Wedding Bliss: What Does It Mean?

A wedding is a ceremony or celebration that marks the union of two people in marriage. Wedding traditions vary across cultures, religions, and countries, but most ceremonies involve an exchange of vows and rings, and a public proclamation of marriage by an authority figure. Weddings can be simple civil ceremonies or elaborate, multi-day events with religious rituals and hundreds of guests.

Wedding traditions and customs

The Best Man

The best man is traditionally chosen to be a witness to the wedding. This custom dates back to when weddings were business transactions, and the groom needed a man with good swordsmanship to help deal with transactions, including dealing with the bride's angry family members or finding a runaway bride. Today, the best man is usually the groom's best friend.

Engagement Rings

Engagement rings, symbolised by a circle, originated in Ancient Egypt, representing never-ending love. The tradition of a diamond on the engagement ring came from the Sicilians, who believed the stone was a sign of fiery love.

The Ring Bearer

The ring bearer is a small child who carries the pillow on which the wedding rings are presented, symbolising innocence and new beginnings.

The Wedding Veil

The tradition of wearing a wedding veil dates back to ancient Rome, where it was believed that the veil could disguise the bride from any evil spirits and ward them off with its 'purity' and 'innocence'. The tradition was popularised by Queen Victoria.

The Bride's Dress

The tradition of the bride wearing a white dress also stems from Queen Victoria, who wore a white gown when she married Prince Albert. The colour symbolised virginal purity and extravagance.

The Honeymoon

The honeymoon served as a hideaway for the couple, where the husband would take his new bride somewhere that her family could not find them.

The Bridal Shower

In the 1500s, bridal showers were a way to raise dowry money for brides and their families in Europe. Today, bridal showers or bachelorette parties are a way to spoil the bride before her wedding.

The Wedding Cake

The wedding cake tradition comes from ancient Rome, where guests would break a loaf of bread over the bride's head to symbolise fertility. In medieval England, the bride and groom would try to kiss over a pile of spiced buns, scones, and cookies, which is believed to have evolved into the tradition of tiered wedding cakes.

Something Old, Something New...

This custom involves the bride wearing or carrying something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. "Something old" represents the couple's past lives, while "something new" symbolises their future together. "Something borrowed" is typically an item from someone in a successful marriage, and the colour blue represents fidelity, love, loyalty, purity, and faithfulness.

Wedding attire

Traditional Western Attire

A traditional formal Western wedding may include a white wedding dress and veil for the bride, and a tuxedo for the groom. The tuxedo is usually black and is traditionally only worn after 6 pm. The bride's white dress and veil are said to symbolise 'purity' and 'innocence', stemming from the Victorian era.

Non-Traditional Western Attire

In recent times, non-traditional Western weddings have become more common, with grooms opting for non-traditional "tuxedo" variants, such as coloured jackets and ties, or "wedding suits".

Traditional Non-Western Attire

Traditional non-Western wedding attire varies across cultures and religions. Here are some examples:

• Ao Dai: traditional garments of Vietnam
• Barong Tagalog: formal, embroidered men's garment of the Philippines
• Batik and Kebaya: a garment worn by the Javanese people of Indonesia and the Malay people of Malaysia
• Dashiki: traditional West African wedding attire
• Dhoti: male garment in South India
• Hanbok: traditional garment of Korea
• Kilt: male garment particular to Scottish culture
• Kittel: a white robe worn by the groom at an Orthodox Jewish wedding
• Qun Gua or Kua: Chinese traditional formal wear, which can take the form of a qipao or hanfu
• Ribbon shirt: often worn by Native American men on auspicious occasions, such as weddings
• Sampot: traditional dress in Cambodia
• Sari/Lehenga: Indian popular and traditional dress
• Seshweshe: a female dress worn by Basotho women during special ceremonies, which has recently been adopted for men's attire as well
• Sherwani: a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia
• Shiromuku Kimono: traditional wedding garment in Japan
• Tiara, or wedding crown: worn by Syrian and Greek couples, and Scandinavian brides
• Topor: a type of conical headgear traditionally worn by grooms as part of the Bengali Hindu wedding ceremony

Wedding ceremonies

A wedding ceremony is a celebration of the marriage of two people, and wedding traditions vary significantly across cultures, ethnic groups, races, religions, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations.

