Royal Wedding Accessories: 09/01/2011

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Greek Weddings: The Tradition of Threes

One interesting thing to know about traditional Greek weddings is that vows are not exchanged as they are in many religions. There is trust that the couple getting married are there for the exact reasons stated in vows, and that there is no need for vows to be read aloud.
Greek weddings are very romantic and symbolic. Each part of the ceremony, as in many cultures, symbolizes union and traditional values.
To begin, the wedding guests wait patiently outside the church for the bride and groom. Once the bride arrives, usually adorned in a veil of orange or red to protect her from evil spirits, the guests follow the soon-to-be-wed couple into the church where they are seated together. Guests are not separated into families of the bride and groom, but sit all together.

Fiji Weddings - Get Married in One of the Most Romantic Places in the World

Wedding Traditions and Custom Made Wedding Dresses
Fiji Weddings: Traditional or Exotic
If are considering getting married in Fiji, you have a myriad superb locations to choose from. You can also decide whether to have a simple traditional wedding ceremony, or you can choose a more exotic ceremony on the beach. There are many lovely churches in Fiji where you can get married. If you wish to have a Catholic wedding, however, you will need a Letter of Freedom from your church, along with your baptism certificate. These need to be given to the Fijian priest who will marry you at least 2 to 3 months in advance.
Fiji Wedding Resorts and Planners
What is also so wonderful and unique about getting married in Fiji is that your entire wedding can be planned out for you from start to finish. By staying at a Fiji wedding resort, you can let the resort plan out your entire day for you as you and your partner the most magical day of your lives surrounded by your friends and family.

Indian Wedding Customs - Eastern and Western Indian Wedding Traditions

Eastern Indian marriages
Eastern Indian wedding ceremonies are not as opulent and extravagant as their North Indian counterparts but are equally elaborate in their own way. There are scores of simple but meaningful rituals, many of them very interesting and actually rooted in ancient logic and reasoning. Weddings in India are also an occasion where long-lost close friends and relatives bond and share memorable moments during this happy occasion.
West Indian marriages
Western Indian weddings, especially Maharashtrian weddings, usually take place in the morning. Prior to this, the engagement ceremony, known as Sakhar Puda (exchanging of a sugar packet) takes place to formally declare the betrothal.
In the morning, a puja is conducted to worship Lord Ganesh (the elephant-headed God of prosperity). The groom's family arrives in the morning at either the bride's residence or the mandap and is treated to a lavish breakfast.
After this, as per the auspicious time already set in consultation with various astrological almanacs, the girl's maternal uncle escorts her to the Mandap (marriage hall). Tradition dictates that the girl and boy do not see each other while the Antarpaat ceremony takes place. In this a silk partition (Antarpaat) is placed between them. Then the shlokas are chanted by the priest after which Antarpaat is removed. The friends and relatives gathered shower unbroken rice on the couple as an auspicious sign. The bride and the groom then exchange flower garlands and take the Seven Steps (Saat Pheras) around the ceremonial holy fire.

Wedding Traditions and Custom Made Wedding Dresses

Up until the 1900's, brides hardly ever had custom made wedding dresses made up, opting for their best and finest regular outfit instead. However, the colour green was especially avoided, as it was thought to be unlucky. There was also a different connotation to avoiding the colour green. To say a girl had a 'green gown' implied the girl in question had loose morals, because her dress would be grass-stained from rolling around in the fields! It led to phrases such as 'married in green, ashamed to be seen!' White custom made wedding dresses were made popular by Queen Victoria, who broke the tradition of royalty always marrying in silver. Although green was definitely a colour to avoid, and silver was the hallmark of royalty, there were many other colour associations with wedding attire:
Married in white, you have chosen right
Married in grey, you will go far away,
Married in black, you will wish yourself back,
Married in red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in blue, you will always be true,
Married in pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in brown, you will live in the town,
Married in pink, your spirit will sink.

