Weddings are ceremonies marking a rite of passage. In the past, they ritualized the union of two or more people for purposes of securing property, heirs, and citizens and for strengthening diplomatic ties. Weddings united households, clans, tribes, villages, and countries. Such rituals took place in what we now know as the United States long before the arrival of nonindigenous peoples.
For Native Americans, the marriage ceremony was a very public celebration marking the transition of one spouse to the family and household of the other. Most often it was the male partner moving into the female’s family in the mostly matrilineal cultures of North America. In the eastern United States, when a young man decided on a partner, he might woo her, but none of this took place in public—except his final approach, which might include his painting his face to appear as attractive as possible when he sought the intended’s consent and the permission of her parents. To get that permission, the man might send ambassadors from his family with his intentions to the family of the woman. Depending on the meaning of the marriage in family, village, clan, or tribal terms, the parents consulted people outside their immediate family, such as a sachem or close members of their clan.
A two-part ceremony often followed such negotiations. First was a private reciprocal exchange between the couples’ families, to ensure that if either partner decided to leave the marriage, the woman would not be disadvantaged in terms of losing her means of support. Second, a public acknowledgment of the union often included a feast for the village or the united clans. Before the assembly took part in the feast, the bride’s father announced the reason for the gathering. Then they ate, and finally, the newly married couple returned home or were escorted to the quarters in which they would well for some or all of the years of their marriage.
The earliest immigrants to North America brought their wedding practices with them from Western Europe. Those rituals included witnesses to stand up with the couple before a minister, which may reflect an ancient practice of “marriage by capture” in which the groom, in kidnapping his bride-to-be, took many strong men with him, where as the bride surrounded herself with women to keep off the aggressors. Bride prices or dowries were a carryover of the practice of repaying the bride’s father for the loss of her contribution to the family. Modern weddings continue the practice of having other young men and women standup with the bride and groom, while gifts are brought for the couple, rather than the parents of the bride. Honeymoons may reflect the escape of the kidnapper and his captive. In the nineteenth-century South, wedding trips sometimes included several members of the wedding party and/or the family members of the bride and groom.
Courtship and marriage patterns among slaves were conditioned by their peculiar circumstances. Most prospective partners preferred to choose their spouses from plantations other than their own rather than choose someone they might have witnessed being whipped, raped, or otherwise used by white slave owners or overseers. Plantation owners frowned on such choices, however, because slave children followed the condition of their mother, which meant that if a male slave married off his plantation, his owner would not benefit from any children of the union.
After consent of parents, in the cases of free women brides, or owners, in the cases of slaves, the owner conducted a traditional ceremony or gave that over to a preacher, to be performed, if possible, in a church. Weddings often included many people from the plantation and neighboring plantations. Owners would sometimes open their big houses up for the occasion and provide feasts for the guests. A playful practice to show who would be in charge in the new household involved jumping over a broomstick. Whoever was able to jump over the broom backward without touching it would “wear the pants” in the family. If both partners sailed over without touching the stick, their marriage was destined for congenial relations.
The Chinese who immigrated to the United States in the middle of the nineteenth century in search for gold or work on the railroad were mostly men. Some left wives behind and lived as bachelors or used prostitutes imported from China. Often, Chinese or Japanese families sold their daughters to merchants, expecting them to marry upon arrival in the United States. However, whereas some of the girls and young women were set up in arranged marriages, others were enslaved for prostitution.
Part of the Spanish empire in the Americas extended up into what is now known as the American Southwest. Spanish culture mixed with Pueblo Indian culture to form a new combination of rituals. As with Native Americans in other parts of North America, the Pueblo experimented with sex and consummated marriage relationships before any ceremony took place, which the Spaniard missionaries found repugnant. They insisted on the adoption of the Catholic wedding ritual. There were three phases to the wedding ceremony. First, the bride’s friends and relations escorted her to the church, where the wedding was performed by a priest, who also blessed the wedding ring provided by the groom. When the ceremony finished, the crowd escorted the newly weds to the groom’s home, celebrating with a feast and warding off evil spirits with gunfire. After the feast, the guests and the bride and groom danced late into the night. The dancing was an important ritual of community coherence.
