Wedding Traditions--Their Origins and Meanings, Part 3

Here it is, June, the big wedding month. And finally, three more wedding traditions and their origins:

• At one time, weddings were week-long celebrations. In today's harried times, the rehearsal dinner creates perhaps the only chance for the couple's families to socialize.

• The word "bridal" comes from an old English custom. The bride brewed a strong "bride-ale" which was sold to friends after the wedding to help start the couple off.

• June became the month for weddings, because it was considered good luck to marry during the month named after Juno, the goddess of marriage and family.

Coming soon: Be sure to check back here for the chance to win valuable wedding prizes!

Wedding Traditions--Their Origins and Meanings, Part 2

Here are a few more traditions to add to last week's list:

• The term "Honeymoon" comes from a very old tradition. At one time, German and French couples drank a honey-sweetened wine each day for a month to celebrate the sweetness of their love. Another legend says that the honeymoon was a time to hide from the family and friends of the captured bride until tempers had cooled.

• The groom's cake tradition arose from the time when all weddings had two cakes--one to eat at the wedding and another for the guests to take home. Pieces of the groom's cake were saved to be eaten by the couple on their first anniversary.

• In many towns, the finest stores kept a list of gifts already purchased so that wedding guests could avoid duplication. Sometime between World War I and II, the practice was formalized as a service offered to department stores and called the "Bridal Registry".

More traditions in the next post...
Coming soon: Be sure to check back here for the chance to win valuable wedding prizes!

Wedding Traditions--Their Origins and Meanings, Part 1

Here at Lake Tahoe, summer wedding season is upon us. Have you ever wondered about the meanings behind the most common of wedding traditions? Here are some:

• We wear our wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand because it is believed that this finger is linked to the heart.

• In ancient times, a man was expected to acquire a wife by capturing her. She surrounded herself with female friends for protection and he enlisted his male friends to steal her away. The maids, playfully dressed alike to confuse the men.

• The French began the tradition of icing wedding cakes and topping them with small toys in the 17th century. As weddings became more elaborate, confectioners made their reputations on wedding cakes and tried to outdo one another with lavishness. Queen Victoria's daughter had a cake topped with small portraits of the bride and groom which led to today's tradition of small figures of the bride and groom on the cake.

More traditions in the next post...

Be sure to check back here for the chance to win valuable wedding prizes!

Gift ideas for Brides

Gifts for brides and moms can be unique and timeless when you look for something with a bit of Celtic flair. The ancient Celts created illustrations of complex interlacing, unending patterns, knots, and animal designs, all interconnected with unbroken lines. They believed that the more these lines interlaced each other..., the greater their protection against eveil. The unbroken lines symbolize infinity.

Look for unique Celtic jewelry from Moonstone Jewelry . Another one of my favorites is Deep Creek Celtic Company . These companies also have specials available to Facebook folks.

Finally, there's my friend Liam's unique jewelry fashioned from shards of vintage Irish china. Check them all out and find something wonderful for the ladies in your life.