will be more attentive to your party’s needs, and the atmosphere will be more relaxed.

Another reason for the growing popularity of off-day weddings is that benefits you, your family, and your friends.

Many couples host off-day weddings, so they can pay more attention to those that traveled to be there. (For example, your ceremony could be held Friday, and you could plan activities through your honeymoon departure on Sunday.)

Additionally, an off-day wedding frees up at least one day of the weekend, making your family, friends and guests more appreciative of the extra time–especially if they are traveling.

Guests will appreciate a Friday wedding because they won’t have to face a workday after a night of merrymaking.

The off-day wedding becomes more of a reunion than a quick ceremony.

By now, you may be thinking that an off-day wedding sounds like a terrific idea for you and your soon-to-be-spouse. If this is the case, you’ll not only save money, you’ll be able to enjoy more time with your loved ones and you’ll most likely hear “Yes” from vendors and service providers instead of “We’re already booked.” Here are a few things to keep in mind, though:

You’ll want to schedule the wedding a little later, if you choose Friday, to avoid rush-hour traffic.

You’ll want to design your menu to fit the timing of the reception. Again, if it’s a Friday, you may want to opt for light snacks instead of a full meal.

Your guests will need ample time to take off work, if necessary, so you’ll want to send out your “Save the Date” cards early.

If all of this advice sounds good to you…go ahead and buck the traditional Saturday wedding!

Lisa Bakewell

Pulling off the perfect wedding is a challenge, but making yours an eco-friendly wedding doesn’t mean making it more difficult. Use these 10 tips for planning your green wedding:

Plant the centerpiece.
For centerpieces and other wedding décor, you can use potted flowers, trees or plants. When the wedding is over, you’ll have a head start on beautifying your yard or patio!

Decorate with bamboo.
Bamboo is considered one of the most sustainable materials on earth, growing up to two feet per day, so it takes only three to seven years to mature. Use stalks of bamboo in centerpieces, or choose other bamboo accessories for your reception tables. To get more information on bamboo, visit Green Earth Bamboo.

Plant a tree or two or three.
Plant one tree or more in your backyard or the neighborhood where you got married after the honeymoon. That way you’ll be able to track the growth of the tree by the number of years you’ve been married.

Ditch the bouquets.
Have your bridesmaids carry fans instead of flowers. Or how about beautiful silk boxes or purses? If you still want the look of flowers, consider using silk instead of real blooms. Though they may be a bit more expensive, they will last forever.

Think locally.
If you REALLY want traditional blooms, support your local nursery. Locally grown, seasonal blooms will cost less money, and you’ll be helping your local economy. You could also use locally grown herbs, greenery, and berries instead of blooms or you can use them for fill in your bouquets.

Make a donation.
Make a donation in your guests’ names to an organization that plants trees (such as AmericanForests or the Arbor Day Foundation) in lieu of a traditional wedding favor.

Choose organic foods.Base your menu on food that is organic or locally grown. Consider serving a wedding cake made of organic ingredients as well.

Toast organically.
True Organic wines are certified by the USDA National Organic Program and have become quite popular. For the back-story on organic wines, check out this article from The Wine News.

Light an earth-friendly flame.
Candles are a must for weddings, but paraffin candles are produced from petroleum, which is not very earth-friendly. Use soy wax candles instead.

Put it on the Web.
Create a wedding site where you can list your wedding details instead of including them in your invitations. There, you’ll be able to list your registry details (along with your wedding details) and be able to express to your guests that you’d like eco-friendly gifts or, in lieu of gifts, you’d like a donation made to your favorite charity.

Lisa Bakewell

Planning a wedding and reception is very stressfull. Why not plan on having some fun at your wedding and/or reception? Why not bust loose a little? Enjoy these YouTube viral wedding videos, and you may just get some great ideas. Because, after all, your big day should be a fun day. Enjoy it!

Lisa Bakewell

With weddings costing an average of $20,000 today, it’s smart to start budgeting right away to determine who will pay for what. Traditionally, the bride’s parents picked up the tab for most of the wedding, but today more couples are breaking with tradition (due to later marriages and skyrocketing costs) and divvying up the costs in their own way.

Traditional Expenses:

Bride’s Family

Reception (including food, music, decorations, rental fees and entertainment)
Ceremony
Flowers (wedding and reception)
Wedding Dress, Headpiece and Accessories
Invitations
Announcements
Programs
Postage
Favors
Photography
Transportation

Groom’s Family

Rehearsal Dinner
Wedding Present
Alcohol for Reception

Bride

Groom’s Ring
Groom’s Gift
Makeup, Hair and Beauty Treatments
Gifts for Her Attendants
Bridesmaid Luncheon

Groom

Marriage License
Bride’s Wedding and Engagement Rings
Honeymoon
Bride’s Gift
Gifts for His Attendants
Corsages
Boutonnières
Bride’s Bouquet
Clergyman/Officiant Fee

Wedding Party

Bachelorette/Bachelor Parties
Tux Rentals/Bridesmaid Dresses and Accessories

Non-Traditional Ideas:

Older Bride and Groom
The bride and groom pay for all wedding costs.

Asking for Help
The bride and groom set their budget, then ask for help from their parents for the remainder of the costs. Another approach may be to split the bill three ways (bride & groom, bride’s family, groom’s family).

Lisa Bakewell

Every bride dreams of her wedding dress, and some brides like to get a little more creative than others. Here are a few — let’s say — nontraditional wedding dresses with added flare:

Alfred Angelo has a line of gowns called “Dream in Color.” His subtle addition of color is a nice addition to the traditional gown.

