Wedding Trends That Take The Cake

Before booking your wedding reception, you should gather a list of questions to ask the site manager. Use these suggested questions to get you started:

Ala Carte Reception Costs

Reception sites have different ways of breaking down their costs. Avoid any confusion when comparing wedding reception sites by requesting an itemized list of fees you’ll use for your event. (Tip: Have an idea of your guest count beforehand since your count will influence the estimated costs.) Questions to ask:

• What is the facility rental fee?
• What is the food cost?
• What is the beverage cost?
• If you want to hold your ceremony at the site, what is the fee?
• Is there a set-up and breakdown fee?
• What is the staffing fee?
• What is the fee for security personnel?
• Is there a parking/valet fee?
• What is the overtime fee?

Wedding Packages

Some locations offer wedding packages, which can be both cost-effective and convenient, but make sure to inquire about exactly what’s included and not included in the package. Questions to ask:

• What basics are included in the wedding package?
• Is the wedding cake also included? If so, can the design be customized?
• Does the package include floral arrangements? Can they be customized?
• Are linens included in the wedding package?

Booking Terms

Make sure that the site contract meets your needs by asking these questions:

• What is the length of the facility rental?
• Is there an overtime fee?
• Will you have use of the entire reception site?
• What is the deposit?
• When is the remainder of the fee due?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• Are there any music or noise restrictions?
• Does the site have any decorating restrictions?
• Will there be another party during, before or after yours? If so, how will this affect your event?

Essential Services

Determine which of these services the site provides and which you’ll need to contact on your own. Questions to ask:

• Is there an in-house caterer? If not, can the site refer you to a caterer? Do they have caterers that are under exclusive contract to the site?
• Does the reception site have a list of recommended vendors?
• Can the ceremony be held on site? If not, are there suitable locations nearby?
• Is an on-site staff available (coordinator, waiters, bartenders, etc.)?
• Does the site provide tables, chairs, plates, silverware, glasses and other essentials?

Amenities

Some of these important extras may help you determine your perfect venue:

• Are changing rooms available for the bridal party?
• Does the site offer guests accommodations?
• Are there hotels that are convenient to the reception site?
• Are there on-site locations for photo opportunities?
• Are there sufficient restroom facilities?
• Is there a coatroom?
• Is the facility in a desirable location?
• Is there adequate parking available?

When planning for your wedding, don’t forget to order your Rehearsal Dinner Invitations from Best Little Wedding Shop.

Lisa Bakewell

There are several things you should consider when choosing your wedding reception location. Shopping for your site is a lot like finding a mate–you obviously want charm and personality–but make sure that all of your needs are met. Looks aren’t everything! Use these tips to help you to find your perfect match.

What’s your budget?

If you’re planning a wedding reception of about 200 – 300 guests, you might expect to spend between $10,000 – $16,000 for the reception hall, your food, your bar service and any additional reception hall rentals. Use this handy budget guide to create a realistic budget for your wedding and reception.  Once you know how much you have allocated to spend, you’ll be able to shop around for the best location within your budget.

What is the size of your guest list?

First, make sure the room is large enough to accommodate the number of people on your guest list. The space will look large, when empty, but wedding essentials–such as tables, chairs, a buffet, a bar, the band or DJ and the dance floor–will take up a lot of space. Also, you’ll want to make sure that your guests have plenty of elbowroom. To get an idea of the actual “living space” of your venue, ask if you can visit the reception site while another wedding is being set up.

What’s your style?

When considering reception site, consider the color palette of your party. Your site doesn’t have to be done in the exact colors as your planned decorations, but it shouldn’t clash either. Also, consider your theme. Besides the basic banquet hall, you might consider a country club, a mansion, a museum or other venue that suits your wedding reception theme a bit better than the typical site. Last, try to visit the reception site at the same time of day that you’ve chosen for your reception, so you can get a feel for exactly what the lighting will look like.

Do any of your guests have special needs?

When choosing your venue, take into consideration any special needs that your guests might have. If you have elderly guests or guests in wheelchairs, make sure that there are bathroom facilities available to them. You don’t want them to have to travel up and down stairs to get where they need to go.

