Engagement Customs and Traditions

Who Was the Matchmaker?
In countries where marriages are arranged, "go-betweens" play a time honored and respected role. In China, a matchmaker must determine if astrological signs are compatible. In Uganda, the bride’s elder brother and paternal uncle speak to the prospective groom and barter for the best "price" to be paid to the family.
What Were "Love Tokens"
What a charming custom the Welsh and Pennsylvania Dutch couples had of giving 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.
Today’s love tokens could include a song or poem written by the groom to his bride, or a hand embroidered handkerchief for the groom. Whatever your special craft, whether it be tole painting, crocheting, wood carving, or any number of other ideas, just remember, the idea behind the gift is to give something of yourself, created with loving thoughts to the one you love.
What Was a Betrothal Ring?
The betrothal ring, has for centuries symbolized the promise of a future together, sealed with the giving and accepting of a ring. The diamond engagement ring as we know it has been around since 1477, but other rings have been used throughout the centuries to mark engagements. Rings featuring gem stones were popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Often, the first letter of the stones within the setting spelled out the name of the giver or a word, such as "dearest" (diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, epidote, sapphire, turquoise). There was also a ring known as the "Gimmal Ring". This three part ring had two clasped hands on it. During the engagement, one part was worn by the bride, one by the groom, and the third by a witness. It was reunited as the brides wedding ring, on the day of their marriage. Diamonds are the first choice among brides today for an engagement ring, because of their beauty and durability.
What Was 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.
What was the Custom of Collecting?
In Finland, the bride-to-be was considered "snobbish" if she did not go door-to-door to receive her gifts in a pillowcase. Accompanying her, an elderly married man, carrying an umbrella (for shelter), came along and was given a drink at each door. Today, an umbrella is used as a decoration symbolizing "protection". This custom can be included very beautifully in your wedding by having your maids carry "parasols" to match your wedding colors.
What is a Dowry?
When families arranged marriages, they were trying their best to guarantee their offspring a pleasant and comfortable life. The bride was expected to bring a "dowry" of money, jewels, animals, or something of substantial value to the marriage. This substantial value was provided by the family of the bride and portrayed her perceived worth. On the other hand, the groom paid a "brides price" to her family and promised to faithfully support the bride.

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Hot table trends.

Bridal Feature:Hot table trends.
Choosing the right gift to show your appreciation for your wedding guests can be a challenging task. You want the gift to be appropriate, meaningful and tasteful. But most of all you want it to reflect your personality and flair.
One thing is now certain in today's modern day weddings, when it comes to table favors anything goes. Your choices can now range from soap favors, box favors, tulle favors, candle and glass favors. You could choose from personalized boxes containing mints, truffles, potpourri and different fruit. Let's not forget the famed bridal coffee packs and tea bags, or the fortune cookies with special messages enclosed.
But the latest hot trend in wedding table favors is — printed chocolates and cookies, or, Biscuit Bouquets. They have gained such popularity because of their versatility as decorative, tasteful and unforgettable personalized gifts.

These high-quality products can be imprinted and personalised with the couples' names, initials, special messages or unique custom designs, a poem or thankyou - all colour matched and gift boxed to suit your special day.
A delight to the palate and the eyes these high-quality munchies become a delicious personalized reminder of a beautiful evening.
Delicious chocolate rose buds are also available.
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Wedding Flowers

