 |
Definitions Page |
|
Definitions Page |
| Aisle Runner....The white aisle runner symbolized God's holiness and walking on holy ground. It is believed that marriage is not just between two individuals but includes the presence of God who is actively involved in the marriage ceremony. |
| Announcements....Announcing your engagement is simply a matter of telling your friends and family that the two of you have made a decision to be married and you'd like them to share in your happiness. |
| Arch of Swords ....Walking through the arc of swords following the ceremony was done to ensure the couple's safe passage into their new life together. |
| Bachelors Party....This ritual represented the last time the groom could gamble before this wife took over his finances. |
| Best-Man....A male friend who attends the Groom. |
| Boutonniere....A buttonhole bouquet or flower. Derived from the custom of a knight carrying his lady's colors into battle. Worn by the groomsmen to stand out from the rest of the male quests. |
| Blessings & Readings....They serve as a means to further express your beliefs and feelings about marriage and each other; they are also a great way to include family members or special friends in the ceremony. |
| Bridal Bouquet....Signifies the bride's feelings toward the marriage by the type of flowers she carries. At its inception, the bouquet formed part of the wreaths and garlands worn by both the bride and groom. It was considered a symbol of happiness. |
| Bridal Registry....They provide you with the opportunity of pre-planning your new home furnishings and guarantee that you'll be receiving truly welcomed gifts from your friends and family. |
| Bridal Shower....This tradition originated where the brides father did not approve of the marriage and withheld the dowry. Sympathetic friends would gather to provide necessary household items. |
| Bridal Sugar....Bridal sugar is sweet candy. It is an ancient Dutch tradition as a wedding favor. You give five in a bag of tulle. These five stand for love, happiness, loyalty, prosperity and virility. |
Bridal Veil....A screen, of
diaphnous material, to hide or protect the face.
|
| Bride and Groom....Bride comes from the Norman word for cook, while groom simply means male. |
| Brides Hankerchief....Early farmers thought a bride's wedding day tears were lucky and brought rains for their crops. Later, a crying bride meant that she'd never shed another tear about her marriage. Today, we carry a handkerchief to dab away the tears of happiness and joy. |
| Brides-Maid..... A woman who atttends on a bride at
her wedding A Bridesmaid is usually a close friend or sister who takes more of an active part in the wedding experience. Many times there are multiple bridesmaids that the bride chooses. In history, the bridesmaid would protect the bride against evil by wearing similar clothing to the bride's attire. This would confuse any "evil spirit" as to who the bride was. |
| Child Attendants....Children were originally included in the ceremony to add innocence |
| Confetti....Confetti is Italian for sweets which in Italy are thrown over the couple as they emerge from the Church in that same way we use paper confetti. Raisins and nuts may also be used. |
| Cutting the Cake....The cutting of the cake was originally only done by the bride to represent her pending loss of virginity. She would never taste the cake prior as she would forfeit her husband’s love. Today, the sharing of the wedding cake represents the sharing of happiness with all whom eat it. |
| Decorating the Vehicles....The noise from the cans dragging on the ground is meant to chase away evil spirits. Tying shoes onto the vehicle symbolizes property exchange from an old tradition of when the father gave the bride away, he gave the groom one of her shoes. |
| Display of Table Cards......The first stop for reception guests where they will find the Escort Cards. |
| Engagement Party....A special party was held to establish a formal contract before family and friends of the intended marriage, known as flouncing. If either changed his mind about the marriage, the other could lay claim to half of his, or her, property. Following a flouncing, the couple could no longer have contact with other suitors. |
| Engagement Ring....In the early days of "Marriage by Purchase," the betrothal ring served a twofold purpose. This twofold purpose included partial payment for the bride and was a symbol of the groom's honorable intentions. The diamond was found first in Medieval Italy, and because of its hardness, was chosen to stand for enduring love. |
| Escort Cards......These cards are used to let each guest know what table they are assigned to. The classic escort card is a small envelope with the guest name on the envelope and the table assignment on the card inside. You can use the words "You are seated at table ___ " or you can just give the table number assignment, as the word table is implied. |
| Father Giving Away the Bride....Originating from the times of arranged marriages where the father would exchange the bride for a dowry. Later, the giving away of the bride symbolized the father presenting his daughter to the groom being the best choice for his daughter. |
