New Wedding Traditions
Who’s Side?
Today, families are more spread out than ever. It is not uncommon for children to move away from their families, sometimes to the other side of the country, or even the world. Many times their schooling takes them there, or perhaps they had a job offer they just couldn’t refuse.
Because families are so spread out, it is sometimes hard for everyone to come to a wedding. Some people can’t afford long trips across the country for the numerous weddings they are invited to, or they simple cannot take a lot of time off for work. When this happens, the numbers of family members attending a wedding may become wildly unbalanced between the bride and the groom.
As tradition dictates, ushers at weddings normally would seat family and friends of the groom on one side of the church, and friends and family of the bride would be seated on the other. When this happens, the church can be oddly full on one side, and empty on the other. When couples know that this may happen, they tell the ushers to seat people on each side as they come in, regardless of which family they belong to.
This works out great for some couples for a variety of reasons. When either person knows a lot of their family cannot attend, an almost empty side of a church is a reminder of that. Filling the church on both sides helps take a little sting out of this. Also, if there are a lot of people on one side, people won’t have to sit in the far back just because they are with the groom’s family.
White Wedding
White is meant to signify the bride is a virgin, at least in modern times. Wedding dresses did not begin as white, as many people think. Queen Victoria wore white for her wedding (though she was not the first), and thus started the modern wedding tradition trend of white. It may have caught on more as a symbol of wealth rather than innocence.
Today, many women are passing on white, creating new wedding traditions, and going for other colors. Pinks and pastels are popular as an alternative. Today women are more open about their sexuality, and it is widely known that not a lot of the brides that wear white can claim sexual innocence. For this reason, colors are becoming more and more common.
Many of these dresses are still white, but with color thrown into the design. Some choose to go with these dresses simply because they think they are beautiful while still looking like a traditional wedding dress in all other aspects. Think of it as the beginnings of one of a number of new wedding traditions. Instead of a color signifying your innocence, or lack there of, let the color signify your sense of self.
Toasting the Couple
Another of the new wedding traditions that has popped up in recent years is the way the newly married coupled is honored at the reception. For a long time, it was the sole duty of the best man to make the toast to the bride and groom at the wedding reception. This wedding tradition is a nice one, but the bride ends up feeling a little put out. Because of this, many brides also ask their maid or matron of honor to make a toast as well.
Pre Wedding Parties
It’s been tradition for men to have a party for the groom, and for the women to do the same for the bride. For many couples, this is becoming passÃ?©. You may find more and more couples starting new wedding traditions in their families by having a party or a night out that includes both the bride and the groom, along with the rest of the wedding party. Instead of drinking all night, some couples also choose to have a barbeque, or a day of activities like golf, volleyball, swimming, or other games and activities.
Final Thoughts
Wedding traditions are what you make them. If you want to wear white, seat according to family, and leave the toast to the best man, that’s up to you. Your wedding should be exactly as you want it to be, but just remember that you don’t have to stick with wedding traditions if they doesn’t make sense for you as a couple. New wedding traditions have to start somewhere; so don’t be afraid to start one or two of your own.
