Royal Wedding Accessories: Oct 3, 2011

Monday, October 3, 2011

Wedding Traditions of Puerto Rico

The Bride's Bouquet
Bridal bouquets in Puerto Rico are abundant with the amapola, which is a traditional flower often used at a Puerto Rican wedding. The bouquet may also contain a fan as it is a part of traditional wedding attire in Puerto Rico. The maids of honor also carry bouquets made of amapola flowers whether real or silk, and fans as these things are said to signify good luck for the couple.
Traditional Wedding Favors
Typical wedding favors presented to guests at a Puerto Rican wedding are called capias. They are narrow ribbons imprinted with the names of the bride and groom on one end and the date of the wedding on the other. The bride and groom snip them off the bouquet before they are pinned upon their guests by the happy newlyweds.
The Wedding Ceremony
A Puerto Rican wedding ceremony is similar to most others except for one thing. During the wedding ceremony, a priest will bless a plate of coins and gives it to the groom. Once the wedding vows have been exchanged, the groom gives the same plate of coins to his new wife as a gift to her. This gift is a symbol of prosperity and good luck for the marrying pair. While the ceremony is being performed, you can usually hear the soft strains of the sounds of coqui, lending the atmosphere a most romantic air.
At the Reception
Puerto Rican custom dictates that at the head of the main table, a doll that is similarly dressed as the bride is placed. The doll is covered with charms and these charms are passed out to the wedding guests. A typical Puerto Rican wedding cake is decorated with seashells and is often a rum, pineapple or coconut flavor.
Puerto Rican weddings are chock full of delicious foods and joyous music. For their first dance, the bride and groom might choose a traditional Puerto Rican waltz called a "danza criolla." Centerpieces are usually made from palm trees and utilize "abeto" ferns and then decorated with shells. Candles are also popular as decorations at a traditional Puerto Rican wedding.

Traditional Mexican Weddings

Mexican tradition states that the family of the groom will ask the family of the bride for her hand. Some families are really strict and do not give permission to the girl to meet other men. If the boy's family is not into the old tradition of approaching the girl, the groom to be will still meet the girl's family and ask respectfully for her hand.
In general, brides and grooms are catered by their godparents (or padrinos) who will take care of the engagement all the way through and will still play the role after the marriage takes place. The bride and groom can decide who the godparents will be, making the chosen ones feel very respected and honored. The role of the padrinos is to guide the boy and girl throughout the engagement and give them marital advice. Usually it is the older (and therefore wiser) people who will be asked to play this role.
During the wedding reception, the guests gather together in the form of a "heart" around the married couple while they dance. A pinata is hung at the reception venue which is usually filled with all sorts of candy. It is the job of the children to hit it until it breaks open and the candy falls; the guests then pick the sweets from the ground and celebrate.
In a typical Mexican wedding, you will often see the bride wearing a veil (called mantilla) and looking rather Spanish with a flamenco-like dress. Grooms usually wear a toreador type of outfit which fits the theme perfectly well, depicting the famous bullfighter costume.
When it comes to the reception food, we will expect to find the finest Mexican dishes based on corn flour, rice and different types of meat. A popular drink would be sangria, which consists of wine (usually red) mixed with fruit juice, soda, lots of different fruit cut into pieces and added sugar. It is also a festive drink very popular in Spain. The music played in Mexican weddings are of Latin style; salsa, merengue, bachata, boleros, etc.

Italian Wedding Customs

The Italians have some very charming pre-wedding traditions that any American bride would love. It is customary for a young man to serenade his beloved with music before proposing marriage (if he is tone deaf, he can bring along friends to help out). How romantic is that? Also incredibly romantic is the reason that Italians give diamond engagement rings: they believe that diamonds are created by the flames of love. Ladies, are you swooning yet?
As with any wedding, la sposa (the bride) is the center of the day. The wedding gown is very important to Italian brides, and they have a great variety from which to choose. Traditional long sleeve gowns are still seen for Nuptial Masses, but so are all manner of gowns from modern to fanciful. Simplicity is valued by some brides, but many love the fine laces and embellishments that are offered by designers. Since Italian lace is some of the finest in the world, it would be perfect for an Italian wedding gown. Veils are usually worn, as they were once thought to protect the bride from evil spirits. Italian women love jewelry, but there is a superstition that says a bride should not wear any gold on her wedding day until the groom gives her the wedding band. To play it safe, choose custom bridal jewelry handcrafted with sterling silver. Sparkling Swarovski crystals and lustrous pearls can be intertwined with the sterling silver to create fabulous custom bridal jewelry that is both unique and affordable.
The Italians have many other delightful customs that you can include in your wedding. One fun tradition is for the couple to shatter a vase or glass at the end of the evening. It is said that for every shard of glass, the newlyweds will have a year of happiness. The Romans would break a loaf of wheat bread over the bride and groom for fertility. For good luck, the guests ate the crumbs. Another good luck charm used by Italians is a piece of iron that the groom carries in his pocket to drive away jealous evil spirits.

Italian Wedding Traditions

Throughout Europe there is a long-standing tradition of offering a small gift or a bomboniera to each person or family who are guests at receptions given for special occasions, such as weddings, baptisms and anniversaries. Since the middle ages, sugared almonds (confetti) were used as part of the bomboniera. The tradition holds the confetti is presented to each person (or family) along with a special gift as recognition for their support and good wishes. Also, the bomboniera are sent after the celebration to those who were unable to attend, but sent a gift or card as a symbol of gratitude and appreciation.
Uneven (odd) number are considered lucky, therefore five (5) confetti are typically included in the bomboniera to represent health, wealth, fertility, happiness and longevity. More than five can be used if desired, always keeping to an uneven number. A bigliettino (little tag) or imprinted favor ribbon is attached with the date of the event along with names.
Traditional bomboniere (favors) are hand-made in Italy with silk, organza, tulle, ribbon and flowers. They can be filled with your choice of confetti - almonds, chocolates, or chocolate-covered almonds, and a beautiful bigliettino (little tag) from Italy is also attached in some way to the bomboniera.
Special, or more significant bomboniere, may be given to family members and friends who have played a special role in the celebration.In some families, a bomboniera(gift) of silver, crystal, or porcelain is also given as part of the tradition. Typical items include porcelain flowers from Capodimonte, silver bowls and crystal figurines.

Christian Wedding Traditions

A traditional Christian wedding not only celebrates the union between two people, but is also considered a sacred sacrament in the Christian faith. The ceremony generally follows a certain format and takes place in front of the couple's friends and family members in the presence of a priest or minister. Most Christian weddings take place in a church or religious building, however, it's not uncommon for some couples to choose an outdoor setting at a formal gathering place.
Before the ceremony begins, the groomsmen typically act as ushers and direct guests to their seats. Important family members - parents and grandparents, for example, are often escorted down the aisle to their seats by one of the groomsmen. The Best Man and Groom are often in a private room or secluded area and it's the Best Man's job to try and keep the Groom calm and reassured.
The Bride and Bridesmaids arrive at the ceremony location and wait, out of sight, for a cue to begin the Bridal procession.
Before the Bridal procession begins, the Groom, Best Man, and Groomsmen stand in front of the altar along with the officiating priest. This is usually a signal that the Bridal procession is about to begin so guests stand up and look to the back of the church in anticipation of the Bride's arrival. A processionary march is usually played and the Bridal procession begins.