The presenting of a wedding day token is an adaptation of a 16th century French custom that was reserved for nobles and kings. The objects were originally of great value; gold, enamel, precious stones, ivory, mother-of-pearl or porcelain. When introduced into other European courts, handmade lace, hand-blown glass and sugar coated candy were often substituted.
In the past, sugar coated almonds, usually wrapped in lace or netting were used as favours. Chocolate delicacies are now being used and are are popular. Almost anything tasteful can be given to your guests as a memento of your special day.
 Trevor Booth Photography, Windsor, Ontario- will travel
The bride presents her favours to the guests in attendance at her reception. The favours can be simple or quite elaborate and can be tied with ribbon, with the first names of the couple and their wedding date printed on the ribbon or an attached card.
Modern wedding favours can include any item that is well-suited as a small token gift. Today’s couples are adding a charitable donation in lieu of a gift to a cause that is dear to them. This shows their commitment as a couple to the community at large.
The Groom’s Cake is special way of honouring the groom. It is usually a gift from the bride to the groom, and, traditionally it is a dark cake of both fruits and nuts or soaked in liquor.
The groom’s cake may be presented any time during the wedding celebration, and it is also nice served as a toast to the groom at the rehearsal dinner to be enjoyed and shared in an intimate tribute to the wedding attendants and special guests. Or, serve it at the reception as a second flavour choice of cake for your guests.
Special boxed miniature groom’s cakes are also a nice touch, and make a sweet gift for your attendants. This follows the superstition that a maiden who sleeps with a slice of groom’s cake under her pillow will dream of her future partner.
Tradition also dictates that a bride who keeps a piece of her wedding cake will have a faithful and loving husband.
One of the nicest traditions of all is that of saving part of the wedding cake to share on your first anniversary. Before the advent of the freezer, the groom’s cake was always the cake reserved for this occasion, as the heavy fruit and liquor soaked cakes are preserved and carry a very long shelf life.
Many traditions are focused on the bride. By including a groom’s cake as part of your wedding is a nice way to honour your groom. The cake can be modeled after a hobby, sports, or something that is important to the groom.
The groom’s cake is making a comeback after being popular about 25 years ago. It faded into the background as new customs overtook it, but we’re glad to see it back; stronger than it has been in many decades.
It’s your day and you want to make certain that all your guests get home safely.
 John Lyons Photography, Chatham, Ontario- will travel If you booked the venue for your reception, you also share the legal status of the host. If one of your guests has an accident on the way home due to alcohol impairment, there will be problems for everyone involved.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that you can prevent impaired driving from becoming an issue. We have heard about weddings where the bride and groom, while making their speeches, informed the invited guests to take a taxi home at their expense. It seems generous, but they really cared about their good friends and family.
Friendship is also a two-way street. People don’t want to mar your wedding by arguing over the car keys. If you let them how much you care, most of them will do their part and mitigate any potential alcohol problems .
The trends are in your favour. Today, everybody knows what a designated driver is. A lot of couples take turns driving sober. Advance arrangements make for the best plans. And people arrive home safely.
Most of your guests will think ahead; they’ll plan to be picked up by a taxi or make other arrangements to keep themselves and others safe.
Still, every year traffic statistics are the same; people cause more than their share of crashes.
Help your friends so that they don’t become a statistic. Before your toasts begin, have the toast master raise the subject of safe rides home. Express appreciation to those already designated to drive sober. A gentle reminder shows how much you care.
For something like the safety of your friends and family, it’s never too late to ask the question, “who’s driving?”
“Love is the only game that is not called on account of darkness.” Anonymous
Once the date is set, take the steps to prepare for that magical first dance together. Learn to dance and include your wedding party, too. Learning how to dance together is a shared gift that will last a lifetime!
The moment you have planned for is here. You have been married in a beautiful ceremony and now it’s time to celebrate with your family and friends at your wedding reception.
The lights have been dimmed; the music is finally playing your special song. You are announced as Mr. and Mrs., and are invited to take the dance floor while your family and friends look on with admiration. He embraces you as you exchange loving glances and a tender kiss. Confidently, he leads you through your first dance as a married couple. It’s the highlight of the reception.
 Steve Pomerleau Photograpy, Windsor, Ontario - will travel You dreamed of this moment as your planned your entire wedding. Did you consider how you would look and feel? A first dance should reflect the essence of your feelings at that moment in time. This can be a reality if you make dancing part of your wedding planning.
During the months before your wedding day, plan to learn how to dance. The time you spend together at dance lessons, learning dancing skills, will strengthen your relationship. It will also take away the stress of all the preparations that you are making for your upcoming wedding by giving you the opportunity to relax and have a good time together.
When selecting a place to learn to dance, look for a reputable name with a great reputation that has a friendly and knowledgeable, helpful staff. There also needs to be an adequate practice area.
Learning to dance for your wedding is an important investment worth careful consideration. Its value should exceed the lesson’s cost. Your dance school should include some private instruction, practice time and the opportunity to rehearse your wedding day dance.
When thinking about your wedding day, you will always look back fondly at your “first dance.” It will be a highlight and memorable moment of the culmination of all your months of planning. This is a memory-making experience that will enhance your lives together forever as a defining moment.
 Chalet Studio Photography, Windsor, Ontario - will travel It wasn’t that long ago that encore brides wore a pink suit and wed in the Clerk’s office at City Hall. With so many weddings taking place around the country and second or subsequent marriages, the rules for “proper” protocol have all but ended.
Second weddings are typically the opposite of the way a first marriage took place. It’s a perfect opportunity for a home or garden wedding, a destination site, or an intimate ceremony with a larger reception. Whether large or small, go ahead and host it with confidence. Take time to make it your own and put your signature style on everything you do.
Your wedding dress can be whatever you desire; a bridal gown in white, ivory or the many new soft colour tones of today. You may want to forgo the train and replace the veil with a fascinator or a sophisticated beaded hair accessory or hat.
This time around you may want your son(s) or daughter(s) as attendants and you may want to walk down the aisle alone or with your spouse-to-be. Or you may not walk to walk the aisle at all.
At the reception, there may not be a need for a receiving line; and in fact they are losing in their popularity depending on the formality of the wedding.
Re-affirmation weddings are increasing and while once reserved for 25th or 50th anniversaries, they are now taking being celebrated as early as the 5th anniversary.
At these ceremonies, may couples choose to recreate their wedding day, complete with original dress and attendants, while others opt for an officiant renewing their vows during an anniversary party.
The only thing to know, is that there are no rules for second-time or encore marriages. Good taste always is in style and your wishes can certainly be accommodated. You can have the wedding of your dreams so enjoy and have a great time with your wedding planning. Have fun, be daring and do the things that you may have wanted to do the first time around and didn’t. Like buy that beautiful pair of blues shoes!
|