Nontraditional Customs For Your Wedding

When one thinks of an typical wedding, one traditionally thinks of the wedding ceremony held in a church where the bride wears a white dress and the groom wears a dark tuxedo. There are usually a set of standard ceremony or vowels that are repeated by the bride and groom. More and more, however, bride and grooms are choosing to add ethnic or nontraditional elements to their more 'traditional' wedding ceremony.

For example, while it is a tradition in more than one culture, many African-American couples are choosing to include the wedding ceremony of "jumping the broom" to pay honor to their slave roots when the only ceremony a man or woman was allowed for marriage was to jump over a broom to indicate they were setting up housekeeping together. Today, a specially decorated broom is placed in front of the couple as they turn to leave the chapel after just after reciting their wedding vows. They then jump over the broom together to symbolically indicate that bad luck has been swept away as they start their new union and set up housekeeping together.

Depending on the pastor, it may be possible to alter traditional vows. The couple has the option of writing their own, which can be more intimate and a more personalized to the bride and groom. For example, a bride could mention how much she loved her husband-to-be despite the fact that he snores, and the groom could mention that he loved his wife-to-be even though she had cold feet that she insisted on warming up underneath his shirt on cold nights. These vows could even include key lyrics from songs that are meaningful to the couple, poetry, or other sayings that may be relevant in the context of their relationship.

There are other traditions, while less well-known, which are also being incorporated into the modern wedding ceremony. For example, in Scotland, up until the 1940's, it was possible for a man and woman to be married by declaring in front of three witnesses that they were husband and wife. In some modern ceremonies newly married couples of Scottish ancestry stand up following the other vows in front of the congregation and declare three separate times that they are now married. Another ceremony, which dates the medieval period, is the placing of the 'handfasting' cloth, a part of which is decorated by both the bride and groom and then used to tie their hands together as a symbol that the two are now joined as one.

These, like other wedding traditions, may be incorporated into your wedding ceremony with a little thought and planning. If unsure, you can consult with your clergyman to ensure their inclusion. Never be afraid to ask well in advance of the wedding ceremony so you can have the perfect wedding that is personalized just for you and your groom.

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