| Flouncing....Flouncing was a special party held for an engaged couple to meet with friends of both families. This "flouncing" established a formal contract. If either changed his mind about the marriage, the other could lay claim to half of his, or her, property. Following a flouncing, the couple could no longer be seen with, or be found talking to, other suitors. In China, the betrothal was looked upon as a family obligation. If an engaged man died before the wedding, his intended bride was treated as his widow. |
| Flower Girl....A young girl who carries flowers in a procession, especially at a wedding. |
| Flowers....Flowers were incorporated into the ceremony because they represent fertility, purity, new life and never ending love. Traditionally, bouquets were a mixture of flowers and herbs. Dill was a very popular choice as an herb because it was believed to promote desire. Following the ceremony, the dill was eaten for that purpose. |
| Glass Clinking....At some weddings the guests may clink their drinking glasses to try to get the bride and groom to kiss at the reception. |
| Garter....A band used to prevent a stocking
from slipping down on the leg. The garter-throwing itself derives from a bawdy ritual called "flinging the stocking." In Britain, the guests would playfully invade the bridal chamber. The ushers grabbed the bride's stockings; the maids; the grooms. They took turns sitting at the foot of the bed flinging the stockings over the heads of the couple. Whoever's stocking landed on the bride's or the groom's nose would be the next to wed. Today, many brides will wear two garters. The one she wishes to keep as a memento of her wedding day, possibly to be displayed on her grooms rear view mirror, and another, to be retrieved and tossed by the groom to all the young unmarried men attending the event. The "toss garter" is likely to be in the color of the wedding, and not as elaborate as the more decorative garters kept by the bride. |
| Greeting....Welcomes guests, sets tone of ceremony |
| Grooms Cake....The groom's cake was originally a fruitcake which was placed beside the bride's cake and later cut and boxed for the guests to take home. There was a superstition that a lady who slept with a slice of the groom's cake under her pillow would dream of her future husband. Today, groom's cakes can be any type of cake; they are often chocolate cakes or cakes shaped/designed to some theme in the groom's life. |
| Groom Entering the Church First....Both of these customs signify that the groom is the covenant initiator. Because he is the initiator, he is the first to state his vow for marriage. As the initiator of the covenant, the groom is to assume the greatest responsibility in the marriage. |
| Groom Gives First Vows....Because he is the initiator, he is the first to state his vow for marriage. As the initiator of the covenant, the groom is to assume the greatest responsibility in the marriage. |
| Gloves....Victorian brides wore gloves, symbols of modesty and romance. |
| Guest Book....The signing of the guest book was a record of all people who witnessed the wedding. For that reason, the guest book is supposed to be signed following the official wedding ceremony (not before). |
| Host/Hostess....These people stand by the door and greet the guests as they arrive for the wedding ceremony and/or as they arrive for the reception. |
| Invitations....A spoken or written request for someone's presence or participation. |
| Jordan Almonds....For
Italian weddings five almonds tucked into boxes or tulle bags are called bombonieres. The
five almonds signify five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness,
fertility, and longevity. |
| Kissing of The Bride....Originating in Roman times a ceremony could not be legally completed without the kiss sealing the contract between families. Similarly, the pronouncement of "man and wife" ensures the marriage is official and the point where the bride changes her name. |
| Love Tokens....Love tokens have been given to one another since early times. Today, it could be a poem or song written for the other, are some craft that you loving made for the other. The Pennsylvania Dutch had a charming custom. Couples gave one another hand crafted gifts, useful for their future home. Such things as cake molds, butter prints, carved spoon which were covered with symbols and announcements of their love for one another. |
| Money Dance....The "money dance" originated as a custom in Poland, and is a popular tradition found celebrated in the weddings of today. It takes place sometime after the first dance and is usually announced by the DJ. It is customary for the best man to begin dancing with the bride, pinning money onto her gown or putting it into a satin bag carried by the bride, especially for the money dance. A newer rendition of this money dance includes bridesmaids and other ladies dancing with the groom, pinning money on his lapel. According to one custom, when arranged marriages were common the groom collected a dowry only after his marriage was consummated. The money dance insured that the couple would have some money before they left their wedding reception. |
| Maid of Honor....The chief unmarried attendant of a bride. |
