HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-02-26, Page 34Page 14—Bridal Showcase 1986
Customs have interesting origins
Some wedding customs which have '
become tradition over the years have in-
teresting origins that few people know
about. Certain traditions have simply
become accepted as part of the wedding
day and little thought is given to the sym-
bolism behind them.
For example, why is the wedding ring
placed on the .third finger of the left hand
during a wedding cerrnony? The origin of
this act began because the pharaohs of
Egypt believed a vein, the "vena amoris,"
ran from that finger directly to the hearrt.
The wedding party originally served the
serious purpose of protecting the bride and
groom from the curses of evil-wishers.
They dressed in clothes exactly like those
of the bride and groom, so the identity of
the happy couple was kept secret on the.
way to the church and until they were
safely married.
The first piece of weddingcake is cut
and eaten by the bride and groom as a car-
ryover from the time when Abe sharing of
food or wine often was the marriage.
Teutons, for example, were considered
wed after drinking meadtogether for thir-
ty days. The word bridal comes from
bride -ale.
Most wedding cakes are tiered. This
symbolizes prosperity. In Anglo-Saxon•
times guests brought little cakes to the
wedding and piled them into a heap over
which the wedding couple would try and
kiss. This was later turned into a tiered
cake in France.
The kiss, as a significant moment during
the wedding., dates back from the Roman
Empire. At that time, the betrothal
ceremony consisted of .a kiss and the ex-
change of rings, with the kiss being the ac-
tual legal bond.
Where the tradition actually began of the
bride wearing something old, something
new, something borrowed and something
blue during the wedding is unknown. The
significance of wearing these things,
though, is to bring good luck to the new
bride.
Wearing something old assures a happy,
lasting union. Something new, as most peo-
ple would guess, signifies the beginning of
a new life for the couple. Something bor-
rowed, usually from .a friend; is worn in
hopes that good -luck will rub off on the
bride.
Something blue means the assurance of
truelove and most brides wear a blue
garter. The original blue garter was in fact
blue ribbons worn on various parts of the
bridal .gown. Today's bride has changed it
to the blue ;garter..
Gift ideas
for the groom
to give bride
What to buy the bride for a wedding
present looms heavily in the mind (and
heart) of every groom.
Anything goes these days in the way of
gifts, from the traditional to the romantic
or pragmatic. . Couples may even elect to
give each other a combined gift, such as
a stereo or home computer, rather than a
personalized selection.
Many grooms, especiallyin these con-
servative times, are also opting for tradi-
tional glamor gifts for the bride-to-be,.
like wrapping ,her in a luxurious fur,.coat
or placing a glowing string of pearls
around her neck. •
For grooms choosing the tried-and-true
route of gift giving by falling back on the
traditional, a nightgown and matching '•
dressing gown, known as a peignoir set,'
has become a popular choice. Heralding
a return to the golden age of Hollywood,
peignoir sets were worn by=such movie
sirens as Monroe and Harlow. A peignoir
_ set is a very romantic and personalized
gift to the bride from the groom.
Over the past two years, lingerie has
"become a big rage," as a wedding gift.
Men for years would buy a piece of
!jewelry as a gift. Many have turned
around and bought a beautiful peignoir
set as a substitute, or even in addition'to
'a piece of jewelry.
Society has turned full circle back to
tradition, so feminine clothes with frilly
lace and beautiful fabrics are back.
The. return of Lingerie as a popular '
wedding `gift can '4,1,06:* attributed tp 1w
publics changing attitude towards -p
sonalized items. Long accepted by
sophisticated European women,, lingerie
has grown to encompass an entire"collec-
tion of beautiful and feminine, albeit
tasteful; items. • •
The collection includes sachets and
satin lingerie purses (perfect for holding
stockings), as well as satin ;covered,..
scented dress hangers. Brides will often
purchase a package of three scented
dress hangers and use one for their wed-
ding`dress and the other two for their •
peignoir set and going -away outfit.
Unlikethe women of the 1800s, who
often selected their lingerie to match the
color of their boudoir, (and then would
lounge around in their finery all day), to-
day's busy woman wants easy -care
peignoir sets which will give her many
years of relaxation after the honeymoon
is over.
Men are a little leery upon entering a
lingerie store's ultrafeminine coral pink
interior, designed to resemble a Euro-
pean boudoir, Yet, these same men have
a definite opinionof-what they want, for
their bride..
All 100 per cent polyester peignoir sets
are wash and wear, but it is recommend-
ed that any other personalized items — in
such fabrics as all cotton, satin, silk or a
cornbination of natural and synthetic
fibres --- be handwashed in.a soap called,
Maraq, which is available at most super-
markets. . •
There are many different styles of
'romantic peignoir sets tochoose from by
noted designers such as Christian Dior.
These include the one-piece teddies,
kimonos; plush cotton dressing gowns or
Victorian nightgowns with crocheted
bodices reminiscent of those that •
Catherine Earnshaw wore in the gothic
romance Wuther. ring Heights..
Fairly new"to the market is;a.sleep.
shirt, also called a poet's shirt. Borrowed
from. the Shakespearean era, it skirts the
hips and has some ruffling,
e
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