Date: Saturday, April 5, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm
Guest of Honor: My best friend, Nichol
Party: Lingerie / Cocktail Bridal Shower
Invitation:
Decor:
Framed love quotations found online. Shabby Chic. Also found wedding traditions and wedding superstitions online and had them hanging in the backyard for people to view. Hung material from the top of patio. Also draped curtains around to keep area secluded. My husband made 2 cocktail tables and we also had two small sitting tables.
Wedding Superstitions/Traditions Found Online :
Moroccan women take a milk bath to purify themselves before their wedding ceremony.
A Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to ensure that she'll never do without. ''
In Holland, a pine tree is planted outside the newlyweds' home as a symbol of fertility and luck.
For good luck, Egyptian women pinch the bride on her wedding day. Ouch!
The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck. Yikes!
In Egypt, the bride's family traditionally does all the cooking for a week after the wedding, so the couple can…relax.
The bride stands to the groom's left during a Christian ceremony, because in bygone days the groom needed his right hand free to fight off other suitors.
Bouquet
For ancient Greeks and Romans, the bouquet was a pungent mix of garlic and herbs or grains. The garlic was supposed to ward off evil spirits and the herbs or grains were to insure a fruitful union. In ancient Poland, it was believed that sprinkling sugar on the bride's bouquet kept her temper sweet.
Kiss
The first kiss a bride and groom share at the close of the ceremony has carried special significance through the centuries.
Many cultures believed that the couple exchanged spirits with their breath and part of their souls were exchanged as well.
Bridal Shower: The person who gives the third gift to be opened will soon have a baby.
If a cat sneezes in front of a bride on the day before her wedding, it is a sign of very good luck.
Good luck will come to a bride if her veil is accidentally torn, especially if torn at the altar.
The bridegroom should carry a horseshoe in his pocket for good luck.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in her Shoe
This rhyme originated in Victorian times. 'Something Old' signifies that the Couple's friends will stay with them. In one version of the tradition the 'Something Old' was an old garter which was given to the bride by a happily married woman so that the new bride would also enjoy a happy marriage. 'Something New' looks to the future for health, happiness and success.
'Something Borrowed' is an opportunity for the Bride's family to give her something as a token of their love (it must be returned to ensure Good Luck), and 'Something Blue' is thought lucky because Blue represents fidelity and constancy. The custom began in ancient Israel where brides wore a blue ribbon in their hair to symbolise their fidelity. A sixpence was placed in the shoe to bring the couple wealth in their married life. Some brides still place a penny in their shoe during the marriage ceremony.
If you find a four-leaf clover, put it in your right shoe and the next bachelor you meet will become your husband.
June is the best month to get married. Romans believed that Juno, their goddess of woman, blessed marriages that took place in her month.
Wedding Traditions:
Why Does the Bride Wear a Veil?
According to tradition, it is considered bad luck for the bride to be seen by the groom before the ceremony.
The lifting of the veil at the end of the ceremony symbolizes male dominance. If the bride takes the initiative in lifting it, thereby presenting herself to him, she is showing more independence.
Why a Bride's Handkerchief?
Early farmers thought a bride's wedding day tears were lucky and brought rains for their crops.
Why the Honeymoon?
In ancient times, many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice. When early man felt it was time to take a bride, he would often carry off an unwilling woman to a secret place where her relatives wouldn't find them. While the moon went through all its phases, (about 30 days) they hid from the searchers and drank a brew made from honey. Hence, we get the word, honeymoon
Why Do the Attendants
Dress Alike?
It was once common for the bride, her groom and all their friends to walk together to the church on the morning of the wedding. Afraid that someone, maybe a rejected suitor, would spot the happy couple and put a curse on them. The groom's friends wore clothes almost identical to his, and the women costumed themselves like the bride. These disguises tricked evil wishers into letting the real bride and groom live happily ever after. Of course, today we dress our attendants alike for the beauty and pageantry of the event.
Why the Blue Satin Garter?
Why this "Something Blue?" In ancient Israel, brides wore a blue ribbon to signify "fidelity." The garter-throwing itself derives from a bawdy ritual called "flinging the stocking." In Britain, the guests would playfully invade the bridal chamber. The ushers grabbed the bride's stockings; the maids; the grooms. They took turns sitting at the foot of the bed flinging the stockings over the heads of the couple. Whoever's stocking landed on the bride's or the groom's nose would be the next to wed.
Why Does the Bride
Wear White?
The color white has been a symbol of joyous celebration since early Roman times. At the beginning to the twentieth century, white stood for purity as well. Today, it holds it original meaning of happiness and joy.
Why Does the Bride Carry Flowers?
For centuries, flowers have stood for a variety of emotions and values. Roses for love, lilies for virtue and so on. In ancient marriages, the brides carried herbs beneath their veils to symbolize fidelity. Greek brides carried ivy as a symbol of never-ending love. Orange blossoms, (the world renowned wedding flower) were chosen by the Spaniards to represent happiness and fulfillment, because the orange tree flowers and bears fruit at the same time. During even earlier times of "primitive marriage," when the fear of demons was most prevalent, the brides carried stinking garlands of herbs and spices for the purpose of frightening off evil spirits.
