Elle Events Inc.

Wedding Traditions & Meanings

Elle Events Inc. — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:03:32 +0000

So as we were working on one of our weddings for this summer, we suddenly stopped and thought, “So wait, WHY are wedding traditions what they are today?” We decided to satisfy our curiosity and look into it. After a bit of research, we found a lot of different answers for each tradition, so we tried to combine the most common and interesting ones. Here they are, enjoy!

Throwing Rice & Confetti:
The tradition of throwing rice and confetti over newlyweds initially represented fertility, but today (especially for ecological reasons) such things as paper confetti and diamond confetti are used instead of rice. Throwing rice and confetti originated from the Pagan belief that showering the happy couple with grain would help increase fertility of the couple. Regardless of what your guests are throwing in the air, it symbolizes their wish that you are showered with good things in your future life together.

Engagement Rings & Wedding Rings:

The first recorded diamond engagement ring given was by Archduke Maximillian of Austria to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. Even though Max’s fabulous idea (as I’m sure most women would agree) of giving a diamond ring has obviously caught on in recent years, engagement rings have been around since Roman times. The first engagement rings were simply made of iron, but the use of gold and symbolic gems became popular during the Medieval Ages.

So why a ring, and why do we wear it on the third finger of our left hand? The ancient Egyptians used the circle, with no beginning or end, to represent eternity. Eventually a ring began to represent eternal love. And we wear engagement rings on our third finger of our left hand (forget counting your thumb) because the ancient Greeks believed that a vein ran from the tip of that finger directly to the heart.

Image via Britannica

Dual-Ring Ceremonies:
Dual-ring ceremonies (in which both the bride and the groom wear wedding bands) were introduced by the Greek Orthodox Church in the 1300’s. But the custom didn’t catch on in America until World War II, when young men who married right before they left for war wanted something to remind them of their wife. They didn’t know when they would return, and the fact that both the bride and groom had rings helped provide comfort to the soldier overseas and to his wife in America.

The Wedding Party:
The ancient Romans believed that evil demons were out to get the bride and groom so they created the wedding party for protection. They would have the wedding party dress exactly like the couple to confuse the demon.

The Honeymoon:
This one is a bit tricky. No one really knows for sure how the honeymoon originated, but two stories seem to be the most common. The first one is of Norse origin, and the second is Babylonian.
The first story isn’t really a happy one. During ancient times, many brides were actually stolen from other neighboring tribes. When the groom kidnapped his bride, much of the bride’s family would be looking for her to take her back, so the groom would hide away with her until they stopped looking.
The second story refers to the ancient Babylonian tradition of the father of the bride giving the groom all the mead he could drink for a full month. This was supposed to increase the couple’s fertility. This one definitely seems more appealing.

Garter Tossing:
Believe it or not, this derives from an old English custom called “flinging the stocking”. After the ceremony, guests would invade the bridal chamber and steal the bride’s stockings and take turns flinging them. Whoever flung the stockings and hit the groom’s nose was said to be the next to marry.

Decorating the Vehicle:

Initially, the tying of shoes to the back of the vehicle was an old Irish custom, to represent the transfer of property from the father of the bride to the groom. Essentially, it represented that the groom would now be taking care of the bride instead of her father. The tying of cans and noise-makers to the back of the car was meant to scare off evil spirits.

Image via Inspire the Bride

The Bridal Veil:
Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that the veil would protect the bride from evil spirits. More practically however, especially in Asian and Middle Eastern cultures where arranged marriages were common, the veil would be worn so that the groom could not see the face of his wife until the completion of the marriage ceremony. I guess this was to prevent some grooms running off if they were unhappy with their future wife’s looks before the wedding!

The Wedding Dress Train:
Back during Medieval times, the length of the bride’s train indicated her rank. The longer her train, the higher up in rank she was. So how long would the Queen’s have been?
But no one can beat this wedding tress train of a model in Bucharest, Romania – her wedding dress train was 1,579 metres long!

The White Wedding Dress:
Wearing a white wedding dress to your wedding became somewhat popular in the late 15^th century when Anne of Brittany wore a white dress to her own wedding ceremony to her third husband, King Louis XII. Before this trend, a bride would simply wear her best dress to the ceremony. But the person who really made white wedding dresses take off in popularity was actually Queen Victoria in 1840. She wore a white ball gown to her wedding ceremony instead of the royal silver, and white wedding dresses have been popular ever since.
In Japan, white was always the color of choice long before the western world caught on.

