I am sure you have seen American weddings depicted on TV or in the movies. Some American wedding customs are also now seen in weddings around the world, but have you ever wondered what the real traditions are for American weddings? That is exactly what I am going to write about in the next two posts.
In this first post I am going to cover some American wedding traditions that are pretty common across the United States and in my next post I’ll be writing about some traditions you will see at different types of cultural wedding celebrations in America as well as what happens after the wedding ceremony.
First of all let’s talk about the two most important people at a wedding, the bride and the groom (the woman and man getting married).
Clothing for the bride and groom:
American brides often wear long white wedding dresses. This is a tradition. A white wedding dress symbolizes purity. The bride also often wears a veil, which is a thin piece of material that covers the face. The veil is usually worn in front of the face as the bride enters the wedding, but then lifted at the beginning of the ceremony, and worn behind the head. There is a saying in the United States about what a bride should have with her on her wedding day. Here it is: Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. Small gifts that fit in each of these categories (old, new, borrowed, blue) are often given to the bride before or on her wedding day.
The groom’s dress at a wedding may vary, but he often wears a suit and tie or a tuxedo.
The wedding party:
At a wedding in the United States there are usually bridesmaids and groomsmen. These are people who are close friends or family of the bride and groom. These people are referred to as the wedding party. During the wedding the bridesmaids and groomsmen enter the wedding ceremony before the bride, and stand up next to the bride and groom during the ceremony.
At some weddings children (often family members) are included in the ceremony. Girls are generally “flower girls” and boys are “ring bearers.” The flower girls throw flower petals on the floor before the bride as she enters the ceremony. The ring bearers, bring the rings to the groom, often with the rings sitting on a pillow.
The wedding ceremony:
In an American wedding the bride most often enters the wedding ceremony accompanied by her father (or another male relative), who walks her to her groom. The wedding ceremony is usually conducted by a religious leader or sometimes by a judge. After the ceremony, during which the bride and groom exchange vows or promises to one another, they both walk out of the ceremony together as a married couple.
In the past it was a tradition to throw rice at the couple as they left the church after the wedding ceremony. Throwing rice was a way of wishing the couple happiness and prosperity. This happens less often today, instead sometimes bubbles are blown or confetti is thrown at the couple.