Bibliography
Axtell, James, ed. The Indian Peoples of Eastern America: A Documentary History of the Sexes. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981.
Blassingame, John. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. Rev. andenl. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979.
Gutiérrez, Ramón A. When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away: Marriage, Sexuality, and Power in New Mexico, 1500– 1846. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1991.
Joyner, Charles. Down By the Riverside: A South Carolina Slave Community. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984.
Rosen, Ruth. The Lost Sisterhood: Prostitution in America, 1900– 1918. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1982.
Internet Source: bridalguide.com
Seligson, Marcia. The Eternal Bliss Machine: America’s Way of Wedding. New York: Morrow, 1973.
The Persian wedding ceremony despite its local and regional variations, like many other rituals in Iran goes back to the ancient Zoroastrian tradition. Zoroastrianism was the religion of Parsi nation (Persians) before the introduction of Islam to the country, 1400 years before present. Zoroastrians believe in a single god, an all-wise creator who is supreme “Ahura Mazda” also known as Ormuzd, and they are dedicated to a three-fold path, as shown in their motto: “Good thoughts, Good words, Good deeds”. Though the concepts and theory of the marriage have changed drastically by Islamic traditions and Koran, the actual ceremonies have remained more or less the same as they were originally in the ancient Zoroastrian culture. In modern Iran the marriage ceremony is more a symbol of their rich ancient culture than religion, even though it has been influenced by religion to some extent.
For Iranians marriage is considered to be an event, which must be celebrated not quietly but with glory and distinction. It is the most conspicuous of all the rituals and must be celebrated in the presence of an assembly, which can bear witness to the event.
In the ancient times, the musicians playing at marriage gatherings used drums to announce the marriage to the people of the town or village. The group that gathered for the marriage was called the assembly “Anjoman” for the queenly bride.
Traditionally, both the bride and the bridegroom would dress in white with wreaths of flower on their necks, something similar to the Hawaiian Lei. These wreaths of flower are still worn in modern wedding ceremonies in Pakistan (which used to be part of the great Persian Empire), but it is eliminated from the Iranian wedding ceremony. The color white is a symbol of purity, innocence and faithfulness. Today most modern Iranian couples follow the western dress code and style.
There are two stages to a Persian marriage. Most often both take place on the same day, but occasionally there could be some time between the two. The first is called “Aghd”, the legal process of getting married, when both the bride and bridegroom and their guardians sign a marriage contract. The second stage is “Jashn-e Aroosi”, the actual feasts and the celebrations, which traditionally lasted from 3 to 7 days.
The ceremony takes place in a specially decorated room with flowers and a beautiful and elaborately decorated spread on the floor called “Sofreh-ye Aghd”. Traditionally Sofreh-ye Aghd is set on the floor facing east, the direction of sunrise (light). Consequently when bride and bridegroom are seated at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd they will be facing “The Light”.
By custom Aghd would normally take place at bride’s parents/guardians home. The arrival of the guests, who are to be witnesses to the marriage of the couple, initiates the wedding ceremony. Traditionally the couples’ guardians and other elder close family members are present in the room to greet the guests and guide them to their seats. After all the guests are seated the bridegroom is the first to take his seat in the room at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd. The bride comes afterwards and joins the bridegroom at the head of Sofreh-ye Aghd. The bridegroom always sits on the right hand side of the bride. In Zoroastrian culture the right side designates a place of respect.
The spread that is used on the floor as the backdrop for Sofreh-ye Aghd was traditionally passed from mother to daughter (or occasionally son). The spread is made of a luxurious fabric such as “Termeh” (Cashmere: A rich gold embroidered fabric originally made in Cashmere from the soft wool found beneath the hair of the goats of Cashmere, Tibet, and the Himalayas), “Atlas” (Gold embroidered satin) or “Abrisham” (Silk).
