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Some Interesting Wedding Practices and their Origins

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Weddings represent some of the best moments in a person’s life and that of his family and friends. Various cultures hold wedding ceremonies filled with all sorts of traditions, some which are controversial. Increase in globalization has led to common adoption of certain mainstream practices which may still have some local touch. The following practices are now common in most weddings around the world, but have you ever wondered to think about their origins? You could be in for a surprise!

The Wedding Ring

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Rings were valuable items often used in barter trade in the Middle East and Asia. They were made from precious metals such as Gold or Silver. Till today, rings are exchanged as dowry. However it was Pope Innocent III who popularized the wedding ring worn on the finger through a decree. There is some debate as to why it has to be worn on the third finger, but the popular belief is that it originated from an ancient Egyptian myth that this finger is directly connected to the heart.

Wedding banns or Marriage License

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Although the announcement of wedding banns is losing popularity in favor of marriage licenses, they are still quite common in countries with strong Christian following. It is believed that there were introduced to prevent incestuous relationships. During this time anybody could make a claim on the wedding not going ahead because of a possible blood relation between the couple. The modern marriage license only restricts weddings on legal grounds.

The “Best Man”

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Until the late 18th century it was common for the bride to be kidnapped from home before the wedding. The suitor/bridegroom often set out with a party of friends to conduct the kidnapping. The one who showed the most skill or bravery in the kidnap became the “best man” at the wedding.

The “White Wedding”

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This practice is so common in modern weddings that many may overlook its origins. In fact this practice never existed until two hundred year ago. The bride simple used to appear on the wedding day wearing her best dress. It was Queen Victoria who commissioned a white laced dress for her wedding to Prince Albert.

The “Honey Moon”

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In ancient Rome, newly married couples would retreat to seclusion for a period of one month. During this time family members will take turns to deliver “honey wine” which was thought to aid fertility.

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You must consider these Fun Wedding Ideas

Weddings do not have to be boring; there are a number of fun wedding ideas that could be incorporated in order to make sure that everyone will have a good time.

Weddings in order to be fun has to be able to involve the guests, there should be an event or activity that people can enjoy.

1. Consider hiring a tribal-ethnic band to do a performance during the wedding.

The wedding could be a bit more fun, if there is something exotic and something new that people can dance with. World music performers can provide some much needed entertainment for wedding guests especially for those who are bored.

World Music is very convincing and persuasive and organic music can engage people to interact.

2. Include a poetry reading collaboration during the wedding.

Have some poet friends prepare poetry, or ask them to create a 3 sentence poetry that they can read for the bride and the groom. Have them read their work together with a guitar or saxophone accompaniment to add creativity and joy to the wedding.

3. Enlist your grandparents to become flower girls

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This will make the wedding event fun, memorable and interesting and will add a good comic twist that will provide comedic relief to guests. This can make guests feel comfortable and have something to talk about with each other.

4. Allow the guest to give a song request that they would like to hear on the RSVP wedding invite.

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5. Hire a food truck or snack bar for late night activities

This will help the guests feel more comfortable, the food truck can serve coffee, waffles or hotdogs as well as hot soup for those who intend to stay longer.

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6. Provide your own beer bar

Guest are going to love beer bar, if you can manage with the budget you can also offer cocktails and other liquor that guests are going to appreciate.

7.  The bridesmaids could be asked to wear different color for their dress instead of matching ones. The wedding event will look more festive this way.

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8. Instead of using a traditional bouquet of flowers, you can use pine tree seedlings as the bouquet. The bride can keep it and plant it and will be a memorable piece for the wedding.

9. Decorate the bathrooms with childhood photos of the bride and the groom. This will make people smile for a moment and this will add an interesting accent to the entire wedding.

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10. Put crayons or colorful chalk at the children’s table. Give them a space where they can express themselves. This will make the children creative and this will divert their attention and cause them to feel happy even while attending an adult event.

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This will make the guest feel comfortable in the wedding area.