Christmas Wedding

Why not have a Christmas wedding? Here are ideas and tips to have a fantastic Christmas wedding with all the trimmings. Wedding Colors: Red and green are natural colors for a Christmas wedding – It is likely that your church or reception site will already be decorated in red and green for other events and holiday parties. But don't feel limited to this palate. Other possibilities, which will work with existing decorations, include: • silver and white • silver and light blue • burgundy, forest green, and gold (as long as the existing decorations aren't too primary) • gold and cream Christmas Wedding Invitations: You'll want to reflect the season and your theme, but you won't want it to look like a holiday card. The solution? Forgo a folded card, opting for the traditional thick white card, with a border and engraved or thermo-graphed text. You can highlight the Christmas wedding theme in the border with white snowflakes, an elegant holly trim, or a drawing of a poinsettia. Since people make plans for the holidays early, and often have many parties and events to attend at this time of year, you'll want to send your invitations a little bit early – about 12 weeks before the event. You might also consider "save the date" cards in addition to the invitations, which will ensure that those most important to you will be able to attend. Wedding Cake: Having each tier look like an individually wrapped package is a popular look that is perfect for a Christmas wedding. You might also do a take on a buche noel or yule log, with a tiered chocolate cake that has holly – either real or made of gum paste – cascading down the side. Use marzipan, an almond paste used in many holiday desserts, as a filling. Bridesmaids Attire for a Christmas Wedding: My favorite bridesmaid look for a Christmas wedding is long dresses with shrugs or capelets and a big faux-fur muff. But you can dress them in your wedding colors, give them long wraps or sparkly accessories, all of which will help evoke your theme. And the Bride Wore: A Christmas wedding dress needn't be that different from any other kind. Wear the one that flatters you most, and top it off with a long red velvet cape. Or embrace the trend of color in wedding dresses by adding a beautiful red silk sash to the waist of your gown. You could also seek a dress with lots of sparkly beads and sequins to evoke the snowiness of the season. And of course, a faux-fur wrap and muff are always fun. Flowers and Décor: Since flowers can be more expensive at this time of year, think creatively. A mirrored platter with pillar candles and sprigs of holly is both elegant and romantic. Buy ornaments in bulk on-line, and create centerpieces of bowls or vases of ornaments. For a simple but elegant look, put pots of poinsettia with a ribbon trim in the center of each table. Fake snow used to be tacky, but there are now very good products available. Set candles or small flower arrangements in the middle of snow. And for my favorite touch, use fake snow instead of an aisle runner. Or, you can always hire a snow-making machine to really make your Christmas wedding a winter wonderland. Gifts: Instead of a gift table, why not incorporate wedding presents into the décor by placing them under one of the Christmas trees? Just don’t forget to have someone take them home when the reception ends! Decorate the wedding cake with small ornaments, ribbons or candy canes; you’re only limited by your imagination. Favors can also reflect the Christmas decoration theme. What guest wouldn’t want to walk away with an elegant engraved Christmas ornament or candle? For an environmentally conscious gift, you can give your guests an evergreen seedling to be taken home and planted. If your wedding falls during the holiday season, use this to your advantage. Do use Christmas wedding decorations. It’s festive, it’s elegant and your guests will remember it for years to come.

