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Some fun wedding traditions from the past are
still very much a part of today's wedding ceremony. Some traditions
are well known and done often, such as, the bride tossing her
bouquet. The woman who catches the bouquet is supposedly the next
one to be married.
Another fun wedding tradition is the "kneeling
pillow" at the altar. The couple's names and their wedding date are
sewn on the pillow for a nice memento, which can be passed on and
added to for future generations.
An interesting custom at the wedding reception is
that of the "marriage cup." This silver cup, in either the shape of
a bowl on a stand or in the shape of a girl with a large skirt, is
set at the bride's table. The bride begins drinking from the special
cup; the groom follows with the second sip.
A "unity candle" can also be included to make the
wedding ceremony even more special. There are three candles in a
row, two small ones, with one symbolizing the bride's family, and
one symbolizing the groom's family. The third candle, in the middle
of the two shorter candles, represents the bonding of both families
after the vows are said.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the shorter
candles are lit. The bride and groom light the third, taller candle
after they become husband and wife. In lighting the taller candle,
the bride takes her family's candle and the groom takes his family's
candle and together they jointly light the "unity candle," while the
flames of the two shorter candles are then extinguished. This leaves
the one candle lit as a symbol of the families coming together as
one.
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