WEDDINGS

Once upon a time, the Mother of the Bride planned the entire wedding. The bride's job was to do what her mother said. The groom's job was simply to show up. But times have changed! Brides and grooms have taken over the planning and creativity, and the Mother of the Bride might be unsure of exactly what she's supposed to do. Don't worry! There are still lots of important tasks that allow you to impart your taste and style.

Here's a list of the Mother of the Bride Duties :

First and foremost, be a warm listener, chief heerleader, constant complimenter, and otherwise a source of support for your daughter.

• Help the bride find the wedding dress of her dreams, as well as other wedding attire.

• Help look for wedding and reception locations, particularly if the wedding is taking place in your home town and not theirs.


• If you haven't already met, contact the groom's parents and arrange to meet
  
• Choose your mother-of-the-bride dress as soon as possible, then let the groom's mother know what you have picke


• Discuss the wedding budget with your daughter and her fiancé, including what you are willing to pay for, and the ideal total number of guests.


• Quickly draw up the guest list for your side of the family, and later, close to the date of the wedding, call any of your guests who are late in RSVPing.


• Reserve blocks of hotel rooms for your out-of-town guests, and possibly other guests as well.


• Help spread the word about where the couple are registered.



• Act as hostess at the wedding and reception, making sure guests are comfortable. This also includes standing in the receiving line, sitting at the parents table, and making sure the bride has greeted all her guests.


• Attend the wedding shower and rehearsal dinner.


• Possibly escort the bride down the aisle, and/or participate in other parts of the ceremony such as unity ceremonies.


• Help your daughter will any other details she asks you to!

Did you know that brides haven't always worn white? Bold colors have played an important role in bridal fashion in years past. The turn of the century, however, saw the arrival of white as the most popular wedding dress color.






but now dresses became like this

Wedding Flowers

Before the Flowers

The bridal bouquet was formed from garland and wreaths worn around the heads of both the groom and bride. The garland was considered a symbol of love and happiness. A bridal bouquet and the wreaths were originally made of herbs and bulbs of garlic. It was said that the herbs and garlic had a magical power to ward off any evil spirits that may plague their future. Different herbs had different meanings. Dill is the herb of lust. When carried with the garlic down the aisle the bride would lust only for her husband. Sage is the herb for wisdom. When carried with the garlic it is said that the bride would gather great wisdom and learn goodness.


Different Uses for Wedding Flowers


Back when herbs where still used in weddings, a kissing knot was made with rosemary and roses tied together. The kissing knot was suspended over the heads of that bride and groom over the head table at the reception where the bridal party was sitting. This was said to bring good luck and lots of love to the couple and everyone sitting at the table.

Small flower nosegays were placed beside every plate of the guests in attendance at the reception. The flowers left for the guests were chosen for the guests to ensure them happiness and long lives.

Countries and Flowers:

In some countries, the history of flowers and their roles in weddings have stayed with them and many practices are still used today. In Germany, the bride and groom would hold candles with flowers and ribbons tied to them during the ceremony. In India, the grooms brother would sprinkle flower petals over the bride and groom at the end of the wedding ceremony to help ward of any evil spirits. In Sweden, the bridesmaids would carry little bouquets of aromatic herbs and the groom would carry thyme in his pockets as they walked down the aisle to scare off any trolls. In Austria, the brides would crown their veils with the flowers of life. In England, the bride and her bridesmaids would walk to the church together. A small girl would lead them to the church while sprinkling flower blossoms along the path so the bride will have a life filled with flowers and happiness. This tradition is continued in modern weddings that have “flower girls”.
Flowers have always been an important element to weddings. Different times and different countries used flowers in their wedding ceremonies for different reasons, but the use of flowers remains an important aspect to weddings.

Wedding Ring:

Never-Ending Circle



The wedding band's shape represents an unbroken promise of love and commitment. The circle has no beginning and no end; therefore, the marriage has no end. It is believed that many past cultures shared the same beliefs about the circles.
There is, however, another theory behind the ring's shape. Many religions consider marriage as "half of the religion." Some historians say that the wedding ring represents two halves coming together to form a united whole. By completing the circle, primitive man also completed his religion.

The Ties that Bind



The earliest wedding rings were not placed around the finger, but around the extremities. Since mortality rates were high and life expectancies were low, people came to the conclusion that a person's spirit could just flow out of the body, ending his life. They often tried interesting and superstitious ideas to keep the spirit intact. For example, an ancient husband would wrap twigs and grass around his new wife's ankles and wrists, believing this would prolong her life.

Straight to the Heart



In ancient times, the Egyptians and the Romans shared the belief that a vein from the fourth finger lead directly to the heart. As such, it seemed a logical place for the placement of the wedding band. The practice was passed down and the fourth finger is now universally known as the ring finger. Science has since disproved that theory, but it is still romantic to think that our wedding rings are on a direct path to our hearts.

To Love and to Honor



Archaeologists have found references to wedding rings among the Ancient Egyptians' hieroglyphics. The Egyptians shaped twigs, hemp, or plant stems into circles and placed them on their brides' ring fingers. The plant rings quickly decayed or were broken and had to be frequenlty replaced. The circles represented undying love, much as they do today. Apparently they did not represent fidelity, though, as many of the Ancient Egyptians were polygamous.

To Obey



Although the Ancient Romans placed a ring on the fourth finger of their wives hands, the practice had little to do with love and devotion. Rather, wives were a possession to the Romans and the ring was a sign of ownership. Ancient Roman women had no voice in this decision; there was no proposal. Once the women were captured and "ringed," they were married.

To be Faithful



Men of the Far and Middle East had a unique way of ensuring that their brides remained faithful. They created "puzzle rings," rings that were collapsible. If a wife tried to remove her ring, the ring would fall apart. The ring could be put back together, but only if one knew the correct arrangement. If the husband had to travel for business or during wartime, the puzzle rings were used to keep the wife true.

I Give this Thimble



In the early days of American colonization, the Puritan way of thinking said that any form of adornment was wasteful and immoral. Of course, this meant there were no rings. Instead, men gave their brides thimbles as tokens of undying love and devotion. The resourceful brides often removed part of the thimble and created makeshift rings.

For Richer and Poorer

As time went by and the rules became looser, the move towards modern rings began. Materials for the rings have varied through the years, depending on personal wealth and the nation's economy. Wedding rings of the past have been made of leather, stone, aluminum, and metal. Today, wedding rings are almost always made of gold, silver, or platinum. Some people choose alternative rings, such as titanium or tatoos.

Husband's Wedding Ring



Wedding bands for men are a fairly recent innovation. Throughout history, men have been dominant and either owned wives or lead harems. There was no need for men to be burdened by symbols of marriage and commitment. Even after modern thinking outlawed all forms of slavery and polygamy, the fingers of men were still unadorned. All of that changed during World War II. During the war it became fashionable for men to wear bands to remind them of the loving wives waiting back home. Use of wedding rings by men increased again during the Korean War. Today, most men wear wedding bands, regardless of military status.





SOURCE: WWW.GOOGLE.COM