Winter wedding

Winter weddings -- they're the stuff dreams are made of. When planning your winter wedding, think frosty fairy princess! You can fulfill all your girlhood fantasies for a magnificent and sparkling wedding ceremony and reception with the help of a little creativity and imagination. There are so many ways to make a winter wedding spectacular, from the food to the favors. Wedding favors are a great way to express your thanks to your guests and give them something to help them remember the wedding. These days, there are so many fun ideas for great winter wedding favors. Read on for some ideas to get your creativity flowing! The first thing you'll need to do before selecting wedding favors is decide on a color scheme. Popular color schemes for winter weddings include red and green Christmas colors as well as shades of midnight blue accented with sparkling silver and white. Disposable cameras wrapped in colorful, decorative fabric like sheer tulle make ideal wedding favors. With a disposable camera, your guests can capture their own memories of your special day. Candy is also a popular choice. Chocolate silver bells (like Hershey's kisses) wrapped in tulle and secured with satin ribbon are perfect. Or, try a winter themed collectible like a miniature snowglobe. This gives your guests something to take home that they can use and enjoy throughout the winter season. Scented votive candles in fragrances like pine or spicy cinnamon are also popular winter wedding favors. The old tradition of throwing rice at the bride and groom has gone out of favor since it was discovered that rice is harmful for birds. Instead, choose birdseed to give the birds that are still around a little something to eat! Or, try miniature bottles of blowing bubbles in a color that matches your color scheme. Another nice idea is wrapping packets of hot cocoa mix, apple cider or gourmet coffee in pretty fabric. Guests will love the thoughtfulness of the hot, satisfying beverage on a frosty winter day! Christmas ornaments also make good wedding favors. Like many aspects of your wedding and reception, the wedding favors you choose to give your guests should reflect the theme and color scheme of your wedding and your own individual preferences. No matter what you end up choosing, your guests are sure to be delighted with the favors they receive! While many associate weddings with the warm months of the year, winter can also be a romantic time to hold your wedding. When we chose to have a Christmas wedding, some people had reservations. We remained firm, and throughout the planning process we learned the pros and cons of having a wedding at this time of year. If you�re considering having a winter wedding, these are some of the issues to consider: Snow: If you�re in an area that commonly has snow in winter, snow can be both your best friend and your worst enemy. On one hand, a nice dusting of snow a week before your wedding can create a festive atmosphere, and may put you and your guests into a holiday mood. The obvious catch is that it�s impossible to control the weather, and your guests will know this. While you may like a few snowflakes after the ceremony for a romantic getaway on a horse and sleigh, guests coming from any distance may decide to forgo your wedding for fear of a storm. If there is a storm on the day of the wedding, you may have a difficult question to answer: Will you go ahead with the wedding even if some or most of the guests can�t be there? Think about this before the wedding day, so that you can prepare yourself for this situation. If you decide that only the bride, the groom, and the wedding officiant absolutely need to be at the ceremony, then don�t worry about the weather. If you can�t say that, you can take a few precautions. Begin by checking with your vendors to see if they are willing to have a snow date for the wedding and reception. If not, ask important people, such as parents and wedding party members, if they can come a day early, particularly if they have to travel. That way you can continue with the ceremony, and maybe even hold a reception at a later time. Photography: For the photography, you may be restricted to indoor shots. In this case, make sure you have a suitable area for indoor photography. If you want to try some outdoor photographs, talk to your photographer. If he or she is willing to take them, think about wearing something like a cape, particularly if you�re wearing a sleeveless or a strapless stress. Since days are shorter in winter, it may be better to take the pictures before the ceremony, unless you�re sure you�ll have enough time to take all you need before dark. Holidays: If you choose to get married during the winter holidays, you have the added advantage that you and your future spouse may not have to take as much time off work for the wedding and the honeymoon. If you�re in school, you may have a block of time that you can set aside without guilt. In the future, it may also be easier for you to find the time to go on a second honeymoon or other anniversary vacations. The problem with choosing the holidays is that some of your guests may have prior family commitments. Friends may go home for the holidays; family members may have gatherings with the other side of the family. People may also have the added financial burden of holiday gift-giving, so they may be unable to afford to come to the wedding. To avoid these problems, give your guests ample warning of your intended wedding date. If you send your wedding invitations earlier than you normally would, you will also avoid the holiday card rush. Vendors: Because winter is a less popular time of year for weddings, it is often easier to book vendors. Many vendors need to be booked a year or more in advance. Although I did much of my planning in the few months leading up to my wedding, not one vendor I contacted had another booking for my wedding day. For last-minute planners and for those who want short engagements, winter can therefore be an ideal time. The Honeymoon: What�s better than going from a wintery wedding to a tropical honeymoon? Winter can be a fabulous season for a wedding. If you prefer snow skiing to water sports, think about using a winter wedding theme. Colors There are many colors available for winter themes. Choose one of the following or a combination of colors: Silver, white, light blue, light green, lavender, plum, cranberry, ivy, gold, ruby, emerald, pewter, cobalt, navy, hunter green, or black. Flowers White poinsettias would be beautiful for a winter wedding along with other white flowers such as roses, calla lilies, carnations, gardenias, magnolias, alstromeria and snowball mums. Instead of the traditional fillers, consider having your florist incorporate evergreen sprigs into your floral arrangements. For a different look, have your bridesmaids carry evergreen wreathes or hurricane lamps instead of flower bouquets. Decorations The bride doing a winter theme is lucky for she can hit the after Christmas sales and save on almost all of her decorations. Icicle lights in either white or blue would be a great way to start off decorating your reception. Gold or silver garland would be another great touch. Snowflake ornaments would add a definite winter feel to your decorating scheme and could double as favors. Evergreen boughs could add a touch of green to your decorating scheme. For example, swags of greenery with white lights would add a charming feel to the reception. White and blue tulle will also help create a winter feel. Centerpieces There are many unique ideas available for a winter wedding theme. For example, you could have bride and groom snowmen, miniature ice sculptures, large snowglobes, or white poinsettias with snowflakes on them. While candles are used by many brides with many different themes, they can add a special warm glow to a winter wedding. Add fake snow around any centerpiece for an additional winter touch. Music To help set the mood of a winter day or evening, chose some songs with the word snow or winter in them. Some examples are: Snowbird, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, or The First Snowfall. Try doing a search on the word "snow" or "winter" at any music site for additional ideas. Food Hot chocolate, mulled wine, mulled cider and wassail are all good drinks to help set the mood of a winter reception theme. Cheese fondue would make a warm and fun appetizer to start off your winter wedding feast. Follow with a soup course instead of a salad if you are having a sit-down dinner or provide soup on the buffet. Warm bread is especially satisfying on a cold winter day. Ham, turkey, fish, or beef all would be suitable meats for your meal. Cake There are many beautiful wedding cake designs incorporating snowflakes available. For your cake topper, consider using a snowglobe or looking for snowmen. For an additional snow effect, cover the cake table with a pile of white fabric, fake snow, or white tulle. Favors If you choose to have favors at your reception, here are a few that go well with a winter theme: Miniature glass snowstorm globes with a winter scene and the bride and groom's names and wedding date added, an icicle or snowflake ornament, chocolate mint suckers in snowflake or snowmen shapes, or snowflake or snowmen shaped cookies. If you are using a lot of greenery for your decorations, miniature evergreen trees would be a good favor.