Groom Wedding Speech - Wow the Crowd With the Perfect Words

The thought of standing in front of a crowd of people and saying the wrong thing was a constant fear and it was actually making me less enthusiastic about getting married believe it or not. Writing the perfect groom wedding speech is a fear for most men as I later found out. I just wish I had learnt that sooner.
Eventually I built up the motivation to write the speech and I did not know where to start. Do you go for a funny speech or something more emotional and sincere? How to get the balance write was very difficult. The best thing I learnt though was to get some words down on paper. When I started writing it got the ball rolling and the ideas started flowing.
If you are in a similar position my advice is to think about the story of your relationship and just start writing. Do not worry about the order of the speech yet, just think about your partner and the best moments of your relationship and put it all down.
I would highly recommend getting a guide to help you with the structure and tone of the content or at least speak to a friend who has been there before. This helped me greatly as a groom wedding speech presented in your home is much different from a crowded wedding hall. The main point though is to speak from the heart and try to capture the way your partner makes you feel.

Etiquette of Great Groom Wedding Speeches

6Tips for Groom Wedding Speech Etiquette's
•The speeches should always follow the father of the groom wedding speech.
•The groom should warmly welcome the entire guest for coming to the wedding and thank them for being part of the wedding reception and ceremony. This should be done at the beginning of the ceremony and special attention should be given to close family members of the bride.
•The presentation should mention a warm gesture to the bride's parents by thanking them for giving away their daughter and re-assure them that you are going to take care of their daughter.
•Introduce the bride, make a statement that makes her feel special, praise her and express how happy you are being with her.
•Include in the groom's wedding speech a toast that thanks all the people that helped make this day a reality, mentioning anyone who went that extra mile for you on that day. Also, add a special mention to the bride's maids and compliment their attire (nothing over the top - remember whose special day it is).
•In the presentation, mention the best man and thank him for coming and maybe, if time permits, say a few brief words about your history or a funny short story.
Final Remarks
To make the presentation flow and be great, make sure you take the time and rehearse it a number of time in front of the mirror or to a friend to see if they can comment on how to improve the speech. Remember to include all the grooms wedding speech examples above & the wedding speech will be unique, memorable and contain all the content it to make your wedding speech great.

The Groom Wedding Speech

Your wedding day is crazy enough, with getting to the church on time and remembering to call the woman you are marrying by the right name. On top of all of that, you have to deliver a speech at your reception, in front of all your family and friends. Here are some simple tips on how to write a groom wedding speech that will impress your beautiful wife and your guests.
The first thing you must do is to take a deep breath and relax. Creating a dialogue that outlines your relationship with your new wife, in a short essay, does not have to be stressful. Take some time to figure out exactly what you want to say, and how you want to say it. It can be serious, with a lot of conviction and sentiment, or you can give it a humorous twist that makes everyone laugh. The main point is to thank everyone, especially your wife for marrying you.
Once you have written everything down, practice saying it out loud. Stand in front of a mirror and read it over and over until you are confident in the way you want it to sound. Read it to your best man and get him to critique it for you. Sometimes running it by someone can give you a better perspective on whether it will be a success or a flop.

Gay Weddings And Why They Are A Good Thing

For many many years gay and lesbian people have been fighting for these type of rights and have lived in fear and the feeling of being a second citizen. Having to live with this over many years, afraid that something could happen or say they didn't want them here, would of been awful and no way to live your life. Gay weddings have opened doors for full same sex rights in the eyes of the law. We call it a gay wedding but really it's a civil partnership, which isn't full marriage but close enough to it. Gay weddings finally show that people do recognize love between people of the same sex is acceptable and the love is just as strong as a straight couple.
The fact that gay weddings are now allowed is a huge sign if not the final sign that it's all OK to be gay and people accept you for what you are. Of course as like anything there is still a small group of people who don't like it. You will find that not every country is as liberal as others and just by being gay you could be in serious trouble or even put to death. Its a matter of gay rights and having gay weddings in a country is a massive step forward in the right direction if not the final step into gay rights. There is the whole thing about gay adoption but that is for another time.

