British wedding culture and traditions.pptx

the ppt about British culture

1. British wedding culture and traditions The presentation about British wedding customs and traditions by Abdimominov M

2. In olden times, wedding dresses weren’t any particular colour , primarily because ladies didn’t have the luxury of owning multiple dresses. As a result, when they got married, they would wear their Sunday best, whatever colour it was. This tradition carried on right up until 1840 when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert and wore a white dress! And ever since then, Wedding dresses have invariably been white or ivory. Today, although white or ivory is still the colour of choice for the majority of brides, we are seeing an increase in different colours within bridal wear, particularly for second and subsequent weddings and older brides. 1) The White Wedding Dress

3. It is still customary today for the father of the bride to escort his daughter down the aisle and ‘give her away’ to her new husband. This tradition of giving the bride away, dates back to the Middle Ages when women were considered to be the property of their father, until they were ‘sold’ to their new husband. Unsurprisingly, in part due to the changing nature of family set-ups today, more often brides are choosing to be escorted down the aisle by other key people in their lives, such as their mums, a sibling, or their children.  Famously last year, Meghan Markle walked down the aisle on her own, followed by a selection of small flower girls and page boys. 2) Giving Away the Bride

4. This is one of those lovely traditions that is still very popular today, the idea being, that the bride must choose something to wear, for each of these elements. Something old is usually an heirloom such as a necklace or bracelet, a hair adornment or a brooch. This is to signify the family that the bride comes from. Something new (usually the dress or the bride’s shoes) represents success and good fortune in the new life that the bride is choosing. Something borrowed reminds the bride that her friends and family will always be there for her, in her life to come. This is often something like an item of jewellery , a handkerchief or a clutch bag. Something blue to represent faithfulness and loyalty (in biblical times, blue represented purity), often a ribbon sewn into the wedding dress or attached to the bride’s garter. The final piece of the jigsaw, ‘the silver sixpence in her shoe’ is often forgotten today (in part because silver sixpences are a bit more difficult to come by these days), but it represented wealth and happiness for the new couple. 3) Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue… and a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe

5. Wedding cakes are a big thing in the UK – who doesn’t love a piece of cake with a cup of tea after all? But the tradition stems from the days when the groom had to kiss his bride over a pile of sweet bread rolls in Medieval times (Who even knows why?!) and then this tradition moved on to the bride receiving a pie under her pillow – which seems ever so messy! And these days, thankfully, its cake – the multiple tiers representing that pile of sweet bread rolls! Cakes come in all shapes and sizes these days, we’ve largely moved away from fruitcake to a varied selection of flavoured sponges, alternatively it might be cupcakes, macaron towers or for those without a sweet tooth; cheese, but I think this is one tradition that in some form or another is definitely here to stay! 4) The Wedding Cake

6. Dancing has always been a popular element of any celebration and of course weddings are no exception! When a party was thrown, the dancing was the start of proceedings, usually performed by the guest of honour and the hostess. This then became a wedding tradition, when the father of the groom danced with the bride, before she then danced with her new husband. Whilst this formality no longer happens, the first dance between the bride and groom is definitely still the start of the evening wedding party, after which everyone is on the dancefloor – until the early hours! 5) The First Dance

7. A global sign in our culture today that indicates someone’s marital status is the ring they wear around their finger. We might not think much of them now, but wedding rings have a lot of history. The first recorded diamond wedding ring, however, dates back as far as the early 1400s when an English widow left one in her will. There is a poem that speaks of “Two wills, two hearts, two passions are bonded in one marriage by a diamond.” That being said, wedding rings can be traced back to ancient Rome and Greece where rings were included in the marital dowry, and then later used as a promise of fidelity. The ceremony of exchanging rings comes from European customs back in the Middle Ages of Christendom. Exchanging Wedding Rings

8. 1. Bride This is the woman who is getting married. She usually wears a wedding dress, which some also call a wedding gown. 2. Groom This is the man getting married. The groom often wears a tuxedo or a suit. 3. Maid of Honour (or Man of Honour ) The bride usually asks a friend to be her Maid of Honour (chief bridesmaid). This is the person who assists the bride in the run-up to the wedding (with the hen night or helping the bride get ready) and during the wedding ceremony. If the Maid of Honour is married, she is called a Matron of Honour . 4. Bridesmaid The role of a bridesmaid is to help the bride before, during and after the wedding. Bridesmaids are normally either friends or relatives of the bride, and usually help to carrying the bride’s dress. 5. Flower girl A flower girl is usually a young relative of the bride or groom, who typically walks down the aisle before the bride scattering flower petals. Wedding vocabulary

9. 6. Best man Just like the bride has her assistants, the groom does, too. The best man is a close friend or relative of the groom. He might not typically be involved in planning the wedding, but he will normally organise the stag night, give the best man’s speech, and sometimes will be responsible for holding on to the rings on the wedding day. 7. Page boy Similarly to the flower girl, a page boy is usually a young relative of the bride or groom. Traditionally, the page boys carry the bride’s dress. One of the page boys may also be a ring bearer, responsible for carrying the rings during the ceremony. 8. Wedding vows These are traditional promises exchanged between the couple during the wedding ceremony. 9. Wedding reception The wedding reception is a party usually held after the marriage ceremony. People celebrate with drinks, canapes and of course a slice of wedding cake! 10. Speeches and toasts During the wedding reception, various people make speeches and toasts to the newlywed couple. These can be made by the Maid of Honour , the best man, close family of the could and the bride and groom themselves.