A Softer Image

In Jamaica, the wedding cake is a central part of the wedding celebration. Typically it’s a rum cake, and the cake or the dried fruits inside may be soaked with alcohol for up to a year prior to the wedding. What I think is the most interesting part of the way Jamaican weddings handle the […]

Tradition detail: The “Best Man” stands next to the groom during a typical American Christian wedding ceremony. He can have many duties, everything from getting the groom to the wedding on time to holding the real rings during the ceremony to toasting at the reception.
Where it comes from: I’ll give you a hint - it’s […]

Tradition detail: During the ceremony, the bride has by her side a number of women dressed in identical gowns. These women have close relationships with the bride, and may also include the groom’s sisters or close female friends.
Where it comes from: A running theme in wedding tradition history is a fear of evil spirits. The […]

Tradition detail: At the reception, you and your new spouse stand up in front of your guests and make the first cuts in your wedding cake. Everyone cheers as you feed each other (or, sometimes, smash the cake in each other’s faces) and kiss.
Where it comes from: A groom would break, literally, bread over the […]

Tradition detail: During a typical American Christian ceremony, relatives and friends of the groom sit on the right side of the ceremony, and relatives and friends of the bride sit on the left side of the ceremony. At the head of the ceremony stand the officiant, the bride (on the left) and the groom (on […]

Tradition detail: You get married. You celebrate. You take a deep breath. You and your partner travel to another destination; one where you’ll have some privacy after your big day and get to spend some QT with each other. Whether you’re heading to the Jersey shore or to an exotic tropical island, you get to […]