Budget Savvy Wedding Reception Decoration Ideas

Decorations are extremely important to me because I truly believe they help set the overall mood of the events. Believe it or not, guests do take behavioral cues based on how the room looks. Sounds silly doesn't it? But, think about when something is decorated for kids; It's usually in bright, playful and vibrant colors that make you feel young again. Now imagine being in a room that is decorated for a formal event. Sitting at a table where there are three forks, three knives, and three spoons in front of you, doesn't make you feel like turning cartwheels. You will probably feel more appropriate sipping on some champagne and chatting with friends. So, reception decorations set the mood for all of your guests. But with so much to plan, where should you start?
You should always know what you want before buying or renting anything for your space. That doesn't mean that you must know every detail, but there should be certain buzz words in your head. Are you looking for simple elegance or over-the-top fabulousness? Are you going with a particular theme? Or do you have a motif that you want to use throughout the day? These are important questions to ponder in order to get great wedding reception ideas. It is also important to understand that your wedding reception décor should reflect your personality and the level of formality that you are looking for. So think about your buzz words, because they should sound off, in your head, whenever you look at any décor elements. For example, I am truly simple when it comes to decorating. I don't like things to be over-the-top, so simplicity is a really big buzzword for me. Although I want things simple, that does not mean I want a picnic in the park for my wedding day. I think more about a simple, sophisticated style because I think it reflects my personality. Thank goodness that my fiancé is the same way. Anyway, your buzzwords will help give great wedding reception ideas.
Now, I know that no one has to tell overly excited brides this, but you also need to flip through wedding books and magazines to figure out the look that you want. One of my favorite wedding pastimes is to go to the bookstore, get a stack of magazines, find a corner, and dream. Look at the décor elements featured in the magazine. Notice the tablecloths that are being used on the tables as well as the shapes of the tables. Think about the elements that you like and how you would want it to look differently. Pay close attention to how each detail sets the right mood. Browsing through these books, magazines, and online wedding websites helps to shape your wedding reception decoration ideas

Green Reception Ideas For a Wedding - Frequently Asked Questions

Are Flowers Bad For the Environment?
The commercial flower industry often uses harsh pesticides and poisons when growing their products. These chemicals unfortunately do not stay on the plant, they also run off into the soil and eventually contaminate the groundwater. To avoid this, consider shopping for an organic florist, which will source their flowers from growers who have committed to using all natural methods for their production.
How Can I Recycle My Wedding Leftovers?
Although many wedding decorations such as flowers are perishable, they will certainly still be beautiful in the days after your wedding. So many flowers and centerpieces are thrown away and end up in landfills, when they could bring happiness to others before their usefulness is gone. Consider donating your leftover flowers to nursing homes, hospitals, and other places where they will brighten someone's mood. The leftover food will be welcomed by a local foodbank or shelter.
What Other Green Wedding Reception Practices Should I Consider?
The linens and napkins that people often rent for their receptions are typically dry cleaned in a solution known as perchloroethylene, or "perc" for short. This chemical is a known carcinogen and is bad for the environment. Also, the fabrics themselves may be artificial and be made from petroleum products. Consider hiring a vendor that uses green dry cleaning methods such as liquid carbon dioxide, and provides all natural table linens made from cotton or wool.
How Much More Expensive is a Green Wedding Reception?
Honestly, it does not have to be much more expensive than a traditional reception at all. Many of the techniques described above simply take a little extra planning ahead of time, but cost absolutely nothing. Organic farming has become mainstream enough at this point that most larger metro areas will have several options for florists and caterers that will provide organic and lower impact options. At the very least, if you are a socially conscious person it is worth exploring your options before you select traditional vendors and methods for your reception.
As you can see, reception ideas for a wedding that has less impact on the environment are really not all that hard to come by or a lot more expensive than usual. You can see that by choosing organic alternatives in your flowers and linens, insisting on less harmful dry

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Wedding Reception Ideas

Truly unique wedding reception ideas are often hard to come by. In an age where many bride and groom wish for their wedding to be special and truly creative, finding innovative ideas for edding receptions is much sought after.
Much of what you decide to do for your wedding reception party will have to do with your overall wedding plan - your theme. Sticking with a planned theme can often make planning your reception more difficult. For example, throwing a Western cowboy themed wedding makes it difficult to throw a reception at a cozy ski hill resort without breaking with your theme.
The best thing to do is to plan the majority of your wedding events around what you want - your wedding ceremony location and particulars. Since location is probably one of the most important aspects of planning a wedding, we suggest looking at unique locations first and ask yourself (and the owner) whether those places would fit your wedding reception idea.
Some ideas might be:
Romantic restaurants
Small cruise
Ranch or private home
Sports venue
Private or rented movie theatre
Ballroom
Amphitheatre or outdoor venue (good in sunny weather locales)
Ski Lodge
Cornfield clearing complete with tents and large awnings
There are many ideas for locations for wedding receptions (and weddings for that matter). Once you have selected the proper location, find out if the location supports the number of people for your reception - the entertainment, refreshments, food and people. Why not try customized refreshments, themed wedding favors, even reception games. By being creative with location and your wedding theme, you will find that the rest of the wedding reception planning will fall right into place.