Are there enough parking spaces?

Make sure your reception site has ample parking or is near a parking garage or a street where it’s legal to park. If parking is a problem at your ideal location, look for other ways to get your guests to the reception. Your site might have a shuttle or van service available to take your guests from wedding to reception and back. If not, you’ll have to make these arrangements yourself.

Read next week’s post, “Wedding Reception Planning: Questions to Ask before booking your Location,” for great tips on what to ask your potential reception site managers.

Check out Best Little Wedding Shop for Discount Wedding Invitations.

Woman Offering Colorful Present --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

As stated in Part 1 and Part 2 of  “Bridal Shower Theme Ideas,” a bridal shower should celebrate…and accentuate…the bride’s personality.  As the party planner, in order to come up with a great theme, make a list of all of the bride’s “loves.” Maybe she loves wine, maybe she loves the color red, maybe she’s a homebody and can’t wait to decorate her home, or maybe she’s super-excited about her honeymoon. List everything that you can think of that helps describe the bride. Once you have the list in hand, use these Bridal Shower Theme Ideas to help you plan the perfect get-together for the bride-to-be.

Garden Shower

Is the bride-to-be an avid gardener? Then why not hold a garden party! Gifts for the bride and groom might include a variety of plants or gardening tools. Not sure what to buy? Gift cards from a local nursery would be great. How about having a tree planted in the couple’s yard or a pot, if they don’t have a home yet. Favors could include seed packets, fresh flowers, or garden tools.

Tea Party Shower

A tea party is a timeless theme. Serve tea along with finger foods, and for a bit of fun, have each guest wear a fancy hat and gloves. This type of shower is less involved than a dinner party, and the theme would be perfect for a mid-afternoon celebration. Bridal gifts might include dinnerware, glasses, place settings, teas, etc. Favors could include a small teapot or teacup with a small assortment of tea.

Honeymoon Shower

Whether it’s an exotic beach location, a camping trip or a different locale, a honeymoon shower should celebrate the couple’s honeymoon destination. Gifts should follow the theme, so let guests know what the couple’s needs are for travel. Luggage would be a great gift for this type of shower, as well as gift cards for the bride’s favorite boutiques. Excellent shower favors would be beach towels, if the location is beach-themed or candles or lanterns, if a camping trip is in order. The favor should be relevant to the theme and may be used as part of the shower décor.

Pajama Party Shower

Want a girl’s night in? Have a pajama party…complete with P.J.s! Everyone should arrive in their cutest pajamas and bring gifts to pamper the bride. Activities might include manicures, pedicures, facials and massages. Fun party favors for the girls might be personalized gifts such as spa slippers, toiletry bags or cosmetic cases.

Scrapbooking Shower

Have your guests get creative, by bringing photos, recipes and other memorabilia of their friendship with the bride. Provide each guest with a blank page or two of the scrapbook to decorate as they wish. The bride will end up with a great book of memories! Party favors could include monogrammed photo albums or picture frames.

Photo invitations are a great way to announce your wedding and are a great keepsake for your invitees.

Photo Credit: aus_chick

Looking to shave your wedding budget? Then look no further than your guest list. Trimming the fat here can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars! Use these tips to keep the dough from flying out of your wallet.

Can’t decide? Then don’t! It’s that easy. Sure, you may feel like the bad girl if you don’t invite certain friends and family, but if you have doubts, face it…the person doesn’t mean that much to you.

Use the rule of  “thirds.” Split your guest list three ways…A third of your guests should be from your family, a third from his and a third should be friends that you and your guy want to invite. If your family…or his…wants to invite more than their third of the guests, ask them to pay.

Invite them all or none at all. If you and your man aren’t going to invite all of your co-workers, don’t invite any of them…especially if your workplaces are small. If you do decide to invite your co-workers, though, make sure the boss is invited, as well.

Invite them to both events. If you invite a guest to your wedding, you MUST invite them to the reception. You’ll look cheap…and like you’re hunting for gifts…if you try to invite guests to the wedding only and not the reception.

Make your wedding a no-kid zone. This might not be possible for immediate family, but friends and extended family should understand. The kiddies won’t be drinking your alcohol, but they’ll still need to eat. And don’t they tend to waste the food anyway? Keep your wedding kid-free, where possible.