On Sofreh-ye Aghd, the following items are placed:
When the bride and bridegroom are both seated the marriage ceremony begins. Usually the Moslem priest “Mullah” or other males with recognized authority such as a notary public will be the master of ceremony and perform the legal part of the ceremony. The bride and the bridegroom have each a marriage witness. Usually older and married males are chosen amongst close relations to stand as witnesses. The ceremony consists of preliminary blessings, questions to the witnesses, guardians and the marrying couple. Finally the ceremony is solemnized by giving some prayers for the newly wed couple and signing of a legal marriage contract.
After the preliminary blessings and a few words about the importance of the institution of marriage, the master of ceremony confirms with both the parents or guardians that they indeed wish to proceed with the ceremony and there are no objections. Then the master of ceremony asks the mutual consent of the couple. First the bridegroom is asked if he wishes to enter into the marriage contract, then the bride is asked the same question. Once the bride is asked if she agrees to the marriage, she pauses. The question is repeated three times and it is only at the third time that she will say yes. To make the bridegroom wait for the bride’s answer is to signify that it is the husband who seeks the wife and is eager to have her and not the other way around!
During the reading of the marriage contract, all the unmarried ladies are asked to leave the room. There exists the belief that a girl should only hear the marriage ceremony’s readings for her own marriage or her chances for marriage might be ill-fated! Nowadays the single ladies do not seem to be too worried about finding a husband and getting married, because most of them stay in the room to witness the ceremony.
During the service married female relatives of the couple (mainly the bride) hold over the couple’s head the fine scarf. Two different actions take place at the same time. Two pieces of crystallized sugar shaped like cones are rubbed together, a symbolic act to sweeten the couple’s life. In the second act two parts of the same fabric are sewn together with needle and thread to symbolize sewing mother-in-law’s lips together. The ceremony is reminiscent of the ancient traditions.
Once the bride has said yes to the proposal, the master of the ceremony pronounces the couple husband and wife and asks for God’s blessing to be with the couple in their lives together. The bride and bridegroom place the wedding bands on each other’s hands and feed each other honey. Afterwards the couple, their guardians, witnesses and master of ceremony sign the documents.
Traditionally after the ceremony while the bride and groom are still seated the bride is showered with gifts, usually expensive jewelry, and all she receives is hers. The bridegroom does not receive many gifts. He only receives one gift from the bride’s parents/guardians. When all the gifts are presented to the bride the wedding ceremony is officially concluded. Generally after the ceremony the bride and bridegroom and the guests move to the location of the wedding celebration party “Aroosi” and celebrate the occasion by playing laud cheerful music, dancing and consuming some lavishly prepared food.
The celebration includes a lavish meal, sometimes with a whole roast lamb as the centerpiece. Jeweled rice “Morrasah Polo” or sweet rice “Shirin Polo” is always served along with many other dishes and an elaborate wedding cake. The celebration, with so much feasting, singing, and dancing, is a day for all to remember. After the guests have gone home, it is customary to give the remaining pastries to those who were unable to come and to those who helped make the day a success. The sugar cones are kept by the bride for good luck.
Before they enter their home, the bride kicks over a bowl of water placed in the doorway. The water spilled on the threshold represents enlightenment, happiness, and purification for their new house. A friendly competition starts with the bride and groom as the bride tries to enter her house while stepping on her husband’s feet. This act makes the bride the boss in the household.
In recent years, the Persian communities abroad have changed and adopted the life-styles of their host countries. The Persian marriage ceremony, however, is so old and can be such a beautiful ceremony that it would be a shame not to enact it.