Wedding Poems

Many couples like the idea of incorporating poems into their marriage ceremony, but may be unsure how to go about it. For some, the idea of writing their own love poem is a great romantic notion, but comes with just a bit of writer's block. For others, finding the ideal poem (already written) is greatly desired but feels like an overwhelming task. For these couples, the good news is that others have already done much of the hard work.
Multitudes of collections have been compiled for the sole purpose of weddings. The trouble is of course, finding time to go to the local library and read them all. This is where a bit of solid research comes in handy; some websites provide brief descriptions or group poems by category. Many also provide the complete poems with copyright information. Because a wedding is not a public service and couples are not charging guests for attending, a simple acknowledgement of the author and creation date in the program will suffice. There are also a number of books on the subject. These can be useful in that many combine poetry options along with vows or other related ceremonial options that can compliment the reading.
For those who are interested in composing their own poem, but do not feel up to the task, there is help here as well! For poets-in-the-making, choices range from enrolling in a poetry course (such as online or through a community education program), to using one of the many tools to create customized wedding vows and poems, to simply winging it. If there is time and inclination, a short course on poetry writing can be very informative, provide feedback from participants and the instructor, and help reduce nerves. However, this may be a bit much for some, which is why websites, books, wedding kits are available that walk the couple through the process of writing their own poems or vows. These can be useful in that the couple can work together in developing a theme or direction for the poems, which makes the writing process much easier.
Winging it is also an option, while considering a few thoughts. Not everyone can write elaborate poetry incorporating perfect rhyme and rhythm--which is why free verse was invented. Using free verse or other, shorter forms of poetry may be the perfect options for those who want to express their feelings in original words but cannot face the thought of composing a sonnet. Consider reading a book or two on poetry writing to get a feel for the variety of poetry styles.
Lastly, whether you prefer an existing poem or taking pen to paper, keeping the purpose of the poem in mind may help selection and writing. The poem is incorporated to add a unique expression of love to the wedding ceremony and represent the couple. No poem is perfect for every wedding, but there is one out there that is perfect for you.

Jewish Wedding Traditions

Filled with meaningful rituals and steeped in tradition, a Jewish wedding is symbolic of the beauty of the relationship of the husband and wife. There are many significant components of a traditional ceremony that will express the bride and groom's obligations to each other and the Jewish people. It's important to understand the traditions and the significance of following certain guidelines during the ceremony.
The wedding day is considered a personal Yom Kippur for the couple and allows them to have all mistakes forgiven as they merge their lives into one. There is traditional dress involved in this holy day. As guests arrive for the ceremony, the bride (kallah) and groom (chatan) greet the guests separately, as they won't be able to see one another before the ceremony begins. This part of the Jewish wedding tradition is called the Kabbalat Panim. Next in the ceremony comes the Badeken. This involves the veiling of the bride and groom. The wedding ceremony will then take place under the Chuppah, or canopy. The Chuppah is symbolic of the home the couple will build with one another.
The Blessings of Betrothal, or Kiddushin, is the part of the ceremony in which two cups of wine are shared by the couple after being blessed by the rabbi. According to Jewish law, a marriage becomes official with the groom gives the ring to the bride. The ring is traditionally plain, with no stones or embellishments. The rest of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony involves the Ketubah, or marriage contract, the Seven Blessings, breaking the glass, and the festive meal. Carefully following these traditions is important to a Jewish couple. These meaningful rites of passage allow the couple to enter into the sacred bond of marriage and begin their life together. This beautiful and sacred ritual is an important tradition to the whole family.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4689449
Japanase traditional wedding dress
Japanese traditional white wedding kimono is called shiro-maku. The term ” shiro ” means whitened and maku means pure. The traditional japanese wedding dress look beatiful and notbale. They are a symbol of the pure character of ladies. The wedding kimono really includes two diferent kimono. The whitened wedding kimono is worn for the wedding ceremony along with a elaborate wealthy patterned silk broacade kimono known as uchikake is worn within the whitened kimono at the wedding reception
White customs in Japanese reflect the broad diversity of ethnic groups within Japanese. Each ethnic group has different wedding dress and various marriage events and customs and within ethnic groups, individuals of various religious skills have different practices too.