Fall wedding

Fall Wedding

If you've recently gotten engaged, you might be thinking of planning a fall wedding. October is second only to June as the most popular month to get married, but the other crisp autumn months can be a spectacular setting and inspiration for your wedding. If you are l ooking for a warm and intimate wedding reception, consider a fall wedding. As people start thinking about coming home more, and spending more time with their families, it's a romantic time for a wedding. Here are some fall wedding ideas to get you started. Where to Have a Fall Wedding Think of storybook fall setting such as inns, 18th century churches and meeting houses, old mills and ev en barns. A fall wedding can be casual yet elegant set in a beautiful old barn. You might also look at an apple orchard, a vineyard, or any place that will have a view of fall foliage. If you live in a climate where the leaves don’t change, look for a venue with lots of rich dark wood and w armth such as a gentleman’s club or university club. A fireplace is an extra special touch. The Décor for Your Fall Wedding Set the tone for your fall wedding as soon as your guests enter with sheaths of wheat or corn at the entrance. Choose either rich jewel tones to decorate the room, or a traditional fall color scheme such as reds, oranges, browns and yellows. A modern fall color scheme uses only chocolate brown with light-blue accents. Fill the room with the bounty of the season - pumpkins, cornucopias, acorns, and gourds. Make jack-o-lanterns with decorative patterns rather than scary faces, or use paper bag luminaria for a similar effect.

