A Tradition from Romania

There are a treasure trove of rituals and traditions that originate from Romaniaand people from different regions practice these in varied forms. The important ceremonial rituals practiced as part of a wedding is heavily dependant upon which region the couple come from.

One ritual/tradition that we came across takes place in the hours leading up to the wedding when the bride is preparing for the day. While she is dressing, the bridesmaids and best friends all gather and assist her.  This is a very important part of the preparation and can be a very emotional and moving moment for the bride and those closest to her.

Song of the Bride:

Say goodbye bride to your mother, to your father

To your sisters, to your brothers, to your garden with flowers

To your friends and neighbours, to the games or lover

Cry bride, today is the day

It's time to forget your father and love your husband

To forget your mother and to love your mother- in- law

To forget about your sisters and to love your sisters-in-law

 

You will go with your husband and you will leave behind everything you had.

 

As they prepare her for her ceremony a song, "Say farewell bride to your family and house"- "Ia-ti mireasa ziua buna" is played and with an overflow of emotion, is often accompanied by tears and embraces  from all present. We found a rough translation of the lyrics:

Today with many couples living together before they are married, much of this significance can be lost, but for those who are coming from their parents home to join their husband in a new home and a new life, this rite of passage is still very special.

Week 25 - 52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks

A Fishy Korean Ritual/Tradition

Now if your looking for something out of the ordinary, then this one is for you!

In this Korean tradition the poor groom is subjected to some pretty interesting antics. Usually done in the spirit of providing him with increased strength for the wedding night, this ritual begins after the main ceremony. The Groom’s ‘friends’ (using the term loosely) will tie his ankles together with rope then take of his socks in order to beat the soles of his feet with a fish – A Yellow Corvina.

Pic From: bluedragon.en.ec21.com

Odd? Yes a little, but it is all done in the spirit of good will and as a fun gesture of friendship so who are we to judge.

We just love these strange and out there rituals/ideas, so if you know of any you would like us to use, please feel free to drop us a line on the contact page.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Week 17 - Earth Ritual

Welcome to week 17 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

Many wedding rituals and traditions have a strong focus on the bride and groom and where appropriate, their children. These rituals seek to show the significance and beauty in bringing two individuals together or in uniting a couple and their children whether from previous relationships or their own.

The ritual we are sharing with you today does this, but it goes a little further by involving all of the family and friends in attendance. They not only take part, but are asked to contribute and it is this contribution that sets the foundation for the ritual.

When you send out your wedding invitations you will need to include a small note asking each guest to bring a small jar or container filled with some dirt from around their home. (It only needs to be a small amount especially if you have a lot of guests coming.)

At the ceremony have a medium sized plant pot and a seedling ready on a nearby table. At the time in the ceremony when the ritual is to be done, the officiant may say something (and this is just our preferred version of the wording) such as:

"Bride(name) & Groom(name) have chosen to include a special ritual in their ceremony today that involves you all as their loved ones – the people that they hold most dear.

Each of you has been asked to bring a small amount of earth which was lovingly taken from your own home filled with love and hope and today it is hoped that as each of you place your earth into this plant pot, it will retain that love.

Once the pot is full Bride(name) & Groom(name) will plant the seedling that sits beside it, ready to grow and be nourished by the love of all of you.

I would now like to invite the parents and grandparent’s to come forward."

(Once they’ve finished)

"If everyone else could now please also come forward." (When complete and everyone has added their earth)

"Bride(name) & Groom(name) – your pot has now been filled with the love, hope and best wishes of all of your family and friends. It has been taken from their own lives, their own homes and now given to you to be the base of your future life together. As you now plant the seedling, let its growth and beauty be a constant reminder of the blending of your two lives and families and the love and support that they have for you as they watch you grow together."

(Couple finish planting the seedling and the officiant returns to concluding the ceremony)

This ritual is easy to do and very effective. As long as everyone participates its significance is beautiful and memorable. The wording can be changed and easily adapted to suit.

The Wedding Gurus

xxx

Week 16: Stone Ceremony

Welcome to week 16 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

This week we are looking at a traditional stone ceremony, although it is not commonly used in todays weddings it is an important part of Australian history. In early Australia many of their convicts could not afford to exchange rings therefore the stone ceremony was used to replace this. The couple would cast a stone into nearby river or ocean to signify their remaining together while the tides of time flowed over their lives. Please watch the video below for more of an indepth description and wording. 