| Make-Up....A 1775 law stated that a wedding was not legal if the bride wore any make-up during the ceremony. Make-up was considered an ensnarement and so the groom would have been trapped by the illusion of make-up. |
| Matron Of Honor....Married attendant of a bride. |
| Nosegay....These are the small and roundly shaped flower bouquets that are tightly packed and also will include greenery, which can often be sweet smelling herbs. Can also be known as Posies, as these are similar but generally a proper posy is slightly smaller. |
| Not Seeing the Bride....Originating in arranged marriages where bride and grooms had never met each other, let alone seen each other before the wedding. There were many times when the groom would meet the bride before the wedding and never show up for the ceremony. The father’s of unattractive bride’s started this custom. |
| Officiant....This is the cleric or secular official that carries out the ceremony. For non religious weddings, he or she might be a justice of the peace, magistrate or even the Captain of a ship. |
| Pages or Page Boys....These are small children (usually boys) who follow the bride down the aisle carrying some of her train. They can also be known as train bearers. |
| Place Cards.....The place card is on the table at the place assigned to the guest. There is a choice in where you seat your guest at the table. |
| Pomander....This is a round ball completely covered by flower blooms. They are carried by flower girls in the bridal procession who hold them by a ribbon. |
| Prenuptial Agreement....A prenuptial agreement is a legal contract between two people about to marry. It specifies how assets will be distributed in the event of divorce or death. |
| Processional....The act of proceeding, moving on, advancing, or issuing; regular, orderly, or ceremonious progress. In Medieval times, the processional was especially colorful. Gaily dressed minstrels sang and piped at the head of the procession. Next came a young man bearing the bride-cup, which was a chalice or vase of silver or silver-gilt, decorated with gilt, rosemary and ribbons. Then the bride walked, attended by two bachelors, and a dozen or so knights and pages. Next came maidens carrying bride cake, followed by girls with garlands of wheat. The bridegroom then appeared, led by two maidens, and walked in the midst of his close friends, including his "best man". The relatives walked after him, and these were followed by less intimate friends. |
| Pronouncment....Declaration of your legal marriage to the guests |
| Proposal....In the past when the marriage proposal was a more formal procedure, the prospective groom sent his friends or members of his family to represent his interests to the prospective bride and her family. If they saw a blind man, a monk or a pregnant woman during their journey it was thought that the marriage would be doomed if they continued their journey as these sights were thought to be bad omens. If, however, they saw nanny goats, pigeons or wolves these were good omens which would bring good fortune to the marriage. |
| Reception....The celebration to honor and rejoice with the bride and groom. |
| Reception Line....It connects the ceremony with the reception. It allows the newlyweds to greet all the guests and to allow the guests to wish the couple well. Old beliefs had it that the new bride was lucky and touching or kissing her brought good luck. |
| Red Slipper....When a red slipper is placed on the roof of a house, it means that a honeymoon is taking place, so stay away! |
| Rehearsal Dinner....The purpose of the rehearsal dinner is to allow opportunity for the two families to meet informally and get aquatinted. It could well be the first time some of them have met. Guests include the bride's immediate family, the groom's immediate family, the bridal party, and of course those attending the rehearsal. The rehearsal dinner is hosted by the groom's parents. |
| Ring Bearer or Train Bearer....Duties of the Ring Bearer is to carry the rings tied to a pillow. The Ring Bearer may walk alone or alongside the Flower Girl. The Train Bearer carries the bridal gown train. |
| Sixpence for Your Shoe....A lucky sixpence in a bride's shoe is a famous old good luck wedding tradition. The sixpence is an English coin that was minted beginning in 1558 and continued until 1967. Sixpence are no longer minted in England and are becoming rare. |
| Sealing Wax....A compound of the resinous materials, pigments, etc., used as a material for seals, as for letters, documents, etc. |
| Seating....In ancient days, fathers would offer daughters as peace offerings to warring tribes. Because of the hostility, the families were placed on opposite sides of the church so the ceremony could go on without bloodshed. The ceremony united the two warring factions into on family, and danger of war was resolved. |
| Stag Parties....Ancient Spartan soldiers were the first to hold stag parties. The groom would feast with his male friends on the night before his wedding. In this event he would say good-bye to the carefree days of bachelorhood and swear continued allegiance to his comrades. |
| Table Numbers.....To help your guests find the table to be seated at. |
