A wedding is an occasion in which two individuals are legally joined in matrimony by wedding ceremonies. Wedding traditions and rituals vary widely between different cultures, economic classes, religious groups, and nations. In the United States, most weddings are of the civil nature. However, a growing number of brides these days are going for the religious type of wedding.
There are so many varieties of weddings that one could get confused and even end up giving up the right wedding ceremony for the wrong reason. If this happens to you, don’t fret. All marriages have their own traditions attached to them. The customs that vary from culture to culture and nation to nation vary as much as the individuals themselves. As such, no wedding should be thought beyond the scope of your own country. After all, it is not the customs of the wedding that matters, but the fact that you are getting married in the first place.
Some other popular wedding ceremony trends that are growing in popularity include exchanging the wedding rings, bringing a new piece of jewelry as a gift, cooking and serving food outdoors, using the wedding cake and some or the other food items in the reception as gifts, having a DJ to play music before the wedding ceremony, having guests wear comfortable attire, inviting family and friends to be pallbearers, having wedding guests write names on wedding scroll or on the program, asking guests to bring a rose to the ceremony, having the couple ride in a limousine to the reception after the exchange of marriage vows, having an officiate declare the marriage, asking guests to hand over a small token like a coin or a card, and asking guests to give a donation to the bride or groom’s favorite charity. There are many more wedding ceremony traditions that you can find if you spend some time doing some online research.
Nontraditional wedding ceremonies are increasing in popularity as well. This includes exchanging marriage vows between two people who are not of the same sex, a wedding that happens underwater, a wedding that happens in a garden, a religious service with the exchange of vows and other religious based weddings. These nontraditional weddings have grown in popularity because they offer couples the chance to personalize their wedding and are able to choose wedding ideas that are not limited to mainstream customs. The most popular of these nontraditional weddings is probably the Jewish wedding ceremony, which usually happens in a synagogue but has been growing in popularity in recent years because of the growing Jewish population in countries like Brazil and India.
Once the couple finds the wedding ceremony they are dreaming of, the next step is planning for the wedding party. Guests do not want to attend a celebration they are unfamiliar with, so the best way to get everyone in one place is to have a wedding reception at a hall where there is already a well-established reputation for the type of wedding the couple is planning. For example, a country club wedding will most likely require an elegant reception. However, a beach wedding or one that is held at a club’s pool would most likely be fine for a quieter gathering. In terms of the bridal party, do not forget the small things; such as the personalized guest cards, groomsmen gifts and thank you notes.
The ceremony itself can be informal or formal. Depending on the wishes of the couple, the ceremony will either consist of only them making their vows or a live band and dance number followed by poetry or a special song. The bride may want to consider having a traditional wedding cake and having the officiant read a poem or quote. Other options include having a Reception in the same room as the ceremony to give guests time to catch up and remember all the special things about the couple.