July 29th, 2010
If you’re feeling nervous about being a best man, don’t. Wedding etiquette can be tricky, but with our guide you can navigate your way through the minefield with ease. Read on for our special best man dos and don’ts…
Best Man Dos:
Do offer to buy or hire your own wedding suit, tie, shoes, or any other accessories. But do remember that even if you are paying, you don’t get the final say in the style or colour!
Do offer to help with any errands or tasks during the run-up to the big day. Make a specific offer, not a vague ‘if I can help with anything…’
Do offer to go shopping with the groom for special wedding gifts. Wedding gifts can be difficult for the groom, especially choosing something special for the bride. Be helpful and make suggestions (how about an engraved compact mirror?), but most of all, be patient.
Do plan the stag party, and get the other stags to club together to buy a great personalised groom gift, such as an engraved hip flask, engraved photo frame or personalised glasses.
Do be as supportive as possible, particularly during those last few stressful weeks before the wedding.
Do be prepared to smooth over any family tiffs or problems. Often these can get out of control with everyone suffering from last-minute stress.
Do help the groom get ready on the morning of the wedding if he needs you. Bolster his confidence – but not with too much alcohol.
Do have the rings ready and pass them over at the appropriate moment.
Best Man Don’ts:
Don’t ever be late – especially for the wedding!
Don’t drink too much at the reception, or worse, before the ceremony.
Don’t criticise the bride, bridesmaids or any of the guests. Remember they are all friends and family of the groom.
Don’t moan about your own partner – you must be as positive about weddings and relationships as possible.
Don’t forget to buy the groom a special gift to show your regard for him. Groom gifts are easy to find, but make yours stand out by opting for a personalised groom gift, such as personalised whisky or an engraved lighter.
Don’t expect the bride and groom to arrange for your transportation to and from the wedding ceremony and reception – or to pay for your room.
If you need to find a gift for your best man then take a look at www.weddinggifts2u.co.uk and you’ll be sure to find what you need.
Tags: Best man, bubbly, celebration, champagne, Champagne Flutes, champagne gift, Champagne Gifts, champagne glass, engraved champagne, engraved champagne flutes, Engraved Gift, wedding gift, www.weddinggifts2u.co.uk, www.winegifts4u.co.uk
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July 28th, 2010
I realise that alot of the posts that I have written over the past few weeks have been about weddings, but alot of the reason for that is that I know alot of people who are getting married this year. So if I know alot of people who are getting married then I am almost certain that so do you as well. I just thought you might like some tips on all things wedding related. Don’t worry Christmas is coming soon and I certainly have alot to write about that particular theme. I’m excited already!!
I’ve spoken alot about the different traditions that people have when they plan a wedding, but I don’t think I’ve looked at it from the perspective of a western wedding.
North America has many cultures and many different wedding traditions influenced by countries all over the world. Mexican wedding traditions, for example, have been influenced by Spain and France, and by their own ancient cultural traditions stretching back to the Aztecs. Wedding traditions in the United States have been influenced by virtually every country at some point or other, making for a rich and varied combination of traditions. Canadian traditions are strongly influenced by both the English and the French.
Mexico
In Mexico, it is usual for a white ribbon or a rosary, called a lasso, to be draped around the necks of the bride and groom during the vows. This is to symbolize the joining together of the couple. Another tradition is for the groom to give his bride thirteen gold coins during the ceremony, symbolizing his commitment to support his new wife financially. As the bride and groom leave the church, red beads are thrown at them for good luck. And at Mexican wedding receptions, the guests form a heart-shaped circle around the bride and groom as they have their first dance as husband and wife.
United States of America
One unusual American tradition is for brides to wear white gloves. This comes from Victorian times, when American brides wore white gloves as symbols of modesty and romance. Even today, many American brides wear white gloves as a romantic gesture. In the United States today, it is very common for the bride and groom to write their own wedding vows, making promises and commitments that are individual and personal to them as a couple. Today’s wedding ceremony in the United States is often very grand and elaborate, especially among the well off, but small ‘backyard’ weddings are also common. If the climate allows, many wedding ceremonies are held outdoors.
Wedding ceremonies in North America traditionally conclude with the bride and groom exchanging wedding rings, and then, of course, with the traditional wedding kiss, which seals their union in front of their friends and family. As the newly married couple leave the wedding ceremony, rice is thrown at the couple as a symbol of fertility.