Fall Wedding Flowers

Generally you can find Mums, roses, daisies, yarrow, fall leaves, tallow berries and both natural and dried wheat for inexpensive prices during the fall. A spray of wheat or a mum accented with a pheasa nt feather makes an elegant boutonnière. Consider hollowing out pumpkins for your centerpiece containers – if you don’t have the time, many craft and home stores now sell realistic fake pumpkins. But if you go with the real thing, consider white or blue natural pumpkins for an elegant and unique touch. Attire for Your Fall Wedding I recommend that an autumn bride look for cream and off-white dresses with gold beading and accents. Bridesmaids will look wonderful in jeweltone dresses; match the groomsmen’s vests to their dresses. Look at rich fabrics such as brocades and velvets for a luxurious touch. Remember that weather in the fall can be tricky – in many areas of the United States, it will be hard to know long in advance whether your wedding day will be warm or chilly. I suggest that the bride and bridesmaids wear strapless dress with capelets, stoles or wraps. On a warm day, the overlayer can be easily removed, but you won’t be left shivering on a chilly day. Planning the Menu The most traditional fall dinner is a roasted turkey with pumpkin pie for dessert, but there are so many other options for a fall wedding menu. From roasted quail to standing rib roast, choose a hearty meat that will pair well with heavier side dishes such as squash and mashed potatoes. A mushroom ragout evokes the season and provides a nice entrée for your vegetarian guests. You might start the meal with a hearty soup served in a hollowed out pumpkin, accompanied by whole grain rolls. Serve warm apple cider in glass mugs with a cinnamon stick stirrer, and offer an alternative to wedding cake with a baked apple dessert. A Fall Wedding Cake Really you can serve any wedding cake at a fall wedding, but you can add to your autumn theme by serving a spiced cake or a spiced chocolate cake. Consider having an all chocolate cake, decorated with marzipan fruit. Or omit the cake altogether to serve pumpkin bread and apple, pecan and pumpkin pie. Favors Give a favor in keeping with the season such as a beautiful apple tied with a gold ribbon, or a bottle of maple syrup. If you have a sweet tooth, give guests caramel apples wrapped in cellophane, or give a DIY kit of a caramel apple recipe with all the ingredients they’ll need - a perfect apple, some caramels, and a Popsicle stick. Help your guests decorate for the season by giving them mini pumpkins, or an ear of ornamental corn tied with some wheat and a pretty fall ribbon. Marzipan fruit is also a wonderful fall wedding favor. If you’re crafty, I love the idea of giving each guest a jar of homemade preserves as they leave. A Halloween Wedding A fall wedding guide wouldn’t be complete without talking about the Halloween wedding. Ask guests to come in costume, or have an usher greet them at the door with inexpensive yet stylish masks. The bride and groom can wear traditional wedding clothes or costumes. At a wedding I recently attended, the bride and groom changed into Bride of Frankenstein and a stable groom costumes, half way through the reception. You could also dress as the bride from the "Kill Bill" movies, or as the Princess Bride and Westley. Of course you’ll want to have plenty of pumpkins around – consider having a pumpkin carving station to keep any children (and childish adults!) busy for hours.