Why Something Blue?
Brides of ancient Israel wore blue ribbons on the border of their wedding cloths to denote, love, modesty and fidelity
Why a Wedding Cake?
Beginning in early Roman times, the cake has been a special part of the wedding celebration. A thin loaf was broken over the bride's head at the close of the ceremony to symbolize fertility. The wheat from which it was made, symbolized fertility and the guests eagerly picked up the crumbs as good luck charms. During the Middle Ages, it became traditional for the couple to kiss over a small cluster of cakes. Later, a clever baker decided to amass all these small cakes together, covering them with frosting. Thus, the modern tiered cake was born
The Groom's Cake
The groom's cake is a smaller cake that is served at the wedding reception.
Young women (unmarried) would take a piece of the groom's cake home to place under their pillows and the old wive's tale says "they will marry whomever they dream of that night."
The Tradition of the Bridal Shower?
Tradition says that the first bridal shower was given to a poor couple in Holland who was denied the bridal dowry because of the groom's lowly miller status. The miller's friends showered the bride with gifts to help them set up housekeeping.
Why Carry the Bride Across the Threshold?
During the days of "Marriage by Capture," the bride was certainly not going to go peacefully into the bridegroom's abode, thus, she was dragged or carried across the threshold. In even earlier times, it was believed that family demons followed the woman and to keep her family demons from going into the groom's home, she was carried across the threshold upon her entering for the first time. After that, the demons could not enter as she would come in and go out of the home.
Giving the Bride Away?
In times when women were granted few privileges and even fewer personal rights, the bride was literally given away to the groom by the father, usually in exchange for monetary gain. Today, it is seen as symbolic of the blessings and support of her union as a promise of continued trust and affection
Why an Engagement Ring?
In the early days of "Marriage by Purchase," the betrothal ring served a twofold purpose. This twofold purpose included partial payment for the bride and was a symbol of the groom's honorable intentions. The diamond was found first in Medieval Italy, and because of its hardness, was chosen to stand for enduring love.
Why the Third Finger, Left-hand?
In ancient times, it was believed there was a vein in the third finger of the left hand that ran directly to the heart. Thus, the ring being placed on that finger, denoted the strong connection of a heartfelt love and commitment to one another. Although during times of modern autopsy, this long held belief was found not to be so, the tradition continued to this day.
Medieval bridegrooms place the ring on three of the bride's fingers, in turn, to symbolize, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The ring then remained on the third finger and has become the customary ring finger for English-speaking cultures. In some European countries, the ring is worn on the left hand before marriage, and is moved to the right hand during the ceremony. However, in most European countries the ring is still worn on the brides left hand. A Greek Orthodox bride wears her ring on her left had before marriage, and moves it to her right hand after the ceremony.
Why a Wedding Ring?
The circular shape of the wedding ring has symbolized undying, unending love since the days of the early Egyptians. A primitive bride wore a ring of hemp or rushes, which had to be replaced often. Durable iron was used by the Romans to symbolize the permanence of marriage. Today's favorite is of course, gold, with it's lasting qualities of beauty and purity.
Food:
Served appetizers and Cowboy Margarita for drinks. Also had lemonade, coffee and water available. For dessert I made a pound cake that I cubed. Then using a melon baller, balled vanilla ice cream. Placed both in a short champagne glass and drizzled with homemade raspberry sauce.
Games/Activities:
Everyone was instructed to bring a pair of panties for the bride. Upon entering the party, they placed the unwrapped panties in a basket. During the party I had the bride chose her favorite pair and that person won a gift!
The bride then gets to keep all the panties
Hanger of Wisdom:
Each guest was asked to write down on a 3x5 card some Advice for the bride for her wedding night. They then attached them with clothes pins to a ribbon attached to a lingerie hanger. The bride then read each "advice" card before opening presents.
Peculiar Game:
We played this game using the 3x5 cards that we had extras of from the hanger of wisdom. Host reads the following out loud:
Peculiar Game This is a rather peculiar game. It really does not have a name. It's simple to play, as a game should be. You just do as you're told, you see. So now if you'll please give me your attention We'll put an end to this suspension. In the end, whoever scores the most Will receive a prize of which to boast. Now since you're all fashionable girls Give yourself 5 if you have any pearls. You may add 3 if your toes peek out. And earrings will give you 2 more to shout. Score yourself 5 if you show any red. Add 6 more for a curl on your head. Now before you think you are going to win Take away 2 for each safety pin. Give yourself 6 if your pants are tight. Add 1 for a scarf, which is just about right. Add 5 more if your shoes are black. And take away 3 for a zipper in back. Now count all your buttons, for each you get 2. And take away 1 for each button that's blue. Give yourself 5 if your heels are high. And why not take 10 for the green in your eye. 10 more points for a rose on your clothes. Take away 5 if you forgot to wear hose. If your husband you kissed today - add 9. If you didn't subtract 12 - you're subject to fine. This is the end...there isn't anymore. Who is the lucky lady with the highest score?
Additional Photos From Party:
