By Melissa Wermeister
When the time comes, and you and your loved one decide to tie the knot, there is nothing more fun then planning the big day. To help, there are many different styles to choose from, including contemporary, traditional, religious, and theme weddings.
A Catholic wedding is a very important part of the Catholic tradition, as the wedding is part of the seven sacraments that you must follow in the Catholic religion. The beginning of the wedding starts with an opening prayer in which the priest asks for God’s blessing for the couple on their wedding day. The ceremony features many readings from the Bible, which the bride and groom have chosen. The couple says their vows, which declare their commitment to each other. Following the vows, the rings, which have been blessed, are placed on the fingers of the bride and groom. Other additions can be made to the ceremony, like the lighting of the Unity Candle, which is usually lit by the bride and the groom and both of their parents. Catholic weddings range between an hour to an hour and a half if there is a mass; without a mass, the ceremony can be as short as 15 minutes.
In a Chinese wedding, the ceremony starts off with a Tea Ceremony, and this is silent. At the Tea Ceremony, the bride and groom offer a cup of sweet tea to their respective families and introduce their family members to guests. After the introduction there is a 10 to12 course banquet, and the food served usually has some kind of symbolism. Fish and shark fin soup are two examples of what typically is served.
A traditional Jewish wedding begins with the groom’s Tish, which is the groom’s attempt to present a lecture on the week’s Torah portion, while his friends and family interrupt him. The Tish is not a serious event; it is meant to be humorous and fun. After the Tish in an Orthodox wedding, the Kelubah, a Jewish marriage contract, is signed by the groom, rabbi, and two male witnesses. The B’beken is the first time during an Orthodox wedding that the bride and groom see each other. At this time, the groom lowers the veil over the bride’s face as an indication that he is interested in her inner beauty. A traditional Jewish wedding is not complete without the Breaking of the Glass, which can be a symbol of destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, or a reminder that marriage changes the lives of individuals forever.
Moving on to theme weddings, nothing else says romance than a Victorian or medieval wedding. In a Victorian wedding, the rings that are placed on the bride and groom’s fingers usually have a personal inscription engraved on the underneath part of the wedding band. When planning for a Victorian wedding, the bride invites her friends to tea, and it is at the tea party that she asks them to be in her wedding. A cake with charms baked into it is served. A horseshoe or clover charm would mean good luck, an anchor means hope or adventure, and a Fleur-de-Lis means love will flower. The bridesmaids will find these charms in their slice of cake. It is popular in Victorian weddings to have your marriage ceremony in your home. Decorations in a Victorian wedding usually consist of pastel colors such as pinks, greens and champagne. Roses and lilies should also be part of the decorating in a Victorian wedding. It is also a tradition to have a string quartet with harps and violins.
Medieval Weddings are usually held in stone buildings with an English cottage or castle look. The medieval attire for a wedding can be very fun and consists of women in tight slim fitting gowns, and the men in tights, breeches, pirate shirts, and lace vests. At the ceremony of a medieval wedding, the bride might have her hands bound together with a ribbon, because the knot is a symbolism of good luck, hope, and steadfastness. The typical food that is served at a medieval wedding is mutton, roast peacock, quail, venison, bread, eggs and cheese. The use of herbs in the women’s bouquets are to deter evil spirits. The herb sage is a symbol of wisdom, orange blossom is happiness, and lilies symbolize purity. At the ceremony, the bride often gives the groom a favor, such as a velvet patch filled with potpourri, a small flask filled with wine, or chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil.
Holiday weddings are also very common, and can you guess the two most popular holidays for a wedding? Valentine’s Day and Christmas. For a Christmas wedding, it is common to send red and green invitations. The bride’s wedding gown is typically white velvet, and the bridesmaids are usually in red, hunter green, silver, or gold. Decorating for a Christmas wedding is fairly easy, since most churches should already be decorated with Christmas trees and poinsettias. If you want to add a special touch, put wrapped boxes under the trees. For entertainment at the reception, have a visit from Santa Claus and play some Christmas songs.
For a Valentine’s Day wedding, people use many hearts, angels, and cupids for decorations. The bridesmaids’ dresses are typically red or pink and, of course, you need to have roses as your flowers. A champagne toast is a must, and for cute little favors, have Hershey Kisses or heart- shaped lollipops at the reception.
When it is time to tie the knot with that special someone in your life, you can choose a theme or stick with traditional styles.