In Japan, wedding events mostly are held throughout the spring season. Japanese wedding ceremonies are not so much popular however the traditional Japanese wedding dress are extremely famous in the majority of the parts around the globe. If you’re also wanting to improve oneself using the charming looks with the elegant Japanese wedding dress and add-ons, then you definitely must look at this article. In the following paragraphs, I’ll mainly target the outstanding options that come with the elegant Japanese wedding dress and wedding accessories.

Unique Asian Wedding Traditions Revealed

Traditions are parts of culture and there they stay to follow especially in Asia where traditions vary from each country. We live in a modern world but still ancient beliefs are put to test because it is symbolic in the plainest sense of the word. Weddings are events where everything to do for a happy life is measured by following what the sages say discovering the simple rituals to save the day, so to speak. The modern thinkers dismiss the idea but when they are prepared to tie the knot they think otherwise. No harm in trying as the saying goes.

If you try to examine the word wedding, wed is a Greek word that means pledge and that strong word defines how they go on living together as husband and wife. Wedding rituals connote to a pledge made by the couple and there they start a brand new life.

In Japan, the bride wears a purple gown signifying the color of love and if you examine the dress it is an elaborately-embroidered Kimono silk covered with purple iris-flowers. For Japanese, love is sacred. It is unending. It is forever.

In China, the bride wears a bright red gown symbolizing luck. It is elaborately adorned with golden phoenixes, chrysanthemums and peonies believing to bring wealth and good fortune. The groom, on the hand wears a traditional black silk coat over a robe embroidered with dragon. But before the grand day, a whole roast pig is offered as an engagement gift. And fireworks are famous from Chinese weddings to scare off evil spirits for better lives.

In Indonesia, reception festivities only begin when the couple greeted the whole guests in line. They receive their guests until the very last one. This is still followed by some Asians but today it is not necessary so. The bride and groom are brought to a room waiting for everybody to arrive ready for the grand entrance.

In Korea, before tying the knot, they are brought to a Kung-Hap, a fortune teller to look into the couple's future. This is a must for Koreans but those exposed to modern world think otherwise.

Filipino tradition of throwing a spear in the front steps of the intended bride is no longer used, instead a golden ring is offered for their engagement. In some remote places of the Philippines the groom to be has to do household errands before the parents approve of him. It might take sometime but at the end approval is given.

In India, the parents of the bride wash the couple's feet with milk and water to purify their souls. This is symbolic and up to now Indians practice the ritual. During the ceremony both holds grains of rice and oats and green leaves symbolizing wealth, good health and happiness.

These are documented rituals common to most Asians but being in the modern world directs thinking to a practical point of view but still, traditions stay.

Customary Traditions for Brides-To-Be in Asia

The history of medieval fashion dates back from 1066 and was highly influenced by the Royalty era. This is the time where Kings and Queens usually ruled the land. The upper class individuals were deemed as the only ones who could dress fashionably. Then there was this Sumptuary Law passed by King Edward III stating that only royalty were allowed to wear gold cloth and purple silk. Women from the lower class were banned from wearing expensive veils. Velvet, satin sable or ermine were only allowed to be worn by wives and children of the nobles.
The medieval trends changed with the reign of each king and queen. A lot of crusades had happened during this time and it greatly affected fashion. Silks, satins, damasks, velvets and brocades were already imported from the Far East at this time. Fashion in France, Spain and Italy had strongly influenced the fashion trends of Medieval England.
Medieval dresses also played a big role in society. There are many different types of dresses in this era. There is the princess dress, lady in waiting dress and much more. Another popular but most often overlook medieval clothing is the Lady Hunter Dress. The Lady Hunter Dress is usually worn when a lady goes hunting with the men in the woods. It is often worn with chemises and accessories such as a crown, jewels, purse, and sometimes with a sword. Thigh-high boots are recommended to be paired with this dress.
Perhaps people are wondering why this dress is called "Lady Hunter Dress". The wearer perfectly knows that this dress matches the hounds and the horse she has and completes her look. It makes the character projected more expressive and complete. The wearer would feel she is well equipped when going to the woodlands with this outfit.
The lady hunter dress is made of natural cotton. It has lacings on the sides and the sleeves are fitted well. It allows having light size adjustments easily. There are fine trimmings on the neck, sleeves, bottom and the belt which completes the perfect look. You could have a trimmed fabric belt used as an additional accessory. Sometimes this dress is worn with a bodice vest or pereline. The bodice is made of natural red flax material with beautiful lace silk trimmings on the side.
The lady hunter dress will suit both the young lady from any medieval European country or the heroine from the fantasy stories that we often read about. The only difference that can be seen is the headpiece. The lady from the medieval period can wear a headdress while the heroine can wear a striking crown or headpiece.
Regardless of the purpose of the lady hunter dress, women who donned this kind of medieval clothing still managed to wear it gracefully amidst the very rough terrain and conditions that they had to contend with. Similar to modern day outdoor wear for both men and women, the Lady Hunter Dress focuses on form and function which probably at that period was the reason why most females, especially from the middle and lower class, preferred to wear them compared to their usual line of clothing or apparel.