About wedding

The word “wed” is derived from the ancient Greek word for “pledge.” And that’s exactly what a wedding is, no matter what country it takes place in, no matter what culture it’s part of. To wed is to pledge yourself to another. There are few acts we perform that are more pure or more beautiful than the act of marriage. The pledge that lasts a lifetime. Marriage is the most solemn pledge we make in our lifetimes. Traditionally the wedding pledge is made in front of family and friends who take special pains to stand up and witness our pledge. The wedding pledge is to be true and faithful and loving to another human being. To wed is both the most basic of all human pledges, and at the same time the most sublime. Marriage carries with it the most solemn of promises, but it also embodies the potential for the greatest joy of human existence – the pure joy that flows from two hearts beating as one. There are few joys in life as deep or as long lasting as the joy that springs from the well of true love and a lasting marriage. There are many customs and superstitions associated with weddings. In the past a wedding was seen as a time when people were particularly susceptable to bad luck and evil spirits. Many originated or are modifications of customs which began many centuries ago. Some, such as the bride wearing something old, something blue ..., or not being seen by the groom in her wedding dress before the ceremony are known throughout the country and many other parts of the world. Others may be regional or even maintained within families from generation to generation. They are maintained in the belief that they will bring good luck and happiness to the couple at a time when their lives are changing, hopefully for the better. PROPOSAL In the past when the marriage proposal was a more formal procedure, the prospective groom sent his friends or members of his family to represent his interests to the prospective bride and her family. If they saw a blind man, a monk or a pregnant woman during their journey it was thought that the marriage would be doomed if they continued their journey as these sights were thought to be bad omens. If, however, they saw nanny goats, pigeons or wolves these were good omens which would bring good fortune to the marriage. During Medieval times in Brittany the man proposed by leaving a hawthorn branch at the door of his beloved on the first of May. By leaving the branch at the door she accepted his proposal. She made known her refusal by replacing the hawthorn branch with a cauliflower.

Wedding traditions

SURNAMES It was thought unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname began with the same letter as hers. The sentiment was summarised in the following rhyme: To change the name and not the letter Is to change for the worst and not the better The bride should not practice writing her new name before the wedding. This is thought to bring bad luck by tempting fate. CHOOSING THE DAY Although most weddings now take place on a Saturday it was considered unlucky in the past. Fridays were also considered unlucky particularly Friday the 13th. The famous old rhyme advises a wedding in the first half of the week: Monday for wealth Tuesday for health Wednesday the best day of all Thursday for losses Friday for crosses Saturday for no luck at all Advice on which month to marry in is given by the following rhyme: Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true. When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate. If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know. Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden and for Man. Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day. Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go. Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred. Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine. If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry. If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember. When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last. Marry in May and you'll live to rue the day May has been considered an unlucky month to marry in for a number of reasons. In Pagan times the start of summer was when the festival of Beltane was celebrated with outdoor orgies. This was therefore thought to be an unsuitable time to start married life. In Roman times the Feast of the Dead and the festival of the goddess of chastity both occurred in May. The advice was taken more seriously in Victorian times than it is today. In most Churches the end of April was a busy time for weddings as couples wanted to avoid being married in May. Queen Victoria is thought to have forbidden her children from marrying in May. Marry in Lent, live to repent Lent was thought an inappropriate time for a wedding as this was a time of abstinence. June was considered to be a lucky month to marry in because it is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage. The Summer as a whole was considered a good time to marry and this is partly to do with the sun's association with fertility. In Scotland one popular custom was for the bride to "walk with the sun" to bring her good. She would walk from east to west on the south side of the church and then continue walking around the church three times. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW ... Something old, something new Something borrowed, something blue And a silver sixpence in your shoe The rhyme originated in Victorian times although some of customs referred in it are much older. The "something old" represents the couples friends who will hopefully remain close during the marriage. Traditionally this was old garter which given to the bride by a happily married woman in the hope that her happiness in marriage would be passed on to the new bride. "Something new" symbolises the newlyweds' happy and prosperous future. The "something borrowed" is often lent by the bride's family and is an item much valued by the family. The bride must return the item to ensure good luck. The custom of the bride wearing "something blue" originated in ancient Israel where the bride wore a blue ribbon in her hair to represent fidelity. The placing of a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe was to ensure wealth in the couples married life. Today some brides substitute a penny in their shoe during the ceremony as silver sixpences are less common.