Image via Mirror

Stepping on Glass:

The reason why a Jewish groom steps on a glass covered in cloth is to remind the Jewish participants and guests in the wedding of the fall and destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Even though it is a happy new beginning in life, the bride and groom must always remember the suffering of their ancestors.

The Wedding Cake:
In Rome, the wedding only ended once a loaf of bread was broken over the bride’s head to symbolize fertility, and the guests would hurry to pick up the crumbs for good luck.
In Native American culture, cakes of molasses were made by guests and brought to the wedding. They would stack the cakes together with apple butter, and the taller the cake, the more popular the bride and groom were.
However, it wasn’t until the 17^th century when wedding cakes started to make an appearance at European weddings.

The “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Silver Sixpence in Your Shoe”:
The something old, new, borrowed, blue, and the sixpence came from an old English rhyme. The something old is to keep a connection with the bride’s old life and her family. The something new is simply to represent the bride and groom beginning a new life together. The something borrowed is due to the superstition that happiness “rubs off”, so the bride borrows some happiness from a married woman. The something blue comes from the fact that blue represents faithfulness, fidelity, and purity. And in England, the placing of a sixpence in a bride’s shoe represented wealth and good luck. Putting a sixpence in the bride’s shoe was supposed to bring not only financial wealth, but also a wealth of happiness and good fortune.

The Ceremony Music:
The most popular wedding song, “The Wedding March” from Felix Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, was first used at the wedding of English princess Victoria to Prince Frederick William IV of Prussia in 1858 and has been “the song” for weddings ever since.

The Invitations:
Back during the Middle Ages, weddings were announced by the town crier. But as time went by and more people were able to read, written invitations were sent out instead. The invitations were sent by horseback and many times the outer envelopes would get damaged along the way. So wedding invitations had two envelopes, an outer one that would get damaged and eventually discarded by the recipient or recipient’s butler, and the inner envelope would be the formal envelope for the invitation.

Flower Girl:
The first flower girl was used in weddings in Ancient Rome, carrying wheat and herbs to represent fertility. Elizabethan brides and grooms would have flower girls in their processions carrying a silver bride’s cup decorated with ribbon and holding a rosemary branch. The flower girls would cover the path from the bride’s house to the wedding site in rose petals and rushes to welcome the new couple to the altar.

Party Favors:
Back in the day, weddings were considered lucky. By sending party favors home with guests, the newlyweds were bestowing their luck on their loved ones. The bride and groom used to give to each guest a “bonbonniere”, or “bomboniere” in Italian (usually 5 almonds or pieces of candy in a little box), which represented fertility, wealth, and happiness.

Image via Bomboniere Galore

Celebrity Wedding Update

Elle Events Inc. — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:15:47 +0000

America Ferrera

America Ferrera is finally engaged to her long-time boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams, according to People magazine. Ferrera, 26, first met her fiancé when he cast her in one of his student films at USC. According to Celebrity Bride Guide and David Mamane of MyJewelryBox.com, the round-cut, platinum, 4-carat diamond ring is estimated at $70,000.

Image via TV Cocktail

Carrie Underwood

According to People magazine, Carrie Underwood and her fiancé Mike Fisher (engaged in December) don’t seem to be worried about their upcoming wedding in a few weeks. “We need to get a running order on,” she says. “We have a dress and stuff but most of the things are like, whatever. I know my [wedding] planner’s on top of it. He’s doing stuff while I’m out on the road.” She also said that it’s just about family, friends, and the two of them. Good to know she’s got the right idea!

Image via Just Jared

Genevieve Cortese and Jared Padalecki

The couple married February 27, 2010 in Cortese’s hometown, Sun Valley, Idaho. Turns out the two were costars on the show Supernatural (as well as lovers on the show!). Jared Padalecki’s real-life brother Jeffrey Padalecki was his best man and his on-screen brother in Supernatural, Jensen Ackles, was one of his groomsmen. The bride wished for a white wedding, but the skies had stayed clear every day up until the wedding. According to Sun Valley Magazine, she said, “I was doing my best snow dance to the gods,” she says. “It was clear the entire week and even on the morning of our wedding day, and then—Bam!—right around 4:30 the snow began to fall. So we consider it good luck and a blessing! It was definitely a white wedding.” For pictures of the wedding and the full article, click here.