Source: http://jorge.paulodesigns.com
Selecting a photographer for your wedding photography is one of the most important aspects of your wedding. Wedding Solutions.com has the largest selection of top photographers for your wedding photography. You can find detailed information about many photographers for your wedding photography, including years of experience, sample photographs, packages and rates at Wedding Solutions.com.Selecting a Photographer for your Wedding PhotographyMake sure you meet and get to know your photographers for your wedding photography and that you get along with him/her. You can hire the best wedding photographer, but if he or she doesn’t make you smile, you will not be happy with your photographs.
You should make sure that your photographer for your wedding photography brings a backup camera to the wedding. Make sure your photographer for your wedding photography specializes in shooting weddings, as weddings are very specialized events. If you hire an experienced photographer for your wedding photography, you can rest assured that you and your family will enjoy your wedding photographs for years to come. Questions to Ask • How many years of experience about wedding photography does your wedding photographer has? |
Rank | Title | Artist | |
1. | Amazed | Lonestar | |
2. | From This Moment On | Shania Twain | |
3. | At Last | Etta James | |
4. | Because You Loved Me | Celine Dion | |
5. | I Cross my Heart | George Strait | |
6. | It’s Your Love | Tim McGraw & Faith Hill | |
7. | Wonderful Tonight | Eric Clapton | |
8. | Have I Told You Lately | Rod Stewart or Van Morrison | |
9. | I Swear | Michael Montgomery | |
10. | Unchained Melody | Righteous Brothers | |
11. | I Knew I Loved You | Savage Garden | |
12. | Always and Forever | Heatwave | |
13. | The Way You Look Tonight | Frank Sinatra | |
14. | I Swear | All-For-One | |
15. | True Companion | Mark Cohn | |
16. | Endless Love | Lionel Richie & Diana Ross | |
17. | I Do (Cherish You) | 98 Degrees | |
18. | It had to be You | Harry Connick Jr. | |
19. | Could I Have This Dance | Anne Murray | |
20. | Here and Now | Luther Vandross | |
21. | Truly, Madly, Deeply | Savage Garden | |
22. | Everything I Do | Bryan Adams | |
23. | Always | Atlantic Starr | |
24. | I Could Not Ask For More | Edwin McCain | |
25. | All My Life | K-C & JoJo | |
26. | This I Swear | Nick Lachey | |
27. | Beautiful in My Eyes | Joshua Kadison | |
28. | When a Man Loves a Woman | Percy Sledge or Michael Bolton | |
29. | Breathe | Faith Hill | |
30. | What a Wonderful World | Louis Armstrong | |
31. | Can’t Help Falling In Love | Elvis Presley | |
32. | Unforgettable | Nat King Cole & Natalie | |
Try out some of these suggestions by Christina Laun to give you a boost when you’re feeling sleepy or to prevent tiredness altogether. These are great to consider during around the time you are preparing for your wedding. It will keep you full of energy during your special day.
Basics
Give these basic techniques a try for increased energy throughout the day.
Diet
What you choose to put into your body can make a huge difference in how energetic you feel, so check out these tips for ways to give yourself a boost.
At Home
Try these tips at home when you need a jumpstart to your day.
At Work
Work can be exhausting, but you don’t have to let it ruin your energy levels. Try these tips instead.
Source: This was forwarded to me in an email. If you know the source of this article, please don’t hesitate to send me an email. Thanks.
There are numerous fascinating wedding customs enjoyed in cultures around the world. Many cross-cultural similarities can be seen, as marriage traditions frequently symbolize fertility, good health, good luck or beginning a new life. Here are a few interesting customs:
In Greece, brides might carry a lump of sugar on their wedding day, symbolizing a sweet life, or ivy, representing endless love.
In Norway, friends of a couple plant palm trees on both sides of the front door of the couple’s home as a symbol of fertility.
A South African tradition has the parents of the bride and groom carry fire from their homes to the fireplace in the couple’s home, signaling the beginning of their life together.
It’s considered good luck for Venezuelan newlyweds to sneak away from their wedding reception without saying goodbye.
In Fiji, the groom is expected to give the bride’s father a whale tooth.
