Traditions

We're going with a few wedding traditions, and realized we should know what the history and significance really is besides feeling very wedding-ish. 

Proposing on one knee

 goes back to the days of knighthood and chivalry when it was customary for knight to kneel before a tournament and wait for "his" lady to toss him her ribbon or colors, as an indication of her favor. 

I think I did more of a flying tackle hug than a demure toss.

'Something old, Something New, 

Something Borrowed and Something Blue'

Something Old: good fortune being passed down from generations, and  

symbolizes the connection the bride will maintain to her family and the past

Something New: well wishes for a bright future

Something Borrowed: transfers happiness to the new union, and

serves to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her whenever she may need their support or assistance.

Blue: fidelity

Not seeing each other until the wedding ceremony

In the early days of arranged marriages, the bride and groom often never saw each other at all before the wedding. Even when couples were acquainted before they married, it was still considered bad luck for the groom to glimpse the bride pre-ceremony, as she would not be pure and new. Neither was the bride supposed to see herself -- it was believed that if she saw her reflection she would leave some of herself behind in the mirror.

Lavender in bouquet

 Usually for English and Irish brides

signifies survival through the toughest of times in marriage. 

Chuppah (my favorite)

a Jewish tradition of standing underneath a canopy 

The groom stands under the chuppah and waits for the bride to welcome her into the new 'home'

~for us, this also is a way to symbolize our 'leaving and cleaving'. There will be no one else under the 

chuppah besides us and God, and that symbolizes the marriage relationship: two people, under God, 

moving forward only in His power and strength.

Mead

We're not able to have any at the wedding, but Irish tradition has it that the 

couple drink honey mead the month after the wedding (honeymoon). 

We'll probably have some before and after, knowing us.

 Poinsettia-white

The December birth flower, symbolizing good cheer and celebration

Evergreen

a symbol of renewing life each year

1st dance 

a beginning of our lives together as husband and wife, joining hands to

join our paths from now on.

Best Man (this was startlingly interesting!)

When women were in short supply, one would pick the 'best man' to go with him and capture a woman for his wife. During the ceremony, the best man would stand to the grooms' right side, fully armed

to protect the newlywed couple from attack from the bride's family.

Wedding Gown

As marriage is a joining of two families, the bride was and is to be an honor to both. Thus

the dress was to show the purity and value of the bride to both sides. 

Groom's Boutonniere

  another nod to medieval times when a knight wore his lady's "colors," proudly displayed for all to see.

Wedding Guest Book

  In days of old, everyone who attended a wedding was considered a witness and was required to sign the marriage document. Today, even though the legal requirements for witnesses has changed, the concept of a guest book remains as a wonderful remembrance for the wedding couple.