Wedding Traditions

Yesterday when I was chatting with my Mom she asked me about different wedding traditions and what we would like to start as a family tradition. I have seen so many different trends of this that I am not sure what I would like to do:

1. Jumping The Broom

In Wales, Romani couples would get married by eloping, when they would "jump the broom," or over a branch of flowering broom (shrub) or a besom made of broom.[3] Welsh Kale and English Romanichal Gypsies and Romanichal populations in Scotland practised the ritual into the 1900s.[3] The Welsh people themselves practised a centuries-old custom, priodas coes ysgub ("broom-stick wedding"),[5] alluded to in Dundes' work. Local variations of the custom were developed in different parts of England and Wales. Instead of placing the broom on the ground, and jumping together, the broom was placed in an angle by the doorway. The groom jumped first, followed by the bride.[6] In southwest England, in Wales, and in the border areas between Scotland and England, "[while some] couples ... agreed to marry verbally, without exchanging legal contracts[,] .... [o]theirs jumped over broomsticks placed across their thresholds to officialize their union and create new households", indicating that contractless weddings and jumping the broomstick were different kinds of marriage.[7]
In some African-American communities, marrying couples will end their ceremony by jumping over a broomstick, either together or separately. This practice dates back at least to the 19th century and has enjoyed a 20th century revival largely due to the novel and miniseries Roots.

2. Love Letter and Wine Box Ceremony

A few weeks before the wedding, take some time to each write a letter to one another, expressing your thoughts about the good qualities that you found in your future partner, the reasons for falling in love with them and your hopes and dreams for the future. In other words, you write a "love letter" to each other and place it in a sealed envelope, with the name of your partner on the outside. Do not read what the other has written.
Be creative with the box by putting foam inside to support the wine bottle. Line the inside with satin material. You can also include CDs of your favorite music, favorite pictures of you together, and other mementos making it your own romantic time capsule. Keep the box in a place of honor as a constant visual reminder of your love and commitment to each other. The box can be a life preserver in years to come.
The Wine Box should be opened on your 5th wedding anniversary.
There is only one other reason the box should be opened before your anniversary. If there should come a time when you hit a bumpy road in your relationship, before you give up or make any irrational decisions, open the Wine Box. The hope is that there will never be a reason to have to open the box except on your anniversary!
Hit a rough spot in your relationship? Sit down together, open the box, uncork the wine and unseal the envelopes that you wrote for one another before your wedding, go to separate rooms and quietly read the love letter.
Even if you are not seeing eye-to-eye at that very moment, it will remind you of all the reasons you choose this person as your partner and all the things that helped shape the life they've created together. Never take your blessings of being together for granted.
The romantic sentiments you wrote, the declaration of love, the clear thoughts about why you chose this person as your life partner will help put you back on even ground. This is the perfect ritual to remind you of your wedding day and your intention to love and cherish each other in good times and bad for as long as you both shall live.


3. Unity Candle


The lighting of a unity candle is a relatively recent addition to the traditional wedding ceremony, most popular in the United States. The unity candle ceremony uses two taper candles with a large pillar candle (called the "unity candle") in the center. At the beginning of the wedding ceremony, a representative from each family (usually the mothers of the bride and groom) light the two taper candles. Later in the ceremony (usually after the formal vows), the bride and groom use the two taper candles to light the large pillar (unity) candle together.
Often a unity candle is decorated with the wedding invitation, an inscription, a picture of the couple, or other ornamentation. The candles are almost always white. The lighting ceremony may be accompanied by special music, an explanation of the symbolism, or just some period of mutual gazing by the happy couple. In some circles, it is customary for the couple to save the unity candle and relight it on anniversaries.



4. Celebration of Lost Love Ones

It's one of the most important days of your life...the day you choose to commit to sharing your life with the person you love. The ring, the cake, the flowers, the dress...everything's perfect...or is it? If a loved one was lost before the day you walk down the aisle, a little of the joy may seem to have gone out of that happy celebration. A day meant to be shared with family and close friends may seem a little empty without that special person there to enjoy the festivities. Maybe it's your father who won't be there to walk you down the aisle, maybe it's your mother who can't be with you share in the joy of planning your big day. It could be a beloved grandparent you were close to who has now passed away. Regardless of who it is, there's a definite void in your day that nothing can really fill. However, there are ways to honor those who have passed on which are beautiful and meaningful tributes and can be a precious addition to your wedding.


5. Honoring the Parents

Parental Honoring is optional but a well honored tradition. This can also be customized to include grandparents and step parents.
(Brides Name) and (Grooms Name) want to acknowledge their parents on this occasion, (Brides Name) and (Grooms Name) offer their profound gratitude to their parents for all the love and care they showed in raising them. The unconditional gifts of love and support that you have continually offered have inspired them to become who they are today, and they thank you, from the bottom of their hearts, for guiding them to this celebration of love here today. Without you, this day would not be possible.

6. Readings and Poems




I'm sure that Scott and I will decide all we would like to do and come together on a tradition to begin... What trends/traditions will you be doing?