Source: http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/
The engagement period will probably be the most gloriously tranquil time of a couple’s wedding process. You both soon will be faced with decisions, compromises, and debates — some simple, some funny, some tough, but all important.
While it’s important to bask in all the happiness, there are also a few tasks that should be handled pretty quickly. The couple need to set the budget and a timetable for planning the wedding, buy the rings, and announce the engagement.
For those folks that have more budget to play around with, some decide to add a consultant into their budget. This is definitely the way to go if you both don’t have time to plan the wedding or you know you both will argue over every minute detail. Keep in mind that you can opt to choose a wedding consultant that works by the hour. This allows you both to do most of the planning but provides an outsider’s perspective for some of the more difficult decisions.
Please use the following guide to find and record all the details of your consultant before hiring them. >> Click here for the PDF file
Using an hourly consultant
Consultants who work by the hour are an excellent choice if you want to plan everything yourself but wouldn’t mind a little objective feedback once in a while. For instance, when he wants beef and you want chicken, a consultant might lend some insight into the most popular entree selection, the pros and cons of offering multiple entree choices, and which selection will help you stay on budget. You might also want to hire a consultant on an hourly basis so you can use his/her list of vendor recommendations, such as florist, reception halls, musicians, and so on. Then you can do the actual calling, interviewing, and hiring!
Source: http://www.howstuffworks.com
Here are some money saving tips that FB would like to share with you. Use a couple of tips to save a few bucks or use more and save $1000+.
The Most Important Money Saving Tips
The Wedding Attire Search
Flower Power
I Have No Idea How To Decorate!
How Can I Cut Corners on the Invitations?
I Don’t Want to Spend a Fortune on Favours/Bomboniere
Wedding Cakes too expensive? No Problem!
What about my Hair & Makeup?
Using a Caterer & choosing a Reception Venue
Photographers charge too much!
Photographers equipment and development costs alone are huge. Then there are batteries, film, an assistant and the hours of work on and after the wedding. You can save money on enlargements and albums but don’t penny pinch when it comes to the photographer. After your wedding day, the only things you have left are your pictures and your video. These are the only 2 services that last a lifetime and can be passed down to the next generation.
I think I’ll just forget about a Video
Some couples think that having a video is a waste of money. How many times will we actually watch it? As necessary as still pictures are they can not capture the mood, movement and sounds of your wedding day like a movie can. One of the biggest misconceptions is that you have a great memory and you’ll remember everything about your day. You won’t, you can’t, there are too many things going on and you’re on cloud 9. Keep this in mind.
Do I Have To Pay a Fortune for Transportation?
Choosing Your Music Service
Do I really need a Wedding Coordinator or Planner?
Let’s face it, the ONLY service you need to get married is an officiant.
Source: http://www.frugalbride.com/frugalhintstips.html
Rank | Title | Artist | |
1. | Butterfly Kisses | Bob Carlisle | |
2. | Daddy’s Little Girl | Al Martino | |
3. | Unforgettable | Natalie Cole | |
4. | Wind Beneath My Wings | Bette Midler | |
5. | Because You Loved Me | Celine Dion | |
6. | The Way You Look Tonight | Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett | |
7. | Daddy’s Hands | Holly Dunn | |
8. | What a Wonderful World | Louie Armstrong | |
9. | Through the Years | Kenny Rogers | |
10. | My Girl | Temptations | |
11. | Hero | Mariah Carey | |
12. | Have I Told You Lately | Van Morrison | |
13. | Wonderful Tonight | Eric Clapton | |
14. | Daughter of Mine | John McDermott | |
15. | Time of Your Life | Green Day | |
16. | Isn’t She Lovely | Stevie Wonder | |
17. | I Loved Her First | Heartland | |
18. | You’re the Inspiration | Chicago | |
19. | My Special Angel | Bobby Helms | |
20. | You Decorated My Life | Kenny Rogers | |
21 | My Little Girl | Tim McGraw |