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WHEN DID
THEY START DOING THAT?
The Origins
of Time-Honored Wedding Day Rituals
The
formalities of the wedding are many and varied and steeped in history.
Here’s
a sampling:
The
cutting of the cake takes place at the reception. The bride holds the knife and
the groom places his hand over hers to cut the cake. This symbolizes the plunge
the couple has taken, as they embark on a new life together and is one of the
major photo opportunities.
Originally the bride would cut the cake herself for all the wedding guests,
however as wedding cakes became larger nd more multi-tiered, it did take the
combined efforts of both the bride and groom to cut and serve. Sometimes, the
bride and groom may feed each other a slice of cake, and depending on what the
couple is like, it may end in a marzipan disaster.
The Bridal Waltz:
This
is a traditional dance performed by the Bride & Groom, and signifies their first
dance together as husband and wife. During the Bridal Waltz the MC will first
announce the Bridal Party to join the wedding couple on the dance floor. The MC
will wait briefly, and then announce the Parents of the Bride & Groom to join
the wedding party on the dance floor. Finally after another brief wait, the MC
will announce that all guest and their partners can also join the dance floor.
It also opens the dance floor.
The Bouquet Throw:
The
bride originally tossed her bouquet to a friend as she left the festivities to
keep that person safe (helping to ward off evil spirits) and to offer her luck,
since getting lucky in those days meant getting married. This came to mean
that the single woman who caught the bouquet would marry next. These days, the
Bride gathers any eligible single women on the Dance Floor area, and throws the
bouquet over her shoulder. As expected, the female who catches the bouquet, ill
be next to be married.
The Garter Toss:
The
origins of the garter toss are humorous, as guests would literally rip off
pieces of the bride’s gown for luck. In an effort to defend herself, the bride
would throw her garter to them. These days, the Groom removes the garter from
the Bride’s leg using his nothing but his teeth, and then tosses it over his
shoulder to any awaiting eligible bachelors.
The
Farewell Circle:
This
has become the most traditional and simple way for the Bride & Groom to depart
the reception and thank their invited guests. The guests assemble on the dance
floor and surround the Bridal Party, whilst the Bride & Groom traverse the
circle in opposite directions, and eventually meet at the point at which they
started. By the time they return, they have thanked all their guests, and join
the Bridal Party in the middle of the circle. At this point the band or DJ plays
a departing tune such as the traditional “Wish Me Luck,” and then the Bride &
Groom run hand-in-hand from the reception.
The Guard of Honor:
This
has become a popular alternative for Wedding Couples to depart the reception.
It consists of the guests assembling on the dance floor in two lines facing each
other. The end of the line is at the exit door of the reception, whilst the
beginning of the line is inside the reception room. The guests then raise
their arms in the air, and join hands with the person facing them, forming a
long tunnel. The Bride & Groom simply start at one end of the line, and run
through the tunnel, and out the door to start their honeymoon. The only drawback
with the Guard of Honor, is that it is difficult of the Bride & Groom to thank
their guests, as they can with the Farewell Circle.
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