Red Hot Brides, a resource for the bride who wants to stand up above the crowd–and throw one heck of a wedding party–has a wide variety dresses in an assortment of color (yep! they have red ones too), materials and styles.

Lia Griffith, of Papier Couture, has created a line of carefully sculpted dresses made primarily from paper. Here are two of her fabulous creations from the Venus Collection:

So, if you feel that you’re the epitomy of the non-traditional bride, consider looking beyond “lacey white” for your wedding gown. Colors and fabrics abound!

Also, look beyond the traditional for your wedding invitations and wedding accessories too! Best Little Wedding Shop has just what your looking for in non-traditional (and traditional) wedding supplies and gifts.

Lisa Bakewell

It’s been determined that you and your fiancé are fun-seekers who shy away from the traditional. You want your wedding and reception to be memorable–for you and your guests. That’s why we’ve decided to offer you some additional ideas for holding your unique wedding and reception.

In Unique Wedding Venues…Get Creative! we offered several unique venue ideas including cave weddings, underwater weddings, train weddings, movie studio weddings, among others. In part two of this series, we’re bringing you even more great ideas for unique wedding venues. Also, click on the photos for links to a great invitation, save the date and accessory idea from Best Little Wedding Shop. Be sure to visit the site for more great wedding products!

Here are some more “off the grid” wedding venue ideas:

Wed him a vineyard. Looking for a dreamy outdoor wedding venue? Wine Country Inn, Palasade, Colorado can help you create unforgettable lifetime memories in a spectacular vineyard setting. Exchange vows in the open outdoor pavilion among the vines, the beautifully landscaped courtyard or the elegantly appointed Vineyard Ballroom. They also offer smaller venues for more intimate events.

Marry Prince Charming. If your dream is to be married in a castle, look no further than Castle Farms in beautiful Charlevoix, Michigan. As Northern Michigan’s premiere wedding location, you’ll have lots of regal options available to you that would make even Cinderella envious! [Editor's Note: One nice feature of this venue is that you can hire your own caterer and bring in your own alcohol]

Take it up, up and away! Have your wedding in a hot air balloon! Arizona Balloon Rides in Phoenix, Arizona offers private, romantic hot air balloon wedding ceremonies as well as larger elaborate ceremonies requiring multiple balloons. They will customize the experience to meet your needs!

Make it spooky. Looking for the perfect place for your haunted wedding (or honeymoon)? Thayer’s Bed and Breakfast  in Annandale, Minnesota will fit the bill nicely. This historical B&B is an Old West Victorian mansion just minutes from the Twin Cities. As well as offering weddings every day of the year, they also offer a “Haunted Honeymoon Package” which includes a one-hour Couple’s Psychic Reading, a half-hour of private ghost hunting instruction and a disposable camera to photograph the many ghosts which inhabit Thayer’s B&B.

Follow the light. Are you and your significant other lighthouse buffs? If so, you should consider getting married in Martha’s Vineyard. Lighthouse enthusiasts consider the five lighthouses on Martha’s Vineyard to be the most diverse in a small contained area in the country, and they are available for wedding ceremonies. All of the Island’s lighthouses, except the Cape Poge Lighthouse, are easily accessible by road, and the Gay Head, East Chop, and Edgartown Lighthouses are maintained by the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society. Call the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society at 508-627-4441 for more information.

Have a garden party. Cleveland Botanical Garden in Cleveland, Ohio provides the perfect place to share your beautiful wedding day with family and friends. From its exotic Eleanor Armstrong Smith Glasshouse to its beautiful outdoor gardens, this botanical garden offers a most unique and elegant setting.

Lisa Bakewell

You and your fiancé love to have fun, you love the unusual and you don’t want to have your wedding at the traditional chapel or VFW hall. We understand.

As mentioned in one of our previous blog posts, many soon-to-be-wed couples are choosing eco-friendly weddings and receptions by having them outdoors. We’ve also blogged about how to plan for destination weddings. Well, today, we thought we’d give you more food for thought with these “off-the-grid” wedding venue ideas:

Wed him underground. How about having your wedding and reception in a cave? The Bridal Cave at Thunder Mountain Park  in Camdenton, Missouri might just be your ticket for adventure. Rated as one of the most scenic caves in America, the first Osage Indian wedding was held here in the early 1800s.

Make it historical. Still want to get married in a church, but not just any church? Well, how about Trinity Church in New York?  The present day Trinity Church, designed by architect Richard Upjohn, is considered a classic example of Gothic Revival architecture. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 for its architectural significance.

Play ball. Wed your true love at The Stadium Club at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL. Not only will you welcome your guests with your name in lights on Wrigley’s famous marquee, you’ll also enjoy pictures on the field with the legendary manual scoreboard.

Take it down under–the water, that is. Another unique idea is to have your wedding and reception at an aquarium.  Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey offers a perfect venue for your big day. Your guests will have a one-of-a-kind immersive experience!

You should’ve been in pictures. Marlene Dietrich, Mae West, Audrey Hepburn and Gloria Swanson are among the exquisite leading ladies who have starred in Paramount Pictures productions. Well, it’s a list that you can join too–at least for a day–when you have your wedding hosted by the Paramount Special Events Department in Hollywood, California.

Board the train. Except for your guests’ high-tech cameras and modern garb, a time traveler from the 19th century would feel quite at home riding Western Railroad’s Skunk Train even today. The train, which departs from Fort Bragg or Willits, will transport you and your guests to a remote and romantic location in the redwoods of California.

For all of your destination wedding invitations and unique wedding accessories, check out what Best Little Wedding Shop has to offer!

 

Lisa Bakewell

Looking for other unconventional wedding ideas? Check out these wedding accessories by clicking on the photos! Want more ideas? Check out these wedding ceremony keepsakes.