THE WEDDING DRESS It is thought unlucky for the bride to make her own wedding dress. It is also unlucky for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before until she arrives at the ceremony. The bride should not wear her entire outfit before the wedding day. Some brides leave a final stich on the dress undone until it is time to leave for the ceremony when the outfit is completed. WEDDING DRESS COLOUR Most brides today marry in white which symbolises maidenhood. This tradition started by the rich in sixteenth century. The tradition was given a boost by Queen Victoria who chose to marry in white instead of silver which was the traditional colour of Royal brides. Before the white dress brides wore their best dress. The colour was a matter of preference. The following is a traditional rhyme offering advice on dress colour: Married in White, you have chosen right, Married in Blue, your love will always be true, Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl, Married in Brown, you will live in town, Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead, Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow, Married in Green, ashamed to be seen, Married in Pink, your spirit will sink, Married in Grey, you will go far away, Married in Black, you will wish yourself back. A green dress is thought to be unlucky unless the bride is Irish. The old expression that a woman has a 'green gown' was used to imply promiscuity, the green staining being due to rolling in grassy fields. THE VEIL Traditionally, brides have been thought to be particularly vulnerable to evil spirits and many of the customs and traditions associated with weddings are to provide protection. The veil was originally worn by Roman brides. It was thought that it would disguise the bride and therefore outwit malevolent spirits. The veil became popular in Britain in the eighteen hundreds. In this country it is associated with modesty and chastity. In some Eastern ceremonies the bride is veiled and the groom is not allowed to see the bride's face until after the wedding ceremony. In some Jewish weddings there is a ritual where the groom ensures that the bride is his intended before placing the veil over her face. FLOWERS Flowers have always been used for decoration at weddings. Some people choose the flowers at the wedding on the basis of their symbolic meaning. For example orange blossom has always been associated with weddings because it signifies purity and chastity. Peonies are avoided by some as they represent shame; azaleas represent temperance: roses symbolise love and snowdrops represent hope. A combination of red and white flowers is avoided by the superstitious because they stand for blood and bandages. However, people from different regions may attach other meanings to the same flower. For example lilies symbolise majesty to some but are thought unlucky by others because of their association with death. The groom often chooses a flower for his buttonhole which also occurs in the bride's bouquet. This is a vestige of the time when a Knight would wear his Lady's colours to display his love.

ON THE WAY TO THE WEDDING When the bride is ready to leave the house for the wedding ceremony a last look in the mirror will bring her good luck. However returning to the mirror once she has began her journey will result in bad luck. Seeing a chimney sweep on the way to a wedding is though to bring good luck and it is still possible to hire one to attend wedding ceremonies. Other good luck omens when seen on the way to the ceremony include lambs, toads, spiders, black cats and rainbows. Seeing an open grave, a pig, a lizard, or hearing a cockerel crow after dawn are all thought to be omens of bad luck. Monks and nuns are also a bad omen. This may be because the are associated with poverty and chastity. They are also though to signal a dependence on charity by the newlyweds. Bad weather on the way to the wedding is thought to be an omen of an unhappy marriage, although in some cultures rain is considered a good omen. Cloudy skies and wind are believed to cause stormy marriages. Snow on the other hand is associated with fertility and wealth. BRIDESMAIDS Bridesmaids were dressed in a similar way to the bride for the same reason as the origin of veil. The bridesmaids were thought to act as decoys to confuse evil spirits and thus protect the bride. THE COUPLE'S FIRST PURCHASE It is said that the first partner who buys a new item after the wedding will be the dominant one in the relationship. Many brides ensure that they make the first purchase by arranging to buy a small item such as a pin from the chief bridesmaid immediately after the ceremony. THE WEDDING CAKE Cutting the wedding cake is now part of the ritual celebrations at the reception. The couple make the first cut together to symbolise their shared future. Cakes have been associated with weddings throughout history. The Romans shared a cake during the wedding ceremony itself. This was not the rich fruit-cake we enjoy today. It was a plain confection made from wheat flour, salt and water. The Fijians and Some Native American tribes still incorporate cake in the wedding ceremonies. In Britain early cakes were flat and round and contained fruit and nuts which symbolise fertility. In the past the custom was to throw many small cakes over the bride in a similar way in which we throw confetti today. A modification of this custom was to crumble cake over the brides head and in some versions to break the cake over the Bride's head. In Scotland Oat Cakes were used for this purpose. This was done to promote fertility. In Yorkshire a plate holding wedding cake was thrown out of the window as the bride returned to her parental home after the wedding. If the plate broke she would enjoy a happy future with her husband but if the plate remained intact her future would be grim. Another old English custom was to place a ring in the wedding cake. The guest who found the ring in their the piece of cake would be ensured happiness for the next year. The shape of the modern three tiered iced cake is believed to have been inspired by the spire of Saint Bride's Church in the City of London. It is said that unmarried guests who place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow before sleeping will increase there prospects of finding a partner and bridesmaids who do likewise will dream of their future husbands. The top tier of the cake is often kept by couples for the christening of their first child