Image via Just Jared

Megan Fox

According to Us Magazine, Megan Fox and her boyfriend Brian Green are engaged for the second time. Green proposed with a 2-carat ring on a beach in Hawaii. Apparently she jumped up and down in excitement, and in the confusion she dropped the ring. Maintenance crews spent hours searching for the ring, but to no avail. I guess at least she can afford a new one?

Image via The Hollywood Gossip

Wedding & Marriage Laws That Don’t Make Sense

Elle Events Inc. — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:11:07 +0000

While many strange wedding and marriage laws aren’t entirely enforced these days, they’re still fun to know, especially if you plan on getting married in any of the below places!

California:

According to this L.A. Times article, if a woman wants to take her fiancé’s surname, she could simply fill in her fiancé’s last name on the marriage license application. But if a husband wants to take his wife’s surname he would have to get an order of the court. But in order to get an order of the court, he would first have to file a petition, pay $320, advertise a public notice of his intent to change his name for 4 weeks in a local newspaper, and then appear before a judge.

Colorado:

Guests can’t throw shoes at the bride and groom after the ceremony. Why was this was created? Was there a shoe-throwing trend at weddings?

Kentucky:

You can’t marry the same man more than 3 times.

Truro, Mississippi:

The soon-to-be groom must prove himself worthy before the wedding by hunting and killing either 6 blackbirds or 3 crows and therefore showcasing his “masculinity”.

Montana:

Two people can marry, without even being present, by proxy. Apparently this is pretty popular among couples in the military.

North Carolina:

A marriage can be considered void if either of the two parties is considered physically impotent. The literal text is this: ”All marriages… between persons either of whom is at the time physically impotent… shall be void.”

Pennsylvania:

If the bride or groom is drunk, the clergyman cannot perform the ceremony.

West Virginia:

First cousins can marry… unless the bride is over 55 years old.

Sources: General Assembly of North Carolina, Los Angeles Times, Mental Floss, The Frisky, Your Life After 50

Weird Places Where People Have Gotten Married

Elle Events Inc. — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:03:26 +0000

So we thought it would be interesting to look up strange places where people have gotten married… and maybe give you some ideas if you feel like being adventurous (or you can just laugh at them)!

Taking a Leap of Faith:

Some couples decide to take a literal “leap of faith” and bungee jump off a 164 foot platform. Most couples wear the whole ensemble, including a tuxedo and wedding dress! Marriage in the Sky, the same company that does Dinner in the Sky, offers this service.

Images via Events in the Sky

Fast Food Love:

According to an article in USA Today, a couple got married at their local Taco Bell. They met online and talked back and forth for 9 months before the bride, Caragh, 21, moved to the United States from Australia. As it turns out, they already had the same last name! The bride wore a $15 hot pink dress at the wedding and they had custom-made Taco Bell sauce packets that said “Will you marry me?” on them. The whole wedding only cost about $200. Maybe fast food is the way to go?

Image via Unknown Highway

Feeling Sky High:

A couple, 24 year-old Darren and his bride Katie, decided to get married on top of 3 planes (one for the officiant, one for the groom, and one for the bride). The sport known as “wing-walking” was taken to a new level as they decided to conduct their ceremony on top of the planes, dressed and harnessed in a tuxedo, wedding dress, and all! The ceremony was wirelessly broadcast to the guests below. Aerosuperbatics offers a wing-walking service.

Image via Mirror

Underwater Love:

How about getting married in an underwater lodge? Jules’ Undersea Lodge offers 2 bedrooms, a dining area, kitchen, and living room including a TV and microwave for about $1,750, and you can even stay there for your honeymoon. Guests must scuba dive to actually get to the underwater lodge because it’s 21 feet underwater!

A Marriage Down in the Dumps:

According to an article by Red Orbit, couple Dave and Rockie met at a dump called the Bethel Transfer Station in Maine, and decided it would be the perfect place to have their wedding. Approximately 250 people attended the wedding, and they even laid out a red carpet in the middle of the dump. The couple wore the full ensemble: Dave wore gloves, a top hat, and a tuxedo and his bride wore a $7,000 wedding dress. Quite the contrast!

