A Picture Perfect Wedding
The ideal wedding is one in which the bride and the groom are surrounded by friends and family. The bride’s dress should be a stunning symbol of what she will wear for the rest of her life, not just on that day. Cash bars are also discouraged as guests should feel welcome to bring snacks or drinks to share with others. Once most guests have arrived, the ceremony begins with a short statement from the presiding minister before inviting members of both sides to come forward and sign their names into an official marriage license book.
Afterward, it is customary for couples to dance together for their first time as husband and wife with each other’s family members. Guests are also invited to bring gifts to the bride and groom for their new home. The celebration ends with a traditional cake cutting party when the couple cuts a slice of cake and shares it with others who have attended their wedding.
Some weddings last only an hour or two and may include only a few family members, while other weddings may include hundreds of guests. A wedding can take place on any day of the week, including weekends.
The Wedding is one of the biggest events in a person's life. People usually spend copious amounts of money to decorate their homes and parties to celebrate this event. Couples usually spend thousands of dollars on their weddings. For many couples, getting married is a dream come true after much hard work and expense. Many couples are willing to afford the vast amount of cash that is needed for even a simple wedding, so they take special care in the details of their nuptial celebrations, including the bridal gown they will wear.
Gallery
Nearly all major religions have some sort of ceremony to celebrate marriage vows. A marriage in Islam takes place when two adults (male or female) lay their right hands upon each other's heads and pronounce the marriage vow before witnesses: "I solemnly pledge before God to protect, support and comfort you." Muslims also exchange rings signifying a binding agreement between them.
Gallery
A Quaker wedding, or a meeting for worship, is the most simple type of wedding. In a Quaker marriage, there is no minister and no officiant. Instead, both the bride and groom participate in a ceremony that contains elements from other faiths like Jewish tradition. Silence during the ceremony is expected to allow the couple to focus on one another as they make their vows. The bride and groom wear plain clothing for the ceremony. Because of their simplicity, traditional Quaker weddings are often referred to as "plain" or "Friends" weddings since they are performed within the Society of Friends (Quakers).
Gallery
A Buddhist wedding is usually performed in front of a sanghas (community) of monks and nuns, with no ring, no veils and no exchange of vows. Amongst the Chinese Buddhists, the bride and groom are required to write their own vows. The ceremony does not need to be in Buddhism temple; it can take place anywhere. Both the bride and groom are expected to dress traditionally in attire consisting of a white robe for men and a white dress for women.
Gallery
A Jewish wedding is a ceremony that binds two people together as husband and wife in accordance with the laws of Judaism. It consists of commitment in the presence of a rabbi and the signing of a marriage contract that is called a ketubah. The ketubah delineates various points, including how property will be divided pursuant to a divorce, whether or not children will remain with the mother if she predeceases her husband, and how much he will pay for his wife's funeral expenses. In addition to signing the ketubah in front of witnesses, both bride and groom drink from a goblet of wine while ritualistically saying words like "who knows what's good" (in Hebrew) three times. The bride and groom are then said to be married; the ceremony ends.
Gallery
A Buddhist wedding is usually performed in front of a sanghas (community) of monks and nuns, with no ring, no veils and no exchange of vows. Amongst the Chinese Buddhists, the bride and groom are required to write their own vows. The ceremony does not need to be in Buddhism temple; it can take place anywhere. Both the bride and groom are expected to dress traditionally in attire consisting of a white robe for men and a white dress for women.
Gallery
A Jewish wedding is a ceremony that binds two people together as husband and wife in accordance with the laws of Judaism. It consists of commitment in the presence of a rabbi and the signing of a marriage contract that is called a ketubah. The ketubah delineates various points, including how property will be divided pursuant to a divorce, whether or not children will remain with the mother if she predeceases her husband, and how much he will pay for his wife's funeral expenses. In addition to signing the ketubah in front of witnesses, both bride and groom drink from a goblet of wine while ritualistically saying words like "who knows what's good" (in Hebrew) three times. The bride and groom are then said to be married; the ceremony ends.
Gallery
A Hindu wedding is a traditional ceremony that takes place upon the union of a man and a woman in Hindu society. It is a ritual which marks the culmination of love between spouses. The celebrations may extend over several days with several ceremonies being performed to mark different stages of life among Hindus. Hindus attach great importance to the social and cultural rituals that accompany marriage, which often involves the parents of the groom as well as those of the bride.
Gallery
A Christian wedding is an act of faith in Christ Jesus and His Church Performed by an ordained minister in accordance with Scripture. It is described as one man, taking one woman, to be his wife without end (to live together until death separates them).
Gallery
A Buddhist wedding is usually performed in front of a sanghas (community) of monks and nuns, with no ring, no veils and no exchange of vows. Amongst the Chinese Buddhists, the bride and groom are required to write their own vows. The ceremony does not need to be in Buddhism temple; it can take place anywhere. Both the bride and groom are expected to dress traditionally in attire consisting of a white robe for men and a white dress for women.
Gallery
Many countries have laws that stipulate a minimum age for both parties to marry, but these laws are not universal or consistent. Most countries set the marriageable age at 18, but in a few countries it may be 16, while in others it ranges from 13 to 21.
Gallery
Every culture has specific beliefs and traditions surrounding weddings. In some cultures, bartering and trade are significant parts of the wedding ceremony. In some countries the bride is required to have a dowry of gifts and/or money in order for her to be eligible to marry. This tradition varies from country to country within each culture and also across cultures; some women choose not to have a dowry because they can afford not to or for other reasons.
Conclusion
Wedding customs around the world are different. Some cultures like the Indian and Chinese celebrate marriage with elaborate civil ceremonies and parties. Others, like the Jewish faith, have more private ceremonies. The United States is a country that celebrates and observes many cultural wedding traditions from around the world.
References
↑ Wedding ideas: http://www.brides.com/weddings/906-2000062409/wedding-ideas ↑ Wedding customs: http://www.brides.com/weddings/906-2000062409/wedding-culture ↑ Marriage: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marriage ↑ Family: http://dictionary.