Haven’t seen someone for years? Might want to leave them off the list. Unless it’s a “must invite” family member, you may look like you’re “gift shopping” if you reach out to someone you haven’t seen in a long time.

Will they actually travel to your wedding? It might be as easy as making the call. If your friend or a family member lives a considerable distance from where your wedding will be held, ask them if they’ll be able to attend. If not, take them off your list and just send an announcement once you and your man have wed.

Weddings aren’t a reciprocal event. Just because someone invited you to his or her wedding, doesn’t mean that you have to return the favor.

Leave off plus-ones. This might be tricky, but if you really need to shave serious money off of your budget, you may consider leaving off “and guest” on your wedding invitations. Sure, you might feel that this is a little tacky, but could save you a bundle. Plus, who knows? Maybe a couple of your “single” guests may hook up and have a really great time.

A couple of caveats:

• Be sure to consult with your parents before cutting people associated with them. Some of your parents’ friends may be offended if they’re not invited, and this may put a strain on their relationship. If you’re not sure…ask!
• Limiting dates may help lower your wedding expenses, but be sensitive when it comes to spouses, life partners or long-term relationships. These guests should always be allowed a “plus-one” invite.

To shave even more money off your wedding budget, order Discount Wedding Invitations from Best Little Wedding Shop!

Lisa Bakewell

Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

In Part 1 of Wedding Planning: Tips to Tone Down Tension, we discussed tips on relieving the strife between you and your soon-to-be husband…while planning for your wedding.  Here are some more tips to help keep the tension level at a minimum:

He doesn’t care about your religion or family traditions. Consider this: Maybe he doesn’t even know what’s expected of him. Maybe he doesn’t think you care whether or not he participates in your traditions or religion. If you handle this situation calmly, and with sensitivity (giving him the benefit of the doubt), you may find that your conversation will bring you closer together, giving you both the opportunity to discuss which of your families’ traditions and religious practices you’d like to include in your life together.

You can’t agree on the wedding location. You want to get married in your hometown, but he wants to get married where you reside together. Consider this another opportunity to form a closer bond, and ask him, “Why do you want to get married at home?” You may find that having his friends at his wedding is more important to him than having his family there. If this is the case, maybe you can compromise. Maybe have a small wedding and dinner party in your hometown and reserve the big celebration where you live…with friends.

Wedding planning is causing strife. Sure you want your wedding day to be perfect, but is your wedding planning becoming more important than your relationship? Make sure that you’re not letting “Bridezilla” behavior come between you and your mate. Sure, you want a terrific wedding day, but it would be a shame to be standing at the altar by yourself. Keep your future in mind, and don’t let your man lose sight of  why he fell in love with you in the first place.

He’s worried about divorce…before the wedding! Prenuptial agreements have taken a bad rap, because they involve the issues of trust and commitment. Sure, it’s easy to take offense when your man is so intent on having one (it makes you think that HE thinks the marriage isn’t going to last), but consider this…this may another area where you and your man can bond on deeper level. Spend some quality time, with him, discussing your essential financial issues. Get to know how each of you feels about money, trusts, debts, etc. Make it a learning experience instead of a fight.

He wants his old girlfriend to attend the wedding and reception. OK. This one can be tough to take, but consider this…he chose you over her, so you’ve already won the battle. Your best course of action may be to take the high road and get to know her. This will show him that you’re comfortable in your relationship with him and that you’re not worried his old flame will steal him away from you.

With so many Affordable Wedding Invitations available at Best Little Wedding Shop, you and your man are bound to agree on one of them.

Lisa Bakewell

You’re engaged (Yay!), and you were looking forward to planning your wedding. What you hadn’t planned on, though, was the arguing that you and your husband-to-be would be been having over EVERYTHING!

Ah, engaged life. This period can be a minefield…where even the minute topics can trigger huge blow-ups!