Week 15 - The Seven Steps (Hindu)

Welcome to week 15 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

A Hindu ceremony, in most cases is quite extravagant and beautiful. It incorporates many different rituals and traditions and is often filled with chanting and Sanskrit blessings that began in a time long ago. This ceremony is known as 'samskara' and in India, it can last days or even weeks.

A Hindu ceremony performed in the Western parts of the world are usually a little less extravagant and last at least two hours.

The central component of a Hindu wedding ceremony  is 'Saptapadi', also called the 'Seven Steps'.

In this ritual the bride’s sari is tied to the groom’s clothing (kurta), or a sari shawl may be draped from his shoulder to her sari. He then takes her, linking his pinky finger with hers and leads her in seven steps around the fire.

While this is taking place the priest or officiant chants the seven blessings or vows for a strong union. These are adapted her in English from the Hindu ceremony:

1. May this couple be blessed with an abundance of resources and comforts, and be helpful to one another in all ways.

2. May this couple be strong and complement one another.

3. May this couple be blessed with prosperity and riches on all levels.

4. May this couple be eternally happy.

5. May this couple be blessed with a happy family life.

6. May this couple live in perfect harmony… true to their personal values and their joint promises.

7. May this couple always be the best of friends.

With each step, they throw small bits of puffed rice into the fire, representing prosperity in their new life together. The action of walking around the fire indicates that they agree to these seven blessings. This is considered the most important part of the ceremony as it seals the bond forever.

A simple and easy way to adapt this into contemporary civil marriage ceremony is to light a traditional fire, or use a large candle or pot of fire that can be placed on a small table beside the bride and groom.

The bride and groom can then take seven steps around the table while the seven blessings are spoken in English.  They can still throw the rice into the fire if using a pot or something large enough.

You do not have to be Hindu to use a ritual such as the Seven Steps in your ceremony. Rituals and Traditions are becoming ever popular with couples all over the world and it is at times difficult to find a ritual that truly means something to you. Explore all of the options and don’t be afraid to incorporate something quite different and unique. It will definitely make your ceremony memorable. As long as you stay respectful to the culture the ritual belongs with the use of it, then it makes for a beautiful experience for all.

The Wedding Gurus xx

Week 8 - Greek Traditions

Welcome to Week 8 in our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’


This week we are taking a look at the Greek Tradition where the bride smashes a glass as she leaves her parents home to signify that once smashed it can never return to it’s former glory, symbolising the couples wish to never return to the time before they shared their lives together.

The image below is of Daphne doing just that, you can see the rest of her beautiful wedding photos in our real wedding section of this website.

Daphne’s mum also throws rice and sugared almonds over her as she leaves with her father, to signify good health and fertility in the marriage. The connection of the almond with renewal and fertility is clear and the sweetness of the sugar represents purity and the sweetness of marriage.

Video Demonstration:

The Importance of Rituals

Seeing as we are going to be spending the entire year bringing you Wedding Rituals/Traditions, I wanted to tell you a little about why this was so important to us.

Across the world ceremonies or rituals are used to define the more important stages of our lives and a wedding ceremony is the perfect example of one of those stages being at the height of tradition and formality.

From superstition and myth to etiquette, dress and both ancient and modern rituals, wedding ceremonies are steeped in tradition and symbolism.

Many cultures still actively practise ancient traditions or may have adapted some to suit a more modern environment, but nonetheless they still hold the same meaning and importance to those who practise them.

While as a modern society we may have somewhat moved away from some of the more outlandish rituals of stealing a bride away from her family or slapping each other with fish for good luck, it has become very ‘trendy’ of late to incorporate more of the common and meaningful traditions into today’s wedding ceremony.

Adding a ritual to your ceremony can provide the perfect opportunity to include all of your guests or even a select few whom you really want to play a part. Including a ritual is also a great way of blending families in a really unique way and allows wedding guests to actually see something interesting and heart felt.

If you honestly sat down and thought about all of the ceremonies that you have attended (and for me as a celebrant that is one heck of a lot!) they can often all blend into a distant fond memory, but if the couple did something that was unique, different or that evoked in you an emotional response, then chances are this will be a ceremony that will stay with you always.

