Bouquet, garter & cake-cutting wedding traditions
It's interesting:"Ellen told Keith that by their wedding day she wanted him to have the body of an Olympic swimmer. She was thinking of Michael Phelps, but from ..."
Tossing the bouquet, throwing the garter and cutting the cake are all familiar wedding traditions. Each of these traditions has an long and rich history. The symbolic nature of wedding traditions hold deep meaning in many cultures. By learning about the origins of the bouquet, garter and wedding cake, you can add extra meaning to your own wedding day.
Bouquet
The bridal bouquet was initially made from a variety of herbs, each with a significant meaning. It was believed that the herbs would ward off evil spirits and help the bride to be a better wife. In the 14th century, wedding guests would tear at the bride's wedding dress for luck. When brides decided they didn't like having their dresses destroyed, they started throwing items of their choice. The garter and the bouquet were the two main items that were thrown. Traditionally, only unmarried women would try to catch the bouquet, though modern brides often encourage all the women at the reception to try for the bouquet so as not to single out single women.
Garter
The garter was originally worn by the bride and removed when the couple consummated the marriage. Originally, witnesses would remove it, but brides began to insist that the groom throw it out the window to show the witnesses the marriage had been consummated while still maintaining privacy. It evolved into the tradition of the groom throwing the garter to the crowd. The single man who caught the garter would wear it in his hat as a trophy of the day.
Cake Cutting
Wedding cakes started as a collection of small cakes and scones. The cakes, which were seen as fertility symbols, were thrown at the bride to increase her chances of having a child. To increase the chances, the bride and groom would eat some of the crumbs together. It wasn't until the 17th century that a multi-tiered wedding cake became popular. The bride would cut the cake with her groom's help to symbolize their partnership. This is why the bride's hand is on the knife and the groom places his hand over hers.
Modern Variations
Most of these ceremonies have become habits rather than meaningful traditions, but there is still meaning to each one. The bouquet is tossed to the single women at the party, supposedly to indicate who will get married next. The garter, thrown to the single men in the crowd, is sometimes placed on the leg of the woman who caught the bouquet. Tradition says the two will be the next to get married, though not necessarily to each other. The cake cutting can be a sweet first act by a newly married couple, symbolizing their desire to share everything in life with each other. Sharing the cake with each other, and with wedding guests, is a way to honor old traditions.
Source: www.ehow.com
Tags: wedding traditions, each other, Bouquet garter, cake with, increase chances, single women