No wedding is complete without a selection of wedding flowers! Bear in mind that wedding flowers can expensive, and most flowers will simply be thrown out, at the end of the day. Choosing Wedding Flowers Your choice of wedding flowers can make such a difference to both the look of your wedding and of course your budget. Wedding flowers chosen that are out of season, can prove costly. Obtain professional advice from someone who regularly provides wedding flowers; they will almost certainly be better placed to advise you on the easiest way to achieve your desired look. For the Bride Brides normally, as part of her outfit, hold some wedding flowers. Traditionally, these bouquets were large and flamboyant, however trends are changing and many brides now prefer simple wedding flowers, such as a single rose or lily. This can be incredibly effective, not to mention a lot cheaper and easier to handle. Bridal wedding flowers must complement your dress; so choose the wedding flowers with your dress in mind. As a very simple dress may be swamped by a large bouquet, pay careful attention to the combination, not just the actual wedding flowers themselves. For the Bridal Party It’s not just the bride who has to be considered when it comes to wedding flowers. Bridesmaids, the groom and best man will also be wearing flowers so their outfits must also be considered. Male buttonholes are generally very small and inconspicuous, in fact it isn’t even necessary to use flowers, a small fabric attachment can be just as nice and can also double up as a keepsake as it will not wilt. When it comes to wedding flowers for your bridesmaids, it is vital that you consider their ages. A 3-year old is unlikely to be able to handle a large bouquet and similarly it may be a disaster with a thorny rose collection. With wedding flowers, simple is often best. All of the wedding party will have many other things to consider, not just the wedding flowers; keep them simple and easy to handle. Your choice of wedding flowers is extremely important so do give it the time it deserves. Plan in advance and take professional advice, it will be worth it, in the end.

A Winter Wedding

The following article includes pertinent information that may cause you to reconsider what you thought you liked. The most important thing is to study with an open mind and be willing to revise your preferrences if necessary.
Winter Wedding? What an idea! Not the timeof year you would usually consider holding a wedding!
Don't think of wind and rain though, imagine snow covered mountain peaks rising majestically from fir tree covered foot hills! Very Japanese. Close your eyes and breathe in the crisp, pine scented air. This is what a winter wedding is all about!
With the ski lodge in the distance with its welcoming real log fire, the winter sun sparkling off the crisp white snow and the sky as blue as can be you can be assured of a day of fairytale proportions.
The information about Winter Weddings presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce your original feelings about Winter Weddings or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
When it come to your color scheme think red and green. Not Santa suit and holly leaves but rich burgundy or plum and a forest green that the pine trees would be proud of. Think fur hats and mufflers with black boots and long coats. Think traditional and old fashioned, bells and crackling log fires.
If you decide that you are not traditional, there are still options for a winter wedding. For a winter wedding of wondrous proportions. Think silvery blue and brilliant white, think glam and glitz, think modern and funky.
If the evening weather is fine, why not set out a bonfire and take your wedding outside, at least for part of the time. There can develop a great sense of camaraderie around a campfire. Agood time for snuggling up to your loved one.
There are many choices to be made on for your wedding day and the choice of time of year is just one of them. Each season has its own attractions to offer and winter is no different. If you decide on a winter wedding, enjoy and embrace the idea, bringing out the seasons special qualities wont let you down.
This article's coverage of Winter Weddings is only an idea. But you should always leave open the possibility that some guests initial misconceptions will change, once they realise it does not mean standing around freezing - and will actually be fun.
How often do you get to dress up in really flash winter clothes?
Leather boots, fur hats, jewelled vests and mufflers?
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Top 5 Wedding Favors and Why

Top 5 Wedding Favors and Why
by: Dion Semeniuk
WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE WEDDING FAVORS AND WHY?

At most weddings, the bride and groom will offer some type of
small memento as a note of appreciation to family and friends,
more commonly known as wedding favors. As you will discover in
this article, the type of favors are widely varied but there are
some that are considered better choices than others. Remember,
wedding favors do not have to be expensive. In fact, this type
of gift can be something homemade. If you want to go all out,
that is certainly fine, but it is also not necessary. The focus
of the wedding favor is to let people know you are grateful for
their assistance with your wedding and/or reception or that you
are just honored they showed up. To help you get started, we
have provided you with the top five wedding favors.

Food

One of the most popular types of wedding favor is food, simply
because most people love to eat. A wonderful option that is
easy and inexpensive to make would be to purchase small black
favor boxes and then line them with white tissue paper. Place
Oreo cookies or dark chocolate covered peanuts inside and then
tie the box off with white and red ribbon. Watch everyone enjoy
the beautiful box but even more, the delicious goodies inside.
This is a very nice choice for both informal and formal weddings.

