Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold

     It is clear that nowadays newlywed brides and grooms appear to be inseparable. Generations ago however, this was not so. It was considered lady-like for a woman to appear to be a bit hesitant in "giving herself away" to her new husband. It is because of this very custom that the tradition of "carrying the bride over the threshold" came to be.

     During Victorian times, when such customs existed, men would often carry their brides over the thresholds of their bridal chambers. By doing so, they "encouraged" their brides to go in with them. Although it was quite the forceful image back then, it is considered a quite sweet one nowadays. It is a tradition that has evolved, but has not quite faltered in general.

By Julia Dankov

Fiji's Wedding Dresses

     Every culture has its own style and way of dress. When it comes to wedding attire, it's very interesting to see what every part of the world deems customary for their wedding rituals. For example, the Fijian culture offers a selection of two quite specific, cultural wedding dresses, bias cut gowns and tapa cloth gowns. The designs of both are incredibly unique, making the tradition of wearing them truly special.

     These gowns can be seen being worn by brides all over Fiji. The bias cut gowns are long, silky dresses with a low-cut back. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, and can therefore be customized down to the very last stitch. Because of this, the phrase "it's perfect" can be applied wholeheartedly. The tapa cloth gowns are long, colorful dresses constructed of tapa cloth made from mulberry bark and decorated with geometric prints. They're a bit more exotic of the two Fijian wedding dress types, however for those looking to really stick to old traditions, it's the perfect choice. It's easy to see why both dresses are so popular among Fijian brides; they've been around for several centuries and have remained as beautiful as ever through the years.

By Julia Dankov

Father Daughter Dance

     When most people discuss father daughter dances, they refer to the wedding dance that takes place between a woman and her father on that woman's wedding day. This tradition has been around for several centuries, for its bittersweet and meaningful attributes have been touching the hearts of fathers for quite the while. Many choose to incorporate such a tradition into their weddings for this very reason.

     The father daughter dance is traditionally the very first dance that takes place at a wedding. Soft music plays as a young woman and her beloved father sway, enjoying a quite touching moment together. Such a moment means a lot, for it symbolizes a father handing his daughter over to his new son-in-law and losing his long-standing protective embrace over her. The tradition is very common in the Catholic religion, where special emphasis is put on the relationship between a girl and any fatherly figure in her life, let it be a father, grandfather, or uncle. Of course the tradition stands at large in many other religions and cultures, for it's a massive part in the majority of weddings all over the world nowadays.

By Julia Dankov

Video about our workshop in Kharkov, Ukraine

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOBHtOQQXuY

Finnish Bride-To-Be's

     Looking back on last weeks discussion, it is interesting to learn and quite important to remember that as widespread as the tradition of tossing the bridal bouquet is, there are other incredibly special ways of crowning "bride-to-be's" all over the world. For example, in Finland a tradition quite similar to and just as beautiful as the act of a queen passing her crown down to her descendants exists. This tradition is incorporated into weddings all throughout Finland, and quite commonly at that.

     On her wedding day, a Finnish bride traditionally wears a golden crown. She keeps it on her head through the duration of the entire wedding; during the exchange of vows, through the feasts and dances, etc. It is only at the very end of the wedding that the bride finally removes her crown. After being blindfolded, she stands in the center of a circle of her closest female friends as they dance around her. After a little while, the bride takes her crown off and, still blindfolded, lowers it onto the head of whichever lucky woman happens to be closest. This woman is then considered to be next in line for marriage. The tradition is quite old yet is just as beautiful as it ever was, for there is just something absolutely charming about "crowning" a future bride.

By Julia Dankov

Why Do Brides Throw Their Bouquets?

     It's customary all around the world for brides to carry bridal bouquets with them at weddings. Even someone who's never attended a wedding would know that. This someone would also know that at some point during a wedding, the bride tosses this bridal bouquet of hers into a crowd of her closest female friends. It's believed that whichever woman catches the bouquet is next in line to marry. This tradition is old and long-standing, but how did it all start?

     Ever since the general idea of weddings was introduced, people have considered brides to be particularly lucky people. Everyone wanted a piece of that luck. When a bride and groom would gather to throw their wedding, they would of course invite wedding guests. During the wedding, these guests would go to quite desperate measures to try and symbolize their desire for a piece of the brides luck; they would go so far as to chase her down and try to tear off bits of her bridal gown. Naturally, the bride would oppose this. That's why the idea of tossing the bridal bouquet came to mind, as a way of distracting the guests and leaving the bride with plenty of time to get away unscathed. Over the years, the activity evolved and replaced the act of tearing off bits of the bridal gown. Now, the tradition is seen at almost every wedding and still continues to symbolize the sharing of the brides luck.

 By Julia Dankov

Why the Veil?

     So you're at a wedding, waiting for the alliance of your good friends or relatives to be blessed and deemed official. You're sitting in a church or restaurant, wherever it may be, socializing amongst the other wedding guests. Out of nowhere, music starts playing, chatter subsides, and heads turn towards whatever entrance the venue has. There, the beautiful bride begins her way down the aisle or hall. Hushed whispers and proud smiles dance around the room as you look the woman over. You notice her flowing dress or any other attire, her polished accessories, and usually, her long, sweeping viel.

   
     Now, veils are very common accents to the wedding attires of brides all over the world. You may be wondering, why are they so popular, so important? The tradition of wearing a wedding veil is very old, dating back to as far as the ancient times. Yellow in ancient Greece and red in ancient Rome, the traditional wedding veil came in many varied shapes, sizes, and styles. Even in present day, wedding veils are available in thousands of different colors, materials, ect. There are many stories of the wedding veil's true origin. Some say it was worn to protect the bride from evil spirits on her day of marriage, for it concealed her face and confused these spirits. Others say it was worn to protect the bride from 'the evil eye' and to symbolize purity, chastity, and modesty. No matter the wedding veil's origin or where, when, and by whom it was worn, it really only stood for, and continues to stand for, one thing and one thing only; a truly happy event in any couple's life.

By Julia Dankov

Stealing the Bride

     Playing games, fooling around, other such things along those lines, they're all simply essential for a wedding. Weddings can't be taken too seriously, they're a time for celebration and having fun, right? The Russians, for one, sure seem to agree with this statement. Amongst several other activities, almost all Russian weddings include a specific game called 'Stealing the Bride'. At these weddings, if the groom doesn't keep too good an eye on his bride, she's eligible to be 'kidnapped' by the friends and family of the groom. In order to get her back, the groom must carry out the hilarious and sometimes even humiliating tasks demanded by the brides' 'kidnappers'. Dancing, singing, reciting poetry, solving riddles, and other such 'missions' are good examples of how the groom must 'pay a ransom' to get his bride back. Often getting all of the attending wedding guests doubling over with laughter, this game is a good installment to any wedding. Although the tradition is old, it's still a common activity at many Russian weddings.

By Julia Dankov