CONFETTI Confetti is Italian for sweets which in Italy are thrown over the couple as they emerge from the Church in that same way we use paper confetti. Raisins and nuts may also be used. Before the use of paper confetti the married couple were showered with flowers, petals, rice or grains. This was to bestow prosperity and fertility on the couple. SHOES In the past there have been a number of customs involving shoes which were thought to bring good luck. The best known, which is still upheld, is to tie shoes to the back of the newlyweds' car. This has evolved from the Tudor custom where guests would throw shoes at the newlywed couple. It was considered lucky if they or their carriage were hit. Less well known is for the bride's father to give the groom a pair of the bride's shoes to symbolise the passing of responsibility for the daughter to her new husband. A variation of the custom is for the groom to tap the bride on the forehead with one of the shoes to assert his dominance. The custom of the bride throwing her bouquet shoulder, described below, was originally performed by her throwing one of her shoes over her shoulder. BOUQUET After the reception the bride throws her bouquet back over her shoulder where the unmarried female guest group together. Tradition holds that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next one of those present to marry. A parallel custom is for the groom to remove the garter worn by the bride and throw it back over his shoulder toward the unmarried male guests. Again the one who catches it will be the next to marry. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD After the wedding the bride must enter the new marital home through the main entrance. It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold when they enter for the first time. The reason for this is uncertain. One explanation is that the bride will be visited by bad luck if she falls when entering. An alternative is that the bride will be unlucky if she steps into the new home with the left foot first. The bride can avoid both mishaps by being carried. A third explanation is that it symbolises the old Anglo-Saxon custom of the groom stealing his bride and carrying her off. Hindu's have a similar tradition. The bride is carried by her new husband so that she does not touch the threshold when entering her new home. THE BEST MAN It is the best man's duty to protect the groom from bad luck. He must ensure that once the groom has began his journey to the church he does not return for any reason. He must also arrange for the groom to carry a small mascot or charm in his pocket on the wedding day. When the best man is paying the church minister's fee he should pay him an odd sum to bring luck to the couple. THE HONEYMOON The term "honeymoon" is though to originate from the times when a man captured his bride. The couple would hide from the bride's parents before marrying. The couple would remain in hiding for a further cycle of the moon after the wedding. During this period they drank honey wine. In Scotland the custom was for a woman with milk in her breasts to prepare the marital bed to encourage fertility in the newlyweds. In Ireland a laying hen was tied to the bed on the first honeymoon night in the hope that some of its fertility would be passed on to the couple. Eating a double yolked egg was also thought to bring fertility.