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t The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, February 16,1994 5 ... VvT(',\ A éiiim MU' /j? Jft. Mr '4' .«if ^ _ «a . y- ^ 1 JL A i /> Making your wedding day a fantasy come true A brief history on tradition V» ❖ ComjiLzhE. ("WsAdincj CooiduiaiLon WEDDING GOWNS in sizes 4-44 r , BRIDESMAIDS and MOTHERS GOWNS ALSO .A Receive a $50.00 Gift Certificate towards Rentals with every gown ordered until March 31/94 (excluding linens and tuxedos) Vanstone Mill 623-0351 King and Scugog Streets Bowmanville ; Invite Norm's Delicatessen x, to your Rehearsal Dinner or Reception... ... Your Guests will be glad you did! Specializing in catering for Weddings, Anniversaries, Showers and Stags. • Meat Trays • Vegetable Trays • Cabbage Rolls • Pastry Trays • Assorted Pickle Trays • Perogies • Kolbassa • Swedish Meatballs • Fresh Polish Ham • Cheese Trays and much more Cake orders also taken for Weddings, Anniversaries and Showers. All food homemade and prepared on premises. Call for a Free Estimate Norm's Delicatessen 29 King St. E. 623-1533 Bowmanville It's your wedding day -- a day deeply imbued with symbolism and tradition. This includes almost everything, everything, from the fashion of going away immediately after the ceremony (honeymoon) (honeymoon) to the flowers adorning your bouquet. You'll probably adhere to more traditions on your wedding day than at any other time in your life. Tradition, we all know, brings with it a sense of security. It's hoped that if tradition tradition is upheld, your wedding will go smoothly and the marriage will be a memorable success. A number of the traditions upheld as common practice in today's wedding ceremonies originated with the ancient Greeks and Romans. You might take for granted the existence of some of these rites and rituals, largely because they originate from a time of which you have no memory, plus it takes generations generations for them to change. As you plan your wedding, it may be helpful to be familiar with some of the traditions you'll encounter. Of course, there are far too many to cover, but here are some to consider. Who sits where? A seating guide Remember musical chairs? As the music stopped, everyone scrambled for a seat, leaving one poor soul standing. This haphazard approach won't work for a wedding, although an anxious bride may feel tempted to let chance, rather than place cards, determine where' guests sit. To help you develop the most sensible plan, Bride's magazine offers these expert guidelines: Seals for all: When selecting a reception site, couples should ask how many tables are availably, where thefc? are positioned and how many guests Y can fit at each. 1 Place cards: Buffet-style receptions do not require formal seat assignments, but if the reception features a served meal, a seating chart and place cards help things run smoothly. The bride's table: Often, the bridal party is seated with best man at the bride's right, maid of honor at groom's left, then alternating men and women. But other acceptable options do exist, including a cozy table for two -- just the newlyweds. Family matters: Divorced parents should be seated separately, each hosting hosting their own table. WB937304 Ever since queen Victoria wed in white in 1840, white has remained traditional traditional for wedding gowns and bouquets. bouquets. All-white and cream bouquets have become symbolic of the qualities of purity and serenity. The flowers themselves have long symbolized love and joy. The bride's bouquet -- fragrant, fragrant, enchanting -- heralds joy and a future ripe with possibilities. The all-white bouquet might include a cascade of orange blossoms. Inclusion of this flower in the bridal wreath or bouquet dates back to the Saracens, so it's said, and came to Europe with the returning Crusaders who are believed to have witnessed the custom of a bride wearing a garland -- a symbol of maidenhood -- of orange blossom in her hair. It stands for chastity chastity and purity and, because the orange blossom tree is an evergreen, it also stands for everlasting love. The bride's bouquet is tied with many knots -- lover's knots -- symbols symbols of hope, love and good fortune. When the bride throws her bouquet after the ceremony, whoever catches it is thought to be the next person to marry. Rice is a symbol of fertility and, although replaced mostly today with paper confetti or rose petals, is thrown at the couple after the ceremony. The horseshoe, which is associated with marriage, represents good luck. Often, the bride will attach a tiny sterling sterling silver horseshoe, tied with a thin satin ribbon, to the hem of her wedding gown. The Greeks and Romans believed that the U-shape was able to protect man from evil. The fact that the horseshoe is nailed with seven iron nails is significant in that it represents the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Also, its association with blacksmiths and metallurgy is important, for the water in which a blacksmith washed his ij'jiftndg was considered to contain, pow- ' erful fertility'agents. The horseshoe is Silver, because silver, it was believed, would keep witches away. The rhyme "Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue" is very old. Something old is the garter of a happily happily married woman. Something new is usually the wedding dress. Something borrowed can be a coin (once it was a piece of gold that represented the sun) but it could be any of the wedding items, even a pair of shoes. If the bridegroom supplies the coin, the bride should wear it in her shoe during the ceremony to ensure a happy marriage. Something blue, associated with the ideal of protection, represents the moon, the traditional protector of women. To the ancient Egyptian blue was the color of heaven. The kiss is a way of sealing the pledge. There is an old custom that states that the bride must cry at the end of the ceremony or there will be tears during the marriage. In medieval times brides were supposed to cry or their virtue was suspected. For centuries bricles have worn a wedding veil, which was designed to keep the "evil eye" from seeing the bride, to deter the malevolent glance from a jealous person which, it was believed, could ruin a potentially happy marriage. When the veil was raised, it was symbolic of the bride being free of parental control -- this still holding true today. So, whatever centuries-old rituals you decide to incorporate into your wedding ceremony and reception, take some time to retrace and research their origins and often-diluted meanings. Simple or lavish, lavish, a wedding filled with strange custom custom and tradition is what it's all about. It's fun to enjoy the significance of the day, and perhaps even more meaningful when you can relate that tradition's significance significance to a daughter or granddaughter granddaughter when her big day comes. WB937112 : \\ \V\n Wedding Photography Specialists Packages to Suit Every Budget s,a A. n9 $QQQ00 vvv 11o°V^ e 74 Park Rd. S. Oshawa 434-7336 A. Weddiim to Senjeipber See us for ... INVITATIONS ENCLOSURES NAPKINS THANK YOUS RECEPTION ITEMS ATTENDANT'S GIFTS Let your WEDDING STATIONERY be as individual as you are. Choose from our wide selection of contemporary Bride & Groom wedding stationery. 3 BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM James Publishing Co. Ltd. 62 King Street West, Bowmanville Telephone 623-3303 W ■* 25% Discount on Invitations with this ad with purchase of $100.00 (minimum) For Your Special Event Wedding Parties Available to Rent... • Dishes • Linens • Champagne Fountain • Glassware • Candelabra • Decorative Lamps • Wishing Wells • Tables and Chairs • Tents and Canopies Available for Sale... • Decorative Pom Poms • Cake Wraps • Invitations • Hall Decorations • Balloon Bouquets and Much More! Our wedding consultant will be pleased to help. k. King and Scugog Streets, Bowmanville Telephone 623-9838 -M For the Men in Your Wedding "DOING IT RIGHT" starts with the Groom ... and Canada's Best Dressed Grooms start with FREEMAN Pick up your 1994 FREEMAN FORMAL WEAR CATALOGUE FORMALWEAR Doing it right since 1318 gnr 34A Temperance Street North Bowmanville 623-6124