Chinese Post-Wedding Ritual

     Many couples see the day after their wedding as a day to simply spend and cherish time together, let it be with fancy, candle-lit dinners or romantic movies and cuddling, all of that. Not Chinese couples, though. The day after a Chinese wedding is usually quite stressful for both the bride and the groom. 

      The post-wedding ritual, it's called. The day after the wedding, the bride wakes up earlier than her husband as to go and honor her ancestors with prayer at dawn. Once the groom awakes, he takes his new wife to meet his family and friends. There, she kneels down before each of the elders and receives a small gift in tow. 

     This tradition is often seen nowadays, just as it had been centuries ago. All in all, the ritual proves the bride's respect to her husband's family, and portrays the couple's appreciation for their ancestors. So the day after a wedding could mean romance and relaxing for one couple, whereas it could mean meeting parents and paying respects to another.

By Julia Dankov

Shoes on the Bumper

     The different countries and cultures of the world all offer unique, sometimes even bizarre wedding traditions. Some cultures find it customary to jump over a broom, others require exchanges of food gifts. Some even tie their shoes to the bumper of their car and drive away at the end of their wedding celebrations. Yes, you read right. Now, you may be asking, what's up with that?

     The tradition of tying shoes to the bumper of a bride and groom's car is quite new, for cars haven't been around for that long. But the shoe part is significantly older, dating back to the times of the ancient Assyrians, Egyptians, and Hebrews. Trading sandals and other such shoes were a very important part of all the weddings back in those days. It symbolized the grooms acceptance of taking on the responsibility of caring for the bride.

     Nowadays, a more modernized version of this tradition still exists. Who needs to just transfer shoes when you could tie them to the bumper of your car? The tradition is seen all around the world, and is a common wedding icon everywhere. As silly as it might seem, what it symbolizes is quite the opposite.

By Julia Dankov

Trying Cinemagraphy

Anybody wants to pose for us? We'll offer an engagement session for free if you pose for cinemagraphy session!!

I Wish I Wish Upon a Tree

     If you've ever attended a wedding, I'm sure you've never ceased to attend it with a congratulatory card in your hand. It's common knowledge that cards bearing phrases such as 'congratulations' or 'wish you the best' are good ideas to bring to the weddings of your soon-to-be-married friends. Wishes of good fortune, health, and happiness are often communicated through these little paper cards. When you think about it though, the tradition may be a little bit worn out. The people of Holland seem to agree.

     Dutch couples in Holland often choose to add ornate bunches of branches called Wish Tree's to their weddings. These Wish Tree's serve as a more original way to get across wishes of, as I said before, good fortune, health, and happiness. Guests attending the wedding take turns writing down their wishes for their newly wed friends on little slips of paper which are later read and hung up on the Wish Tree by the bride and groom. In the end, whether you're buying a card at a shop or writing on a little slip of Wish Tree paper, all that matters is that your good-willed wishes come true.

By Julia Dankov

Julia and Pavlo Engagement Photosession

Shot on location in Wilmette, IL on June 26, 2011. Beautiful young couple. Fun, loving, and very enthusiastic about pictures. We are looking forward to photograph their wedding on August 6, 2011 in Chicago.   

Jumping the Broom!

     Love cannot be denied, this is a fact. It can surprise you and spring up even when you don't want it to, but still, you can't fight it. This can very easily be applied to the slavery era. Obviously, slaves were humans. It was only natural for them to build relationships, and of course, fall in love with one another. Marriage among enslaved couples was forbidden at the time; however, that didn't stop anybody. It was very common for slaves to "jump the broom", a ritual created by the slaves themselves. They would put a broom on the floor and jump over it, signifying their marriage.

     Present day African-American couples often choose to add this ritual to their wedding ceremonies as well. These brooms are often handmade and beautifully decorated, unlike those of their enslaved ancestors. In the end, it all comes to show that love is love, no matter the circumstances. It will always find a way to prevail, even in the most difficult times.

By Julia Dankov

Egypt's "Big Day" Foods

     Have you ever attended a wedding? I'm sure you have. Have you ever noticed that the wedding you're attending usually takes up most of the day it's held on? Well, I'm sure you have as well. There are a lot of things to a wedding; there's the ceremony, the music, the dancing, the activities, and of course, the feast. For some couples, the meals served at their weddings may not mean much, but for the couples of Egypt, they mean a whole lot. The food served at an Egyptian wedding reflects much more than the couple's taste in food, it reflects as much as the general wealth of the families of the couple. Traditionally, the bride's family is the one who prepares and serves all the food for the wedding. The food can consist of kebabs, grilled chicken, fish, rice dishes, etc. So, the next time you're sitting in a fancy restaurant gazing at your newly wed friends, remember that they might've spent months planning out what's laying on your plate at that exact moment.

        
By Julia Dankov

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