The Laings Journal
As a bride it’s your absolute prerogative to do whatever you want on your wedding day. Well, not exactly what you want. We don’t recommend swinging on the chandeliers or twerking your way around the dance floor. We think traditions have their place and even the most unconventional bride can introduce a dose of old-fashioned etiquette into her wedding without killing the party atmosphere. Here’s the lowdown on the most popular wedding traditions and some tips on how to drag them into the 21st century:
Something old, something new
We all know this one. The original saying dates back to Victorian times and represents family ties. The complete phrase is 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe’. Thank goodness the sixpence part was dropped. Frankly we can’t imagine anything worse than a rusty old coin rattling around the soles of our brand new stilettos.
Something old represents the link between the bride's family and the past. A piece of old jewellery does the trick. Another option is to wear a relatives wedding dress although it’s unlikely you dreamed of wearing a retro hand-me-down on your wedding day.
Something borrowed reminds the bride that friends and family are at hand if needed. The borrowed object is meant to be something useful like a handkerchief to dab away the happy tears or a cosy shawl to protect the bride’s shoulders from the elements.
Why not modernise this tradition by wearing a sparkly pair of blue shoes underneath your wedding dress? Your guests will spot a little flash of blue when you walk down the aisle and you’ll have a funky pair of shoes to remind you of your big day. If money is no object check out Manolo Blahnik –Carries’s blue shoes from Sex and the City are perfection!
something-blueTossing the Bouquet
Do you know how much wedding flowers cost? The answer is a fortune! After paying a hefty price tag for the perfect bouquet the last thing you want to do is throw it at someone. However, just be thankful you’re a modern bride and not getting married in days of old. This tradition stems from a time when women ripped off pieces of the bride's dress and bouquet in order to obtain some of her good luck. To escape the crowd the bride would toss her bouquet at them and run away.
Today the bouquet is thrown over the brides head and whoever catches is meant to be the next in line to get married. Since there’s a current trend towards jewelled bouquets made of vintage brooches and gems it might be wise to think twice before launching it in mid-air and knocking out a bridesmaid. Instead pop it in a vase and give it your wedding planner as a thank you for his or her help on the day.
The Best Man’s Speech
In ancient times, things were rather rough and ready with men capturing women to make them their brides. A man would take along his strongest friend to help him fight any resistance from the woman's family. This friend was his best man and in Anglo-Saxon England he accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride. Today, the bride’s only fear is the best man’s bad jokes. We think a speech from the best man, the bride and the groom is a fitting testament to the equality of marriage in our modern society.
Whatever direction you choose, whether it be traditional, modern or a mixture of both just make sure that it is a day to remember and you savour every second! Have your wedding your own way and you cant go wrong.