Asia is a land rich in literally thousands of cultures, all of which have their own traditions-especially when it comes to weddings. Each country, from Indonesia to Japan, Thailand to Korea all have customs and traditions each unique ad their own. Asia's land mass is surrounded by oceans and mountains, making it breathtakingly beautiful, no matter where you are. Asian marriage traditions are also as unique as the landscape. They don't simply connect the bride to the groom, but family to family. Wedding traditions in Asia are as varied as the many cultures and countries that make up the continent.
Let's look at 5 customary traditions for brides-to-be in Asia.
1. In Japan, many brides wear kimonos embroidered with purple flowers because purple represents love. Most ceremonies are in the Shinto religion where the natural spirits are asked to bless the couple's union. In traditional Buddhist ceremonies, a beaded string is braided together which symbolizes the two families becoming one.
2. In countries like India that have a Hindu culture, it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding and couples go to great lengths to avoid each other for days leading up to the ceremony. During the marriage service itself, it's tradition for the bride's parents to wash the feet of the bride and groom in milk and water. This is a symbolic act of purification to prepare the newlyweds for their life together. The couple will also hold items in their hands while the ceremony goes on - grains of rice, oats, and leaves, which stand for wealth, health, and happiness.
3. Gowns worn by Chinese brides are not white. Chinese believe that white symbolizes death. So, brides in this Asian country wear vivid red which is thought to bring luck to the newlywed. In addition to the bride wearing red, she will also typically have designs in her gown depicting phoenixes and flowers to symbolize wealth and fortune. The Chinese groom will don a black silk coat over an embroidered robe with a dragon on it. Firecrackers are set off during the wedding to ward off any evil spirits. Afterwards, expect a feast of roasted pig, a gift from the groom's family.
4. Back in the days in the Philippines, an intended groom would throw a large spear onto the front of the bride's house to show that she belonged to him. Today, the Filipinos stick to the more western tradition of a gold engagement ring. Although most Filipinos are of the Catholic religion now, some still follow traditions of old where the wedding lasts three day, with the couple declaring their love for each other each day and then finally being bound together with a chord to symbolize the final rite of marriage.
5. In Korea, they go all out on the wedding festivities. Oftentimes, a palm reader or fortune teller will be hired to gaze into the couple's future before they actually take their vows in order to see if they will live happily ever after. Because Korean weddings are so expensive and extravagant, they really want to make sure it's forever before signing the check for the party.

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Perfect Japanese Dress For Your Wedding - Choosing a Traditional Dress

Every country has different traditions and customs that is why during the wedding ceremony the bride and the groom wear their traditional dresses. Weddings are celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal in Japan. The close family members and friends of the bride and groom are invited to the wedding and the ceremony is mainly organized in a very simple manner. Most of the weddings in Japan are held in autumn and spring and organized in a Shinto temple. Before the wedding is planned an auspicious date is chosen so that it can bring luck for the bride and groom.

