“You May Kiss the Bride” – probably the five most anticipated words at a wedding solemnisation (yes, even more anticipated than “I now pronounce you husband and wife”) everyone will be waiting for. All eyes will be glued on the two of you as you take your first kiss as husband and wife and in the reverie of the moment. But, the kiss wasn’t always a romantic gesture. In the earliest days of civilisation in the Middle East and Ancient Rome, a kiss was used as the formal seal to agreements or contracts. Since marriage is a kind of contract, having the groom kiss his bride after the exchange of vows was essentially an act of “sealing” a deal, not one of romantic love. Talk about a mood killer.
We say, give your guests something to look forward to and celebrate at the ceremony. Whether you want your kiss to be a sweet, quick peck on the lips or a five minute passionate lip-lock, our advice to you remains the same: pucker up and practice your kissing before the big moment. I’m sure you’ll want your guests to remember that moment for the right reasons.
5. Who’s the Next Bride?
The throwing of the flower bouquet is one of the most anticipated highlights at a Western wedding celebration. The practice involves the bride throwing her flower bouquet to a group of single ladies, and whoever catches it will be the next in line to get hitched – or so the superstition goes.
Centuries ago, guests would try to get a fragment of the bride’s clothing as a symbol of good fortune, sometimes even leaving the poor bride and her gown in tatters. As gowns became more expensive to own, brides thought of several alternatives to this tradition and so the bouquet and garter toss began. Traditionally, after cutting the cake, the groom would remove his wife’s garter and throw it to the unmarried gentlemen in the crowd. Then the bride would toss her bouquet to the unmarried ladies. Mostly, it’s done out of fun and entertainment, but some ladies take it seriously and will do everything in their power to hold that bouquet in their hands. If you know your single friends will be too embarrassed to catch the bouquet, you can still make it memorable by picking out a specific individual, a newly engaged friend or particular guest, and make a special presentation instead of throwing the bouquet.
Nevertheless, the throwing of the flower bouquet is a sweet and timeless tradition still widely practiced today. If you’d like to hold on to your bouquet for a little longer, you can ask your florist to make a smaller and lighter version of your bouquet just for the tossing.