Flower Plant

The second of the top five wedding favors is a fresh plant or
flower seeds. With this, you can get as creative as you want.
A couple of ideas that work very nice is placing a miniature
plant or cacti in a small terra cotta planter. To make this
more personalized, the women (and men) in the wedding party
could get together for lunch to embellish the pots with ribbon,
craft paint, lace, and so on. You could also choose a simple
glass container, add three different seed packages, and punch a
hole through the upper corner of all three to tie together with
ribbon. These are appreciated because once planted, they are a
constant reminder of your cherished event.

Fragrant Soap

For the third of the top five wedding favors, you might also
consider fragrant soap or votive candles. For soap, this is a
lovely wedding favor to place in hotel rooms of out-of-town
guests. You can purchase all of the supplies at local hobby or
craft stores and then purchase your fragrant of choice such as
lemon grass, watermelon, sandalwood, white ginger, etc. If you
prefer, you can purchase pre-made soap or buy glycerin and molds
to make your own. As an extra romantic touch, look at mold
designs such as wedding bells, hearts, bubble designs.

Candles

Now for the fourth of the top five wedding favors, you can never
go wrong with votive candles, enjoyed by both men and women.
This type of wedding favor can again be purchased through a
hobby or craft store or on the Internet. If you prefer, you can
create your own candles, which involves melting wax, adding
color and fragrance, and then pouring into approved glass jars.
Choose several coordinating colors if you like and for the
simple yet elegant glass jars, add decorative touches such as
flowers, ribbon, or trinkets attached with hot glue.

Pewter

Finally, the last of the five top wedding favors would be pewter
or silver. You will find many wonderful choices such as picture
frames, paperweights, and bottle openers. With this type of
gift, you will probably pay a little more but this is a nice
gift for a more formal wedding, affluent group list, or members
of the bridal party. Remember, you can choose from hundreds of
wedding favors to include miniature bottles of wine, stationary
with last name and wedding date, golf balls and tees for the
sports enthusiasts, and the list goes on and on. Whether you go
with bubbles to be blown as you and your new spouse leave the
church to creative miniature baskets filled with candles, candy
or Jordon’s almonds and everything in between, the key is to
choose wedding favors that coordinate with your wedding but that
are also special for your type of guest list.


About the author:
Dion Semeniuk has been married for over 5 years now and has been providing ideas with his wife's help for other peoples weddings. To learn more about other wedding favor ideas, visit http://www.wedding-favor-directory.com


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Wedding Cake

Wedding Cake
by: Tom Tsatsos
The is one of the most important features of your reception. In fact, it is the centerpiece of your reception. You should begin shopping for a baker 6-8 months before the wedding. If you plan on having your reception catered, ask your caterer if they will bake your wedding cake. However, you do not have to choose the caterer to bake your cake. You can also buy cakes from commercial and boutique bakeries, custom wedding cake designer, a culinary school or someone you know who makes cakes from home.

Begin by calling bakeries or cake decorators in your area to check for date availability. If they are available, make an appointment to go in and check out the designs, taste and skill level of the business. Many specialty cake decorators require that you book six months to a year in advance to reserve your date, whereas commercial bakeries may require 3 months due to larger staff and their ability to do a larger quantity of cakes.

Since most weddings are on the weekends, baker's deadlines also coincide with that timetable. A phone call to make an appointment to visit with the individual or bakery about your cake will be appreciated. If you just walk in and expect undivided attention, you may be disappointed if they do not have time to visit with you at that time.

Ask the baker to provide samples of the cake flavors, icings, fillings, etc., during your interview. The taste, flavor and texture of the cake itself will be the most important decision you will make when you order your cake. The outside beauty of your wedding cake will be important for your pictures and your personal statement, but the inside of the cake is what you will be serving to your guests. You want a cake that is flavorful, moist and good to eat.