Use these tips to ease some of the pressure:

The guest list keeps growing. His family’s guest list is growing well beyond what you both agreed on, and it’s putting a bulge in your budget. To resolve this issue, keep it about the money. Tell him that you don’t mind adding more guests to his family’s portion of the guest list (because you certainly don’t want to cut anyone out), but ask him if he’d mind asking his parents to chip in for the added cost. If your guest list continues to grow, too, you should ask your parents the same question.

He doesn’t care about the details. Most men are clueless when it comes to design and décor…and they really DON’T care what the table cloths look like or what flowers you choose. This doesn’t mean that you should give up on including your spouse-to-be, though.

Give him choices. If he’s not interested in the linens, maybe he’s interested in the menu. If he could care less about the invitations, maybe he’d like to offer input on the music or photographer.

Let your man know that it’s his day…as well as yours. Just let him choose where he’d like to be involved.

Now he cares too much! Well, you wanted him to be involved in the details, and now he is. What you didn’t expect, though, is that his involvement would drive you crazy!

In order to stay sane, prioritize the details. If a detail is minute, and he feels strongly about it, let him have the “win.”

Remember, it’s good practice to learn early on how to prioritize, negotiate…AND compromise. These are all life skills that will come in handy after your wedding day.

You can’t agree on where to spend the big bucks. You want to spend it on your dress. He wants to spend it on a fantastic honeymoon. How do you decide?

Sit down with him, like two adults, and work out the finances of your wedding together…before you go dress shopping. After all, your dress is for you, the honeymoon is for both of you.

If he doesn’t care, though, then go for it! But have this discussion before you fall in love with the dress that costs as much as a trip to Europe.

His best man irks you. Sure, the guy’s been his friend since college, but you can’t stand him! Well, this time it’s important to be supportive, but also sensible.

If your groom’s best buddy is only about the party, respect their bond, but make sure you have some reliable and supportive guys around to help keep things under control. Arrange for your brother or another male friend to help your man resist the ploys of his best man. You might also share your anxiety with your guy, so that you can handle the situation together, if trouble does rear its ugly head.

Come back next week for Part 2 of Wedding Planning: Tips to Tone Down Tension.

With so many Affordable Wedding Invitations available at Best Little Wedding Shop, you and your man are bound to agree on one of them.

Lisa Bakewell

Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day. And you’re no exception. You want to look glamorous, fresh and sophisticated, but you also want to look natural.

Use these tips to help you look “picture perfect” for your big day!

If you hire a makeup artist:

6-12 Months before the Wedding…

Find an Artist. Finding a makeup artist shouldn’t be a daunting task, but you’ll want to plan ahead. Book a few consultation appointments with experts in your area, but be sure to allow yourself 6-12 months to find the best one for you. Most good artists are booked well in advance. You’ll want to look for:

• A qualified, experienced artist

• An artist who’s also friendly and a great listener

• An artist who’s flexible and won’t overbook your wedding date

• An artist who has a an extensive portfolio

• An artist who will give you referrals

What to ask your potential makeup artists:

• What do you charge?

• Will you come to my home?

• Do you charge a traveling fee?

• Do you have discounts available for group bookings?

• Do you charge more for holidays or Sundays?

• Where did you study?

• How long have you been doing makeup for weddings?

• What experience do you have?

• What makeup products do you use?

• Do you have any other makeup commitments on my wedding day?

• Also, get their advice on nail technicians and hair stylists.

0-6 Months before the Wedding…

Plan a pre-show. About 1-2 months before the wedding have your makeup artist do a trial run. Have your bridesmaids with you to get their input. Plan the trial for the time of day that your wedding will be held. If you’re getting married in the daytime, do your trial then; if it’s in the evening, do it then. You might also consider bringing photos from magazines for makeup styles that appeal to you. Also, bring fabric swatches so that the makeup artist can create the perfect color palette to compliment the dresses and flower bouquets.

Tip: Have one of your bridesmaids snap a photo at the makeup trial, so that you can see how the makeup is going to show when photographed.

If you do your makeup yourself:

Make it waterproof. Choose mascara that’s waterproof, since it will last longer and withstand tears.

Lighten your liner. Charcoal, navy, and mahogany are good color options for eyeliner, since black or brown may look too severe.

Highlight your eyes. Use a white shadow on your brow bone if you have light skin, or a warmer light peach or vanilla shade, if you have a deeper complexion.