| Taking Each Other's Right Hand....The open right hand is a symbol of strength, resource and purpose. The coming together of both right hands is a symbol that both the bride and the groom can depend on each other and the resources that each brings to the marriage. It also represents the merger of their lives together into one. |
| Thank-You Notes....Thank-you notes are sent to each person who gives you an engagement, shower, or wedding gift. |
| Tiara....One of the headpiece options for the bride, a tiara is a thin jeweled semi-circular coronet with a higher front and sloping sides worn at the top of the head. |
| Toasting....Toasting comes from an ancient French custom of placing bread in the bottom of the glass - a good toaster drained the drink to get the "toast." According to legend, when a bride and groom drink their wedding toast, whoever finishes first will rule the family. |
| Tossing of the Bridal Bouquet....Tossing of the bridal bouquet is a custom which has its roots in England. It was believed that the bride could pass along good fortune to others. In order to obtain this fortune, spectators would try to tear away pieces of the bride's clothing and flowers. In an attempt to get away, the bride would toss her bouquet into the crowd. Tradition says that the single women who catches the bouquet is the one who receives the bride's fortune and will marry next. |
| Trousseau....The word trousseau came from the French word, trousse, which meant bundle. The trousseau originated as a bundle of clothing and personal possessions the bride carried with her to her new home. This was later expanded upon into a generous dowry. Today, the trousseau includes all of the new items for the household, as well as for the bride herself. |
| Tussy Mussy....A tussy mussy offers the bride and bridesmaids the best bouquet handle possible. Slipping the stems into the tussy mussy leaves a beautiful handle that provides a comfortable feel and ease to hold. Many tussie mussies are available with stands so you may use it and your bouquet to accent your bridal or cake table at the reception. See this one and lots more at www.weddingdepot.com/catalog/default.php |  |
| Unity Candle....The ceremony symbolizes the pledge of unity between the bride and groom and the merging of two families. Traditionally, there are three candles. The mothers each light one of the side candles. The bride and groom then each take one of the side candles and together they light the center candle. |
| Ushers....Usually one usher is needed for every 50 guests to seat the guests at the ceremony. Ushers would normally offer their right arm to female guests and guide them to their seats. The male companion follows behind |
| Vows....Specifically, a promise of fidelity; a pledge of love or affection; as, the marriage vow. Declaration of intent to love, trust and honor one another no matter what happens in life |
| Wedding (to wed)....Originating from the Gothic word wadi and Scottish word wad meaning to pledge. That is, the price the groom pledges to pay the brides father for the hand of his daughter. |
| Wedding Banns....This is the announcement of proposed wedding in the Catholic Church. This announcement usually took place for three consecutive Sundays. The purpose was to inform the public so if anyone objected to the marriage, they could do so. (believed now to be the mailing of announcements) |
| Wedding Cake....The Romans originally broke a bun over the bride’s head with the wheat promising fertility. In the middle ages guests would bring small cakes and buns which were then layered into a tower. For good luck, the bride and groom would then kiss over the ‘tower of flour’. Across the English channel, wedding cakes were being modeled on the spire of London’s St-Brides church. |
| Wedding Favors....Giving your guest party favors and momentos at the reception dates back to a 16th century custom in France. The tradition was usually reserved just for royalty, with gifts being of great value such as precious stones, gold, porcelain, etc. Of course not everyone can afford gifts such as these, so as the tradition became common among all of society gifts such as glass, confections, etc. were substituted. |
| Wedding March....The traditional church wedding features two bridal marches, by two different classical composers. The bride walks down the aisle to the majestic, moderately paced music of the "Bridal Chorus". The newlyweds exit to the more jubilant, upbeat strains of the "Wedding March". |
| Wedding Programs....Spells out the details of your ceremony. A guide for guests on the particulars from who's walking down the aisle, who's playing the music, the guest book attendant, to the officiant and anybody else you would like to list. It also provides a good place to honor deceased loved ones. |
| Wedding Ring....The circular shape of the wedding ring has symbolized undying, unending love since the days of the early Egyptians. A primitive bride wore a ring of hemp or rushes, which had to be replaced often. Durable iron was used by the Romans to symbolize the permanence of marriage. Today's favorite is of course, gold, with it's lasting qualities of beauty and purity. |