Before your meeting with the baker, collect pictures of wedding cakes that appeal to you. Be sure to take those pictures with you on your interviews so that you can give your baker an illustrated idea of what you are looking for in a wedding cake. Here are some key questions you need to ask them:


Flexibility-Will they bake a cake according to your specifications?
Is the cake made from scratch or is it from a cake mix?
Request to see pictures of their work. Most bakers will have a portfolio of their cakes.
Certain cakes are not good for particular seasons. For example, if you are planning an outdoor wedding in August, you want to avoid cakes with mousse, meringue, whipped cream or buttercream filling. Ask the baker what cakes are in season.
What is the price per serving? Prices can average between $1.50 a slice to $15 a slice depending on the cake you choose. The price depends on frosting, decorations, architecture, etc. Understand that the more elaborate the cake, the more expensive the "per serving" price will be.
What are the extra charges? Most bakers charge for renting the pillars, columns, cake toppers, delivery and set-up. There may also be extra charges for certain cake fillings, flavors, styles, etc.
Who will be setting up the cake?
What do they provide in the set-up? Talk to your baker about how you'd like the cake table to be set up.
If you plan on using fresh flowers on your cake, who is responsible for providing the flowers, the baker or the florist?


When interviewing the baker, make sure you know the number of servings required, your desired type and design, and your budget for the cake. Be up front with the baker about the maximum amount you are willing to spend on your cake and ask them if they are willing to negotiate. Click here to see how you can save money on your wedding cake.

After you have decided on a baker and all the details, make sure to get everything in writing. Your contract should include the following:


Detailed description of the cake type, style, and description of the decorations.
The number of layers and fillings for each layer if applicable.
Type of frosting.
Wedding date, time and location of delivery
When, how, where and by whom the cake will be delivered (or picked up). Make sure to include the complete address where the cake is to be delivered.
Name and contact information of the baker
List of rented items (pillars, cake stand, cake table, etc.)
Delivery and set-up fees
Total price
Deposit amount
Balance and due date
Baker's cancellation and/or refund policy

If you do your homework, buying your wedding cake will be a smooth process. Remember to be realistic, and don't spend your entire wedding budget on your wedding cake.


About the author:
Tom Tsatsos

http://wedding-invitations.theamericanwedding.com/wedding-invitations.html


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Wedding Rings

Wedding Rings don’t tend to get the public airing that they deserve, in your average wedding celebration. However, wedding rings are likely to be worn for the rest of the bride and grooms’ living days, so they are, arguably, the most important element of the wedding accessories.
Wedding Rings – The Basics
Wedding rings are exchanged as part of the ceremony, normally as vows are said by both parties. The guests do not normally see the wedding rings until after the ceremony is well and truly over, so it can be tempting to skimp on this element and save money.
Bear in mind that the bride will almost certainly wear her wedding ring alongside her engagement ring. It is essential, therefore, that they both rings work together well. This is particularly important if the engagement ring is of an atypical shape or with a particularly large stone.
Always consider your everyday jewelry. Although it is possible to accessorize on your wedding day to complement you choice of wedding rings, this ring will be worn every day, for many years, so it must fit in well with your general style. This is equally important for the groom, as he too will have to wear the ring for some time, so he should also consider what would go well with his usual attire.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not essential to choose golden rings. If you prefer silver colored rings but want to retain the quality, why not consider white gold? It is also possible for the bride and groom to have different styles of ring, so do not feel pressured into selecting matching styled rings.
Wedding Rings – Ideas for Slashing the Budget
Whilst you want the best wedding rings possible, you do not need to spend a small fortune! Often, wedding rings are passed through the generations, particularly on the male side, so find out whether this is the case so that you can avoid the time and energy of searching for the perfect wedding rings!
When you are selecting an engagement ring, it may be possible to negotiate a discount on wedding rings, if they are purchased at the same time. Another possible option is to consider using cheaper wedding rings for the ceremony itself and to purchase the more permanent wedding rings, at a later day. The real point of this is to spread the major expenses – weddings do not come cheaply!
A great way to make cheaper wedding rings look unique is to have them engraved with your wedding date and your initials.
With a little imagination, wedding rings can truly look magical, without costing the earth!
About the author:
Elsie Gilbert offers great insights to all different types of wedding ceremonies, wedding styles, wedding accessories. From traditional to the exotic she makes it easy for the bride and groom to review and choose. For more details on all types of wedding ideas visit this site now www.weddingceremonyhelp.com

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