Image via Harvard Law Blog

An Ice Cold Wedding:

The Below Zero Restaurant in London offers an “Absolut Icebar” available for weddings. The bar is permanent and they keep it at -5 degrees year-round. The ice is “harvested especially from the frozen Torne River in Jukkasjarvi, Northern Sweden” according to the restaurant’s website, BelowZeroLondon.com. It would definitely make for a memorable, beautiful wedding! And if you get too cold, you can always simply walk upstairs and warm back up!

Image via Below Zero London

A High-Spirited Wedding:

According to an article on MSNBC.com, Nepalese couple, Pem and Moni, actually had their wedding atop Mount Everest. It was the first ever in history and they could only spend 10 minutes at the peak, taking off their masks briefly to exhange vows and take pictures. By far, the most memorable wedding yet.

Image via MSNBC

Source: ListVerse

Best & Worst Days to Get Married

Elle Events Inc. — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:50:16 +0000

So, you’ve gotten engaged, and are now beginning to plan your wedding. Congratulations! But one of the first things on your mind will be: When? Which season do you want to get married in? What month? What day? This information will help you know which days you should definitely stay away from, and which days are ideal for your wedding!

WORST DAYS TO GET MARRIED

Holidays:

While it may seem romantic to celebrate Christmas or welcome the new year with a gorgeous wedding, it can severely limit the number of guests and loved ones that can attend if they have plans during the holidays. Avoid the week before and after Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, etc., as well as the week before and after January 1st. Other holidays that would be a bad idea can include Thanksgiving, Memorial Day/Weekend, and July 4th.

Daylight Savings Day:

When planning your wedding, you have a lot more to worry about than changing the time of your clock forwards or backwards an hour. So why chance being an hour late to your own wedding? Not to mention many of your guests may have forgotten to do the same thing, and may arrive an hour early or late to your ceremony! Just avoid the confusion and this day in general.

September 11th:

This is a date that will forever be remembered as a day of sadness, loss, and grief in the minds of Americans. It isn’t the best day for that picture-perfect wedding you may have in mind.

Sporting Events:

There’s nothing worse than guests slipping out of your reception early or secretly listening to the game in their cars on your big day. Avoid picking a date on Superbowl weekend, during the World Series, March Madness, or (since it’s happening right now you shouldn’t have this problem for another 4 years) the World Cup.

Friday the 13th:

While you may not believe in superstitions, many other people do, and you don’t want to begin you and your fiancé’s life together with even a chance of bad luck! Some couples even avoid weekends that have the number 13 in them at all.

April 1st:

A day known for unwelcome pranks and jokes doesn’t really set the tone for a romantic wedding. Be prepared for what may happen if you choose this day for your wedding!

BEST DAYS TO GET MARRIED

Well there are a couple different takes on the best days to get married. The first one is from the Farmer’s Almanac, and is an old weather rhyme about getting married. It’s supposed to help you choose the month of your wedding:

“Married in January’s chilling time, widowed you’ll be before your prime.

Married in February’s sleety weather, life you’ll tread in tune together.

Married when March winds shrill and roar, your home will be on foreign shore.

Married ‘neath April’s changing skies, a checkered path before you lies.

Married when bees over May blossoms flit, strangers around your board will sit.

Married in the merry month of June, life will be one honeymoon.

Married as July’s flower banks blaze, bittersweet memories in after days.

Married in August heat and drowse, lover and friend in your chosen spouse.

Married in gold September glow, smooth and serene your life will flow.

Married when leaves in October thin, toil and hardship for you begin.

Married in the veils of November mist, fortune your wedding ring has missed.

Married in days of December’s cheer, love will shine brighter year after year.”

The Farmer’s Almanac also lists these as the best days to get married this year:

June: 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st

July: 4th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th

August: 3rd, 4th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th

Whichever date you choose, Elle Events Inc. will make your wedding perfect no matter what day it’s on!

Source: Project Wedding, Farmer’s Almanac

Weird Wedding Photos!

Elle Events Inc. — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:47:52 +0000

Initially I was looking for weird places where people have gotten married, but through my research I also found a bunch of funny, strange, and… unique wedding photos that I thought I’d share.

All images from ArtsyTime.com and DJMick.co.uk.

Image via Artsy Time

Image via DJ Mick

Image via Artsy Time