The Reception - Part 2

Reception Rituals

The honeymoon
Teutonic marriages took place under a full moon. The newlyweds would then drink honey wine for thirty days after the wedding, hence the name.

Throwing rice
In the Orient, people would throw rice (which symbolizes fertility) at the couple in hopes that they would have many children. Today many people throw birdseed instead of rice, because uncooked rice is deadly to birds.

Bridal shower
The story is that there was a Dutch father who disapproved of a poor miller who wanted to marry his daughter. Saying that the wedding should not be stopped due to the miller's finances (or lack thereof), the bride's friends got together a dowry by "showering" the daughter with gifts.

Ring finger
The third finger on the left hand, because centuries ago there was thought to be a vein in that finger that led directly to the heart.

Wedding cake
In ancient Rome, a loaf of bread was broken over the bride's head, as a symbol of fertility. The guests would then eat the crumbs for good luck. In medieval times, wedding guests in England brought little cakes to the ceremony, which would be piled up together. After the ceremony, the bride and groom would stand over the pile of cakes and kiss. At some point, someone came up with the idea that they could put the cakes together and frost them, creating a precursor to our multi-layered wedding cake.

Diamond engagement ring
In medieval Italy, a groom would give the bride's family precious stones as a sign that he was serious about marrying her.

Wedding ring
In ancient times, a groom would wrap braided grass around the bride's wrists and ankles, to prevent her spirit from leaving her body. The grass later gave way to leather, carved stone, metal, then silver and gold.

Trousseau
In France, brides would bring all of their clothes and a few possessions with them to their husband's house in a small bundle, called a trousseau. Dowrys eventually became too large to be described by this diminutive word, but the name stuck. Today, trousseau can pretty much be used to describe what a bride receives at her bridal shower.

Something old, new, borrowed, and blue
"Old" signifies the bride's ties to her past; "new" is her hopes for the future; "borrowed" is friendship; "blue" is for faithfulness.

Carrying the bride across the threshold
This tradition originated in Rome, where it was ladylike to be hesitant to enter the bridal chamber; therefore, a new bride would only get to the room if her husband carried her in.

Best man and ushers
In the old days, a man would sometimes have to capture his bride from a protective family, sometimes a family with many big brothers. The man would have to bring his "best men" along with him to actually help him kidnap the bride from her family's house.

Bridesmaids and maid of honor
These were the women who would help the bride sneak away from her overprotective family in order to be taken away by the groom.

Old shoes
The father would throw old shoes at the bride to symbolize his yielding possession of his daughter. The shoes symbolized long-standing ownership and power over his daughter.

Giving away the bride
Just like it sounds. Once the father gave away his possession to the groom. Now it symbolizes the parents' recognition of the bride's passage from childhood into adulthood.

The veil
The veil has been worn to symbolize the bride's innocence and modesty. There is a legend behind the lace veil. It is said that George Washington's adopted daughter, Nelly Curtis, was proposed to by a man who saw her standing behind a lace curtain and was so taken by her beauty that he had to have her hand in marriage . She then wore a lace veil to the ceremony in order to preserve the effect for her groom.

Tossing the garter and the bouquet
In 14th-century France, wedding guests would chase the bride after the ceremony and tear off her garter in order to bring good luck. After a while, brides began voluntarily removing their garters and tossing them to the crowd. The bouquet was added to this toss later.

Wedding Toasts

The first toast at the reception is given by the best man, after everyone has found their seat and has been served champagne. The bride and groom remain seated during the toast. After the best man's toast, the groom stands up and thanks the best man for his words, then toasts the bride and both sets of parents. After that, the bride may make a toast if she wishes, then the floor is open to anyone who would like to say a few words.

Dances

Traditionally, the bride and groom take the first dance together, dancing to "their song." The bride also dances with her father, and the groom with his mother. At some point later in the party, the bridesmaids dance with the groomsmen. Any of these dances can be done away with, and they can happen at any point during the party. You can also combine dances; for instance, the bride and groom can start a dance together, and the father of the bride can cut in halfway through while the groom takes his mother around the dance floor.