Contour. To give your eyes shape, use a contour color under your brow bone. Make sure it’s not too intense, though, so that it detracts from the natural beauty of your eyes.

Define. Shade and shape your eyebrows with a pencil or eye shadow that matches your hair color. Make sure not to overdo it!

Get cheeky! Color on your cheeks provides an instant facelift. If you have fair skin, use a pink tone. Women with deeper skin tones can use a rosier hue.

Even out your skin tone. Use bronzer on your neck and chest, if they’re whiter than your face.

Give your lips pizzazz! Choose a lip color that’s a bit brighter than you’d normally wear. Pale colors can make you appear washed out in photos. Bring the lipstick with you for touch-ups after the wedding.

Either way, do these things to look your best on your wedding day:

Prepare. A skin and nail care plan should be started about 6 weeks before the wedding. Talk to your beautician about having regular facials and manicures.

Pluck. Shaping and maintaining your eyebrows should be started well in advance of the big day. Make sure that your final pluck is done about a week before the wedding.

Promote. You’ll want to put your best face forward, so get regular facials done up until about a month before the wedding.

Spray Tan. You don’t want to get too much sun before your wedding day. Sunburns and peeling skin are not attractive. Consider getting a spray tan instead, but be careful not to overdo it.

Whiten. There are lots of safe, reliable over-the-counter teeth-whitening systems, which all whiten teeth by a few shades. Make sure to allow yourself about a week or two before the wedding to do this.

Eat. Remember to keep your diet healthy, and don’t starve yourself. Also, you may want to consider taking vitamins.

Drink. You’ll want to stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water. Eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day is recommended.

Sleep. You’ll want to be well rested on your wedding day, so make sure to get plenty of sleep. Shoot for eight hours per night.

Exercise and relax. Planning for your big day can be stressful, so you’ll want to get plenty of exercise and take some time for yourself. You might want to consider the occasional massage leading up to the big day.

Brighten your eyes. Use eye drops to get the redness out of your eyes. Make sure to use a brand that you’ve used before. You don’t want any unwelcome surprises!

Keep your hands away from your face. If you have a blemish or, worse yet, a breakout just before your wedding day, don’t mess with the pimples. The spot/spots will heal better if you leave it/them alone. See your dermatologist and ask for a cortisone injection if a monstrous pimple invades your face just prior to the wedding.

Put your best face forward with Photo Invitations from Best Little Wedding Shop!

Lisa Bakewell

The perfect time for the new adventure that your marriage will bring might just be springtime! Spring is considered a time of rebirth and renewal, and isn’t that just what your wedding signifies? Also, spring is not the most popular time for a wedding  (summer and fall are), so you may have an easier time getting top-notch vendors and venues. You may even get discounted rates! Use these tips to help you plan your spring wedding:

Think. What are your favorite parts of the season? Do you love the flowers? Do you want an early wedding so that you can enjoy the whole summer with your new hubby? List what you love most about the season…even if it’s just the fact that it may be easier on your budget…so that you’ll have a clear picture of your wants and needs while planning your wedding.

Indoors or outdoors? If you live in a warmer climate, you may consider holding your wedding outside. If your weather is kind of “iffy” in the springtime, you may want to keep it indoors. Also, keep in mind that spring brings rain, so any time spent outdoors may require an umbrella or an awning.

Timing is everything. As mentioned before, since springtime isn’t the most popular time to have a wedding ceremony, you may find that vendors and venues are more available. Still, you’ll want to pick your date, venue and vendors in a timely manner. Also, keep in mind that proms are held in the spring, so limos and tuxedos may be rented early. Plan for this.

Choose your colors. When choosing colors for your spring wedding, keep in mind that you may want to stay away from the bright colors of summer and winter. Consider pale, muted colors instead to reflect the season.

What to wear? When deciding on wedding attire, keep in mind that the weather can be sketchy. One day it’s warm, the next it’s cold. Some days are dry and some are wet. For this reason, you may want to avoid satin shoes (rain) and pick dresses that are versatile. If you choose sleeveless dresses, give your bridesmaids wraps as their bridesmaid gift to keep them warm, if necessary.