In this article, I would mainly like to tell you about the Traditional Japanese dress and the accessories that are worn by the Japanese bride.
1. The wedding dress
On the wedding day the Japanese bride looks extremely beautiful because their whole body is painted white. It is a belief in the Japanese culture that painting the bride white, would bring luck and prosperity in her married life. The wedding dress for a Japanese bride usually consists of a complete white kimono which is generally white in color. The kimono is known as shiro-maku. In order to get the perfect look for their wedding day, the brides also make different and elaborate hair styles that are done with the help of various hair accessories and comb.
2. Wedding accessories
Various different accessories are used for dressing up the Japanese bride. A hood is used for covering the head of the bride during the ceremony. This hood signifies that the bride would make a very patient and understanding wife. It is a tradition in Japan that the bride has to carry some additional accessories that are either borrowed or given to them by their elders. The accessories that they usually carry are the sheathed dagger which is known as the kaiken and a very delicate sack purse which is known as the hakoseko.
3. Simple and elegant
The Japanese bridal outfit is very simple and elegant. During the ceremony the bride also wears the tsuno-kakushiover which marks her eagerness to enter into this great institution. During the reception the bride has to change her clothes a number of times. The brides wear the uchikake during the reception and it is usually made of silk and dyed in red color.
I am sure this article would certainly be able to provide you all the information that you need about Japanese wedding dress.

A Glance at Wedding Cake Traditions Around the World

For a moment imagine all the distinctive forms weddings which are so intensively enjoyed across the globe. One wedding ceremony may be extensively formal as well as elegant with the presence of all the traditional elements. Whereas, another wedding may be more slipshod that will include flip-flops together with a beach locale. No matter what type of wedding is visualized, a beautiful wedding cake is a must-have for all types of wedding.
In fact, despite of the bride's wedding outfit, the wedding cake is the next item to receive much of the attention. The traditional wedding cakes usually come in tiers that are built systematically in the form of pillars in order to attain great height. All through out the history, wedding cake traditions around the world are used to signify, long and happy life, fertility and good fortune. With all numerous figures and shapes available for wedding cakes, till date they stay as the centerpieces in weddings across the globe.
Great Britain- As said, the wedding cake traditions around the world are diversified with different shapes, sizes, and colors. In Great Britain, an elaborate fruitcake welcomes the reception. Dates, prunes, and raisins are items used to fill the cake, and also the wedding cake is soaked with either cognac or brandy. Moreover, the cake is then coated with marzipan together with further decoration.
United States - Consisted of multi-layers with white frosting, the traditional wedding cakes in United States express the real celebration of the ceremony. Nevertheless, outside US there are numerous other wedding cake traditions that most American families are turning to in search of a better idea.
Japan - For Japanese, the wedding cakes are in fact a detailed show instead of just being a formal desert. Because Japanese families find multi-layered cakes expensive, they have switched to the alternative to create large wax or plastic cakes for the wedding reception. These fake cakes are characteristically centralized as the traditional cake when the bride together with the bride groom pretends to slice through the cake. However, the guests are not let to be disappointed as they are later offered much affordable sheet cakes.
Iceland - Though in Iceland, the traditional wedding cakes have adopted the same multi-layered cakes as in US, but their outlook is very much different. The ring cake is composed of consecutive ring-shaped layers, and the rings are almond-flavored and usually dressed with marzipan. Nevertheless, the hollow centre of the stack is the eye-catching portion, which is filled with chocolates, numerous candies or at times with a bottle of wine.