For me, doing ceremony after ceremony every weekend is a wonderful experience and opportunity to see people from all different backgrounds, but officiating so many ceremonies often leaves them as a bit of a blurr in my distant memory.

There are, however, probably 4 or 5 out of all that I have done that have stuck with me as clear as if they were yesterday and that was simply because they used a ritual or tradition that touched or inspired me and because of that their exchange was etched in my mind forever.

One of these was something I hadn’t seen a couple do before and it was called the ‘silent rose ceremony’.

As I stood with the groom at the front of the assembled guests under a gorgeous flower lined gazebo, the music began playing and the bride appeared at the end of the garden. She walked up slowly on her brothers arm and when she reached the front of the group the groom walked forward and joined her, taking her arm.

Together they walked over to his mother first, and silently handed her a single gorgeous white rose. Nothing was said, they just each kissed her cheek and embraced her and then walked silently over to the bride’s mother and did the same to her. As the mothers were each unaware that this was going to take place they were both sobbing gorgeously and I think every guest including myself had a tear in their eye. The bride and groom then walked back to stand before me and the ceremony began. It was truly one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen done and yet so simple.

I’m not saying that including a ritual or tradition in your ceremony is right for everyone, but if you can find something that suits who you are then you should absolutely go for it. Make sure your ceremony is one that will be etched in your guests memories forever.

For inspiring ideas, don’t forget to look out for our ’52 Rituals/Traditions in 52 Weeks’

The wedding gurus

Week 2 - Sand Ceremony

  Welcome to week 2 of our '52 traditions / rituals in 52 week'  this week we are bringing to you a demonstration of a 'sand ceremony' also known as the unity sand ceremony. Our resident celebrant blogger susan considers it to be one of the most popular ceremonies she performs.

Step by Step Guide:

1. A clear glass vase is placed in the centre of a small table at the ceremonies location. To add a personal touch you can accessorise or engrave it with the couple’s initials or names and the wedding date.

2. Two smaller vases containing different coloured sands are placed either side of the central vase, one for the bride and one for the groom. These sands can be in the wedding colours.

3. During the sand ceremony, the priest or celebrant will verbally direct the couple to take turns to pour the sand from their individual vases into the central vase, creating a layered effect.

4. Finally they will pour the remainder of the sand into the vase at the same time so that the two colours combine and can’t be separated, symbolising their unity in marriage. A poem or reading can be recited at the same time as the sand is poured.

Tip: If your ceremony is at a beach the celebrant may take some sand from the ground and pour it as the final layar to symbolise where the couple confirmed their unity and commitment.

Video Demonstration:

We sincerely hope you enjoy the video dont forget to follow our blog so you can enjoy the fun, inspiring and informative information the next 50 weeks has to bring! If you have any questions or would like us to post any of the wording then please leave a comment and we will do our very best to get back to you within 24hours. Enjoy!

Week 1: Cup of Life Ceremony

Welcome to week 1 of our '52 traditions / rituals in 52 week' we are so excited to be bringing this to you and what a great way to start with the 'cup of life ceremony' brought to you by our resident celebrant blogger Susan.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the video dont forget to follow our blog so you can enjoy the fun, inspiring and informative information the next 53 weeks has to bring! If you have any questions or would like us to post any of the wording then please leave a comment and we will do our very best to get back to you within 24hours. Enjoy!

  

2012 Announcement!!

Okay, here it is
We have been thinking long and hard about doing a regular post for 2012, something that would be fun, but informative and that we could all have a bit of a laugh at and yet still get some good and useful information from.

Soooooo..... After a lot of thought, input and discussion we have decided to embark on quite a project.
For this year we will be taking you around the world (not literally) as we attempt to bring you

'52 wedding rituals/traditions in 52 weeks'

 A little ambitious? Yes probably
 Can we pull it off? Not sure, but we are going to give it one he'll of a go!

So basically we will be posting 1 ritual/tradition every week in the form of a combination of video blogs, write ups a pictures. These will be from all over the world with some common ones you may have seen and some that will definitely have you laughing. If you have one you could recommend that you would like us to re-enact then send it through to us and we will give it a go.

We really hope you will all join us on this journey over the next 52 weeks, because we can't do it without you and we intend to have a great time!

Stay tuned for our 1st one coming in the next few days. Thank you all for sticking with us so far and here's to an amazing year ahead, cheers.

The Wedding Gurus