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American Wedding Traditions and Customs
Weddings in America are just as diverse as the couple who comes together to share their lives forever. American Traditional weddings take place in a
church with family and friends in attendance to help celebrate the joyous
occasion. Weddings in America
also take place in chapels scattered throughout the U.S.,
most renowned in Las Vegas.
Some couples choose a wedding ceremony on a beach or in a garden. Whatever location you choose for your wedding ceremony, here is a look at some of the customs and traditions that seem to stay with couples no matter where they are.
Something Old, Something New
You have probably heard the saying 'something old, something
new, something borrowed, something blue, a silver sixpence inside your shoe.'
No one is really sure when this custom started. It is believed by many to have
begun during the Victorian era, while others argue that it started much earlier
than that. Nevertheless, couples have honored this custom through the
centuries, and even today. Something old represents the guests in attendance at
the ceremony who are already married. Something new represents the newlyweds
and the beginning of their new life together. Something borrowed signifies
something that the bride must give back, such as her veil or her mother's own
wedding dress. Something blue is associated with the bride's virginity and
purity. Something silver is any type of silver coin that is tucked into one of
the bride's shoes to represent wealth and prosperity.
The Veil and the Bridesmaids
The purpose of the bride wearing a veil dates back to when
people believed evil spirits were around to try and ruin the wedding ceremony.
The bride wore a veil to cover her face so evil spirits would not know she was
the bride. Likewise, bridesmaid were made part of the ceremony to surround the
bride, so evil spirits would be confused about who the actual bride was, and
leave. Many couples today still honor these customs, but use the veil to hide
the bride's face until it is first revealed to her groom. The bridesmaids are
chosen to help the bride celebrate her happy day. This is also true for the
ushers to celebrate with the groom.
Throwing Rice
The act of attendants throwing rice at the new couple after
their wedding ceremony signifies that they wish the couple happiness and
prosperity. In recent years rice has been replaced with things such as birdseed
and even blowing bubbles. It has been thought that rice is hard to clean up,
and birds could just eat the birdseed. Bubbles are festive, so they have become
quite popular over the years as well.
Throwing the Bouquet, Catching the Garter
Single ladies in attendance at the wedding reception are
invited to come up and try to catch the bride's bouquet. This is a custom that
represents which lady will be the next to be married. As the custom goes, she
is to take a small piece of the wedding cake home and slip it under her pillow
that very night. She will then have a dream about the man she will soon marry. Rings
Rings, because of its circular shape, symbolize eternity, endlessness…
thus a never-ending marriage. Rings can
be made of gold, platinum and other metals. Some are encrusted with jewels to
signify the value of a couple’s love. Some
couples have their names or messages engraved on the rings before the
wedding. During the wedding ceremony, the
Ring Boy (also often called the Ring Bearer) takes the rings up on a pillow so
the bride and groom can exchange rings.
Flower Girls
Flower girls are the cute girls at the head of the wedding
procession. They spread petals down the
aisle for the bride to walk on flowers. The flowers the girls carry or strew about
symbolize fertility and hope. Others say
that in the early times the bride and groom were made to wear flowers to ward
off evil spirits. Either way, the beauty
of flowers and the cuteness of flower girls add cheer to the wedding festivities.
Wedding Car
The wedding car is just as important in the wedding
rites. The wedding car is the first
venue for a couple to be alone and have privacy after they leave the church or
the reception. Wedding cars are usually
decorated with flowers, or a sign that says Just Married, or hung with tin
cans. These tin cans clank along the
pavement as the car moves. The noise it
makes is believed to ward off evil spirits.
Additional Information
While once believed to be totally true by those given in to
superstition, the custom is just an act of fun and tradition these days, as no
one really believes this anymore. The same is true with the garter thrown by
the groom to all of the single men hoping to catch the keepsake.
It seems that American wedding customs have deep-seeded
beginnings in superstition. Nowadays, couples use these Wedding traditions and customs for
entertainment and for the sake of tradition. The truth is, the couple has all
the power they need to make their marriage last through the love that they have
for each other. But, it never hurts to throw in a little luck just because it
is so much fun.
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