Old Traditions Made Modern: A look at Celtic Weddings

Celtic Weddings

Many of the Celtic wedding customs of our ancestors do not travel very well to our present times. If you break short bread over the head of the bride or groom as they leave the church what are the chances that the unmarried youths present will scramble to eat a bit of it off the ground to insure a good match for their own marriage? Cutting the cake over the seated bride's head at the reception has replaced this tradition. It was also customary to salute the bride and groom by firing guns in the air outside the church. Try that in the suburbs. If you did have your wedding at a venue where you could use firearms, what statement would you be making? Chances are at least some of your guests would think you are a gun nut rather than a traditionalist. Honking the horns of the cars in the procession from the church replaces the guns.


Resource: Bride & Groom

Old Traditions Made Modern: A look at Celtic Weddings

Wedding Day Traditions: Did You Know?

The Best Man

Many centuries ago, before the women's rights movement, men who had decided upon a wife often had to forcefully take her with him (or kidnap her) if her family did not approve of him. The tradition of a "best man" probably has its origin with the Germanic Goths, when it was customary and preferable for a man to marry a woman from within his own community. When women came into short supply "locally," eligible bachelors would have to seek out and capture a bride from a neighboring community. As you might guess this was not a one-person operation, and so the future bridegroom would be accompanied by a male companion who would help. Our custom of the best man is a throwback to that two-man, strong-armed tactic, for, of course the future groom would select only the best man he knew to come long for such an important task.

The role of the best man evolved. By 200 AD his task was still more than just safeguarding the ring. There remained a real threat that the bride's family would attempt to obtain her return forcibly, so the best man remained at the groom's side throughout the marriage ceremony, alert and well-armed. He continued his duties after the ceremony by standing guard as sentry outside the newlywed's home. Much of this is German folklore, but is not without written documentation and physical artifacts. We have records that indicate that beneath the altars of many churches of early peoples (the Huns, Goths, Visigoths, and Vandals) there lay an arsenal of clubs, knives, and spears. The indication is that these were there to protect the groom from possible attack by the bride's family in an attempt to recapture her.

Traditionally, the bride stands to the left side of the groom. This was much more than meaningless etiquette. Among the Northern European barbarians (a name given to them by the Romans), a groom placed his captured bride to his left to protect her, as he kept his right hand free to use for defense. Also originating from this practice of abduction, which literally swept a bride off her feet, sprang the later symbolic act of carrying the bride across the threshold of her new home. It may well be that even the honeymoon had its origin with this capture scenario. It may well have served as a cooling-off period for the bride's family. It was the groom's hope that when the newlyweds returned from their honeymoon that all would be forgiven.

Resource: Bride & Groom

Wedding Day Traditions: Did You Know?

Hindu Weddings: A modern look at an ancient tradition.

 A Hindu wedding is thought to be the bringing of two people who are said to be compatible. Hindu wedding ceremonies are traditionally conducted at least partially in Sanskrit, the language of most holy Hindu ceremonies. The local language of the people involved is also used. They have many rituals that have evolved since traditional times and differ in many ways from the modern western wedding ceremony and also among the different regions, families, and castes such as Rajput weddings and Iyer weddings. The Hindus attach a lot of importance to marriages, and the ceremonies are very colorful and extend for several days.

In India, According to the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, passed by the Parliament of India, for all legal purposes, all Hindus of any caste, creed or sect, Sikh, Buddhists and Jains are deemed Hindus and can intermarry. By the Special Marriage Act, 1954, a Hindu can marry a person who is not Hindu, employing any ceremony provided specified legal conditions are fulfilled.

The pre-wedding ceremonies include engagement (involving vagdana or oral agreement and lagna-patra written declaration), and arrival of the groom's party at the bride's residence, often in the form of a formal procession. The post-wedding ceremonies involve welcoming the bride to her new home.

Despite modern Hinduism being largely based on the puja form of the worship of devas as enshrined in the Puranas, a Hindu wedding ceremony at its core is essentially a Vedic yajna (a fire-sacrifice), in which the Aryan deities are invoked in the Indo-Aryan style. It has a deep origin in the ancient ceremony of cementing the bonds of friendship/alliance (even among people of the same sex or people of different species in mythological contexts), although today, it only survives in the context of weddings. The primary witness of a Hindu marriage is the fire-deity (or the Sacred Fire)Agni, and by law and tradition, no Hindu marriage is deemed complete unless in the presence of the Sacred Fire, seven encirclements have been made around it by the bride and the groom together.

The ancient system of Hindu/Vedic marriages did not differentiate between male and female, as is done in modern times.

The sangeet sandhya is an evening of musical entertainment. This event takes place two or three days before a wedding in a banquet hall or at home. The bride's family puts on a show for the groom and bride.

Hindu Weddings: A modern look at an ancient tradition.

Prejean Wedding at The Crystal Ballroom

Always decadent and breathtaking, The Crystal Ballroom has been host to many brides perfect day for over a decade. Nestled in the heart of downtown Houston, Texas, The Crystal Ballroom is a romantic get-away from the hustle and bustle. Speaking of bustles, you can be sure to dance the night away as you and your guests enjoy your vision of the perfect day.

This fantastic cornflower blue linen was expertly matched with our gold chargers. The cake table boasts one of our most popular specialty linens. A lace see-through overlay adding a touch of tradition and elegance. Be sure to notice the pashminas that adorned the backs of the chiavari chairs. A deliciously rich addition and something never before seen by our team members. Elegant Beginnings, Inc. can customize your wedding experience with expertly executed linen services and rentals.

Allow us to showcase your wedding! Send us an email to krystal@elegantbeginningsinc.com for more information on how you can get your Elegant Beginnings, Inc. reception featured in the pages of our blog and website.

We want to say a special thank you to Studio563 for allowing us quick access to showcase this fabulous event for you!

Prejean Wedding at The Crystal Ballroom