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

Cake for the Couple!

     The sharing of the first slice of cake among the bride and groom is a tradition that's been around for quite a while. We've all heard of it, for it's not only extremely long-standing, it's immensely popular as well. The tradition originated in Rome several centuries ago, where people believed that it would signify the creation of a special bond. To this day, such a belief continues to stand strong.

     This activity usually takes place right after the wedding ceremony and at the very beginning of the reception. Once the cake is revealed, the bride and groom dig in together. They feed each other small pieces of the cake, smiling and laughing away. The wheat that's used to bake the cake is often symbolic of fertility and a fruitful union, and the overall sweetness of the cake is thought to offer sweetness to the marriage. It's a quite fun and sweet tradition because of such symbols, and can be seen all over the world because of this.

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