The White Gown
Photo Courtesy: Arif Akhtar
According to traditional lore, it’s good luck to wear a white dress at your wedding, not to mention a sign of chastity. Check out this old English rhyme regarding wedding dress colors:
“Married in white, you will have chosen all right. Married in gray, you will go far away. Married in black, you will wish yourself back. Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead. Married in blue, you will always be true. Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl. Married in green, ashamed to be seen. Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow. Married in brown, you’ll live out of town. Married in pink, your spirits will sink.”
In this day and age, colored gowns are becoming more and more popular. Ditch the nursery rhyme and go with a color that compliments your skin tone and hair color.
If you’re getting married outdoors, choose a dress that will play off the sun’s rays and won’t blend in to the scenery. If an indoor wedding is more your style you could even go for a dark dress. As atypical as it sounds, a black or brown dress can look daringly sophisticated, and will easily wow a crowd. Just do what feels right to you, and don’t let tradition decide your every move!
The Cake Smash
Photo Courtesy: Amy Messere
The wedding tradition of the cake smash leaves something to be desired: In olden days, barley and wheat grains were a sign of fertility. Instead of having a cake (clearly a luxury item) the groom would break a loaf of bread over his bride’s head. This ensured her fertility and proved his dominance in the relationship. The guests would then scrabble around the bride’s feet and eat up all the crumbs.
Nowadays, the cake smash is still a show of dominance: whoever smashes first or gets the most cake smeared on the others face will maintain control of the relationship. However, some see the cake smash as a lighthearted and playful addition to an otherwise ceremonious occasion. In the here and now it’s completely up to interpretation.
Whether cake smash is appropriate at your wedding, of course, is up to you and the groom. Regardless of your choice, make sure clear ground rules are set in place so you don’t get a rude surprise and a makeup disaster.
Throwing Glitter Instead of Rice
Photo Courtesy: Clare K
Throwing rice is closely tied with the positive aspects of the tradition above of the broken bread. Rice symbolizes fertility, and good luck. Contrary to popular opinion, raw rice doesn’t kill the birds. It’s an urban legend that the rice pulls the moisture out of the birds’ stomachs and makes them burst. Wild rice is a dietary staple for birds, not to mention all of the field grains they consume.
Glitter is hazardous to the environment, and is a poor substitute for rice. Also, glitter in the eye is painful way to end the day. If you still can’t shake your concerns about the rice, throw birdseed, biodegradable confetti, or blow bubbles instead!