Wedding Ceremony Components

Wedding Ceremony Order

The wedding ceremony order is flexible, and while there are some traditions, couples can embrace or buck them as they see fit. A typical ceremony order is as follows:

• Procession: The officiant leads the way, followed by the groom (or, for queer/nonbinary couples, whichever partner wants to go first), the groom's wedding party and honour attendants, the maid of honour, bridesmaids, flower girl and ring bearer, and finally, the bride (or second partner).
• Opening remarks from the officiant: The officiant welcomes everyone and may speak about marriage in general or the couple's love story.
• Wedding readings or poems: These can be chosen from religious texts or any other source that speaks to the couple.
• Unity ceremony: This could be a sand ceremony or handfasting.
• Vow exchange and declaration of intent: The couple speaks their vows and acknowledges their choice to marry.
• Ring exchange: The couple exchanges rings, which may be preceded by a brief prayer if it is a religious ceremony.
• Pronouncement and first kiss: The officiant declares the couple married, and they share their first kiss.
• Recessional: The couple leads the way out, followed by the wedding party and the officiant.

Wedding Ceremony Scripts

The wedding ceremony script should reflect the couple's preferences and be crafted with their input. It should include the legal language required for the marriage to be legally binding.

Types of Wedding Ceremonies

The type of wedding ceremony will depend on the couple's culture, religion, and personal preferences. Some common types include:

• Christian wedding ceremony
• Jewish wedding ceremony
• Muslim wedding ceremony (Nikah)
• Hindu wedding ceremony
• Unitarian Universalist wedding ceremony
• Civil wedding ceremony
• Humanist wedding ceremony
• Traditional Western ("white") wedding ceremony
• Elopement
• Microwedding or minimony

Wedding celebrations

Weddings are often accompanied by music, poetry, prayers, or readings from religious texts or literature. They can also include superstitious customs, such as throwing rice or shoes for prosperity and fertility.

In some cultures, weddings involve the exchange of rings and gifts, with the bride and groom dressed in special garments. The ceremony is sometimes followed by a reception, where rituals such as speeches, the newlyweds' first dance, and the cutting of the wedding cake take place.

Hindu weddings, for example, can last for several days and include rituals such as Mehendi (Henna application) and the exchange of garlands between the bride and groom in front of guests.

A traditional Jewish wedding includes signing a marriage contract, being married under a chuppah (wedding canopy), and the groom smashing a wine glass underfoot to symbolise the destruction of the Second Temple.

Each culture has its own unique wedding traditions, but they all share a common purpose: to unite two people in marriage and celebrate the occasion with loved ones.

Wedding industry

The wedding industry is a large and lucrative global business. In the United States alone, there are approximately 2.5 million weddings each year, with the industry valued at $70.5 billion as of 2022. The industry includes a range of goods and services, from clothing and jewellery to catering, entertainment, and honeymoon packages.

The wedding industry has evolved over the decades, with traditions and trends being influenced by advertising and media. For example, the tradition of a "destination wedding" emerged in the 1960s and 1970s when brides began to move their weddings outside of the church. Today, social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Snapchat play a significant role in the industry, with couples turning to these platforms for inspiration and to discover vendors and ideas.

The industry is made up of multiple smaller enterprises, including caterers, wedding consultants, dress designers, beauty suppliers, photographers, musicians, and honeymoon-related businesses. While the industry as a whole represents a significant amount of money, tracking where this money is spent can be challenging due to the diverse range of businesses involved, many of which are small, privately owned companies that do not report financial information beyond tax declarations.

The cost of weddings varies widely depending on the country and the economic status of the couple. In the US, the average cost of a wedding in 2019 was $25,000, not including the honeymoon. However, this figure can be misleading as it is heavily influenced by a small number of very wealthy couples who spend far above the average. In India, the average wedding costs around $15,000, which is more than three times the average annual household income. However, extravagant weddings among the ultra-rich can cost millions, with luxurious accommodations, catering, entertainment, and gifts.

The wedding industry has been impacted by global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a decrease in large gatherings and an increase in virtual events, microweddings, and outdoor celebrations. Despite these challenges, the industry is expected to continue to grow, particularly in countries like India, which is projected to become the world's third-largest economy by 2027.

Frequently asked questions