Asian Style Wedding and Wedding Guest Favors

When one says "Asian-themed wedding", it means in the most of cases Japanese or Chinese traditions that took roots far in the past. Spring and fall are popular seasons for nuptial ceremonies in Japan. The traditional Japanese matrimonial ceremonies are Shinto-style that is held at shrines (jinja). In a Shito-style wedding ceremony, the bride wears a traditional kimono for the event, and the groom wears montsuki haori hakama. Usually, only the family members and close relatives of the couple will attend the Shinto-style ceremony. This includes sake drinking rituals, exchanging wedding rings, and more on. There are neither bridesmaids nor a best man, and the older married couple called nakoudo (matchmaker) visits the ceremony.
Most of weddings in Japan are held at hotels or wedding halls. Chapels and shrines are conveniently located within the facilities, and couples can choose the style and favors for their ceremonies. A Japanese ceremony can be of Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, and non-religious styles. The style of the ceremony doesn't necessarily match with one religion; the Asian-themed style assumes the mix of traditions. Non-Christian couples often have their matrimonial ceremony at chapels.
After the wedding ceremony, the reception party is hosted. The style and scale of favors at receptions vary depending on the place. Typically, relatives, friends, co-workers, and neighbors attend the reception. When you receive an invitation card, you must return the enclosed card and inform immediately whether you can attend or not for accounting reasons.
If you are going to attend a Japanese wedding reception, you are expected to bring cash as the gift for the bride and groom. The amount depends on your relationship with the wedding couple and the scale of ranks, though the fixed amount may be indicated in the invitation card. The average is 30,000 yen for a friend's wedding. It must be said, that the cash is enclosed in a special envelope, and your name is written on the front. When you go to the party, you give this envelope to the person at the reception desk and sign your name in the guestbook. People usually are formal dressed to attend a Japanese wedding reception. Female guests could wear dresses, suits or kimono, while male guests wear only white shirts and black formal suits. With the above it is then necessary for the couple to give the invited guests favors to reciprocate for their gifts of money.
During the reception, the special couple sits on a stage taking delight of the guests' speeches and performances which form part of the events favors to the attending guests. The most amusing speech may be specially rewarded by extra favors. Sometimes people are asked to perform something at the reception. Many couples sing their favorite songs as gifts. The couple after cutting a large wedding cake, then walking around the room, greeting guests and lighting the candles a full course meal is often served at the table.
At the wedding reception, souvenirs favors called hikidemono are prepared in bags for guests to take. The common favors are tableware, sweets, interiors, and other useful things, especially candles, napkins and dishes, mostly in red and golden colors, are accepted at the Asian-themed matrimonial events. In recent years, special party favor catalogs from which couples can choose presents have become popular for selecting the favor gifts.

The Japanese Wedding Culture

Until recently Japan was considered a land of mystery. American movies, unfortunately, did not depict the delicate and intricate workings of the Japanese society. Today, some Japanese couples have western-style ceremonies, just like American couples, but in former years this would have been considered unacceptable. Older pictures show beautiful, slim women in kimonos, their black hair in a bun on top of their head, walking on wooden clogs. The farm women were shown in black, padded pants and tops. Mainly, what the Americans knew about these people they read in books.

In Japan there is an ancient myth that all things, including Japan itself, were created by the marriage of male and female gods, similar to Zeus and Hera. Although, today, many Japanese weddings are conducted in a Western-style, in previous year's marriage was conducted in a strict Shinto ceremony.

Once a boy or girl attain the age of marriage a search for a suitable partner began. Often times marriages were arranged between overlords who wished to strengthen their power. In these cases often the couple had not seen each other until their wedding day.

Sometimes there was a Mi-Ai interview whereby the future groom managed to obtain an invitation to the house of someone he was interested in. At that time he would leave a token, such as a fan to indicate his interest in the woman. If the woman was impressed she was seen using the fan. This was just an indication that they were interested in getting to know each other, not necessarily an invitation to marriage.

The bride always wore an all-white wedding kimono which symbolized a new beginning as it was believed the bride 'died' as a member of her family and was 'reborn' into her husband's family. Her face was painted a creamy white. The bride changed her clothing several times during the wedding; one of the kimonos indicated that she was a young, unmarried woman. This was the last time she could wear this outfit. The groom wore a black kimono with the family crest in white and wore white sandals. He carried a white, folded fan.

The wedding ceremony was strictly, Shinto, in that it honored the natural world spirits. After a purification ceremony, the priest called on the gods to bless the couple. The ceremony ended with the sharing of sake from three flat cups stacked on top of one another. This was usually done according the family's custom; the groom takes three sips from a cup, followed by the bride taking three sips, then passing it to the family for the same routine. The first sip represented three couples (the bride and groom and their parents), the second sip represented human flaws, and the third sip represented deliverance from the human flaws.

The Japanese wedding banquet food was very special, representing happiness, prosperity, many children, and happiness. The food was served in special ways to represent these attributes. For example, clams were served with the shells together representing the couple's solid union; fish was formed in a circle to represent solidarity; etc.

Incorporating Japanese traditions into a traditional wedding ceremony can provide a unique twist while honoring your heritage. Many more traditions exist providing a traditional ceremony with beauty, romance, and culture that will be long remembered by those in attendance after the event is over.