Consider a hint of color. Even if you want a white wedding gown, you may want to add a sash in a pastel color. Or how about a hint of all-over color? Embroidery in a light color would work well for this.

Think spring when decorating! What could be more festive than using the colors of spring to decorate your wedding reception? Pale greens, lavenders, pinks, roses and blues would all work well.

Accent tables with gingham fabrics, ribbons or even polka dots. Fill white baskets with an abundance of spring flowers for a fabulous centerpiece, or why not use an inexpensive terracotta pot with a moss or ivy-covered Styrofoam ball inside of it? Rose petals spread around the tables would be the perfect touch too.

Pick your flowers. Spring flowers include roses, peonies, irises, tulips, hyacinth, lilies and Gerber daisies. Choose a variety of these blooms to make the perfect spring bouquet!

Have fun with your wedding stationary! Save the Dates, affordable wedding invitations, place cards and announcements can all be quite whimsical and colorful. Use a matching theme and consider using some fun font styles to accent the whimsy of the season.

Favors should be fun! Keeping with the theme of whimsical fun, some good options for guest favors might include personalized seed packets or bulbs. Individual flower bud vases, personalized with your names and wedding date, might be nice too.

Lisa Bakewell

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

Wedding traditions and customs vary from one country and culture to another. Each one is special and celebrates the marriage bond of the newlyweds.

AFRICA

• Young girls are trained to become good wives at an early age.
• Soon-to-be brides are sometimes taught a secret language allowing them to communicate with other married women…without their husbands understanding.
• In Somalia, a girl might be engaged even before she is born.
• In Sudan, the groom must pay his wife’s family in cattle for the loss of their daughter’s labor.
• The bride’s veil is made of plaited hair, representing reserve, and the wedding guests wear traditional regional costumes.
• Wine is poured on the land as a dedication to the gods.

ARABIA

• Often, the bride and groom meet for the first time on their wedding day.
• Arabian law permits a man to have four wives, but today, since expenses can be very high, men are generally sticking to a single wife.
• The bride wears an elaborate veil and has her hands and feet decorated with elaborate drawings created with henna.
• During the wedding reception, men and women are separated.

BULGARIA

• The bride tosses a dish filled with wheat, coins and raw eggs over her head, and if the dish breaks, it will bring her good luck.
• It is considered good luck for the bride and the groom to each step into the church with their right foot first.
• Once the official wedding papers are signed, another wedding custom, stepping, occurs.  Whoever steps on the other’s foot first will be dominate and will provide for the new family.

BERMUDA

• The bride and groom walk under a moon gate after the ceremony to bring them good luck.
• The bride and groom have separate wedding cakes.
• The bride’s cake is a tiered fruitcake covered in silver leaf. On top is a small cedar sapling, which will be planted after the ceremony to symbolize the growth of the couple’s love.
• The groom’s cake is covered in gold leaf to represent prosperity.

CHINA

• Firecrackers greet the bride when she arrives at the wedding ceremony to ward off evil spirits.
• Chinese wedding dresses are red adorned with gold for good luck.
• Decorations and gift-wrappings are red and gold to symbolize happiness and wealth.
• Peanuts are associated with virility and are a lucky gift for a new bride and groom. The most traditional type of wedding sweet is a hard peanut and sesame candy, and it is said to bring the bride and groom a large family.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

• An infant is laid on the wedding bed to symbolize fertility.
• The bride and the groom break plates into as many pieces as possible. The number of pieces is proportionate to the success of the marriage. The more pieces, the more successful the marriage.
• Brides often plant a tree in their yard and decorate it with ribbons and painted eggshells. It is their hope that they’ll live as long as the tree.

DENMARK

• Arches of pine branches are built in front of the bride’s home, which symbolises fertility.
• During the reception, when the groom disappears to the restroom, or wherever, all the unmarried young men run over to kiss the bride. When the bride disappears, all the single young girls run over to kiss the groom.
• After the wedding waltz, the male guests lift up the groom and cut the tips of his socks to symbolize that he should no longer walk in the footsteps of other women.

Look for Part 2 of Wedding Traditions from Around the World next week.

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Lisa Bakewell