Daily Archives: March 12, 2008

The Groom

Posted on March 12, 2008 | Leave a comment
During the service, the Groom stands on the right of the Bride. This presumably goes back to the days when a gentleman wore a sword – should any man challenge the Groom to his right to his Bride, he was free to draw his sword with his right hand whilst protecting or holding his Bride with his left. It is thought to be why men escorting ladies walk on that side also. See any renaissance faire in your area.

Carrying his Bride over the threshold dates back to when it was thought a new Bride was vulnerable to evil spirits and bad luck – he would carry her over the threshold so leaving the evil spirits and bad luck on the outside. And pretty much to stop her turning into an evil, scolding shrew due to the spirits taking over her body while she was between girlhood and womanhood.

.The ‘Best’ Man

In the times when a Groom would kidnap his Bride, incurring the wrath of her father and family, the Best Man (the Groom’s most trusted friend) was there to help in any fight.
When it came to the ceremony, he was there just in case the father or family decided to take the Bride back

Tying the Knot

The phrase ‘tie the knot’ comes from the Romans – the bride wore a girdle with lots of knots, which the groom had the fun of untying. Also from the placing and binding of cords on the hands during a handfasting ceremony.




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Choosing the day…

Posted on March 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

An old UK poem for choosing the most auspicious wedding day…

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all

How about this cheerful rhyme for choosing a colour.

Married in White, you have chosen right,
Married in Blue, your love will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Brown, you will live in town,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Pink, your spirit will sink,
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back.

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SHOES

Posted on March 12, 2008 | 2 Comments

In the past there have been a number of customs involving shoes which were thought to bring good luck. The best known, which is still upheld, is to tie shoes to the back of the newlyweds’ car. This has evolved from the Tudor custom where guests would throw shoes at the newlywed couple. It was considered lucky if they or their carriage were hit.

Less well known is for the bride’s father to give the groom a pair of the bride’s shoes to symbolise the passing of responsibility for the daughter to her new husband. A variation of the custom is for the groom to tap the bride on the forehead with one of the shoes to assert his dominance.

The custom of the bride throwing her bouquet over her shoulder, described on the traditions page, was originally performed by her throwing one of her shoes over her shoulder.

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CROSSING THE THRESHOLD

Posted on March 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

After the wedding the bride must enter the new marital home through the main entrance. It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold when they enter for the first time. The reason for this is uncertain. One explanation is that the bride will be visited by bad luck if she falls when entering. An alternative is that the bride will be unlucky if she steps into the new home with the left foot first. The bride can avoid both mishaps by being carried. A third explanation is that it symbolises the old Anglo-Saxon custom of the groom stealing his bride and carrying her off.

Hindu’s have a similar tradition. The bride is carried by her new husband so that she does not touch the threshold when entering her new home.

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The importance of contracts…

Posted on March 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

How many times have you had an elated couple contact you, decide that you are indeed ‘the one’ and never hear from them again? If you are like me and depend a lot on the internet for efficient and documented contact, you can run into ‘email silence’. This week alone I have had two brides who talked effusively on the telephone, one had the contract ‘in her hand, all signed’ , the other was ‘so excited to have found me’. And now? They dropped off the face of the Earth.

It is vital to get the contract signed, the deposit paid and all the loose ends tied up as soon as possible. The smooth running of your weddings depends upon it. Now I cannot freely take another booking on those dates until I hear from the brides, and so it ties me up. I would hate to book someone else and then have the bride expect me to be available, so I have to get tough. No deposit, no contract = no booking.

I worry about those brides…do they think they booked me? Will they easily get another officiant if I am not available…what to do, what to do?  The reality. Contact. Send Emails, call their phones and leave messages. I politely inform them that I have another inquiry for that date, and could they please let me know if I am now free to take that booking or if I am still needed for their own ceremony. If I have no reply to 3 contacts, I consider myself free to book.

For the couples, please be efficient in your requests and make sure that communication with your officiant is clear and honest. If you found another officiant you prefer. Then please cancel your request with the first one.  It really is the well mannered way to proceed and the offficiant will certainly respect your considerations.

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