North American Wedding Gifts
Wedding gifts are traditionally given to help the new couple set up home together. They can range from the practical to the highly decorative. For more affluent weddings, personalised gifts of champagne, crystal and silver are ever popular. Those in poorer areas often make the bride and groom a personalised present symbolising their friendship.
Personalised gifts are a great way to show the happy couple what you want for their lives together. If you gave them a personalised photo gift. For example a personalised photo frame with a photo of the two of them in it and a message that you have had engraved into the frame then that is a very sentimental gift. Not only are you giving them something that they can display in their home. But the engraving shows that you want their marriage to last… that is the sentiment anyway.
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July 27th, 2010
Choosing the right wedding music is a difficult task – not least because there are so many pieces to choose from! With our help, however, you will soon navigate your way through the wedding music mine-field…
On Arrival/Signing Of Register
Whether you are having a church or a civil ceremony it is important to have music playing in the background as the guests arrive at the wedding venue, and during the signing of the register. Otherwise these times can be too quiet or a little awkward. At church, the bride and groom often opt for the traditional organ music, but if this doesn’t suit you could engage the services of a vocalist, a harpist or a string quartet to provide background music. Any of these alternatives are great for a civil ceremony too – you may also be able to simply give the organisers at the venue a CD of chosen music to be played to your guests.
Popular music choices for the arrival of the guests and signing of the register include:
Ave Maria by F Schubert
Laudate Dominum by WA Mozart
Jesu, joy of man’s desiring by JS Bach
Ave verum corpus by WA Mozart
Cantique de Jean Racine by G Fauré
Dome épais by L Delibes
Champagne Greeting
As well as musical entertainment, it’s a good idea to have some wedding champagne on tap to greet the guests as they arrive. Personalised wedding champagne is a great way to make your wedding special – this can also be used for the toasts. As an extra-special touch, why not buy some engraved personalised toasting glasses for the bride and groom?
The Arrival Of The Bride
The big moment for the choice of wedding music is, of course, the arrival of the bride. You will want to choose a piece of wedding music that is appropriate to the wedding venue – walking down the aisle of a church has a different ‘vibe’ to walking down the much shorter aisle at a civil venue. Popular choices include:
The Prince of Denmark’s March by J Clarke
Wedding March from ‘Lohengrin’ by R Wagner
If ye love me by T Tallis
Gloria in excelsis Deo by A Vivaldi
Eternal source of light divine by GF Handel
Trumpet Tune in D by H Purcell
The Personal Touch
Remember that this is your wedding, and the music needs to mean something to you. It is a nice idea to choose a favourite song that is meaningful to the bride and groom which can be played after the ceremony – a lighter touch to signal the end of the ‘formal’ part of the day.
If you want to add that personal touch to your wedding then along side the music you could also decorate the reception tables with a bottles of personalised champagne that has been designed specifically for the wedding. It’s a simple idea, but it is the finishing touches that make a wedding wonderful and personalised champagne will probably add that extra special touch to every table! Rather than drinking standard champagne when they toast the happy couple they will be drinking your special personalised champagne.
Tags: Music, personalised champagne, personalised gifts, Personalised Wedding Gifts, wedding, wedding gifts, www.weddinggifts2u.co.uk
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July 26th, 2010
What do we know of the British Summer – usually it’s dull and horrible… but every now and again there is a glimmer of hope and we have a few days of sunshine. On those particular days when you are at work and looking outside your office window to see the summer sun beaming… and you know that you would rather be outside nothing but lazing in the sun… that’s when you know that summer has arrived. When I see weather like that I would much rather be sipping the rose bottle of personalised wine I received recently as a birthday gift for my best friend. Although, I would be quite happy sipping on champagne too rather than sitting in this wood-built office knowing that the warmer it gets outside the hotter I will get inside and not in a nice way either. Sweltering sauna springs to mind – trust me it is like a sauna in here, since the air conditioning unit packed up recently. Anyway, in order to stop myself thinking of Monday morning, work and the impending sweat fest that will shortly be occurring. I’m going to pretend it is still Sunday and think of all the summer parties that I shall be hosting or attending over the coming months, the food that will be served, the wine that will be consumed and the wine gifts (hmmmm) I intend to lavish my guests with.
Tradition Calls
It’s a tradition that every year when summer arrives my friends and I each throw a party, which usually consists of a BBQ or light summery meal along with refreshments including wine, champagne and cocktails, as well as entertainment and of course getting dressed up.
This year, I intend to have my party under a classy Mediterranean theme, which includes Italian cuisine and fine Italian wine, such as Chianti Classico and Barolo for the more cultured wine connoisseurs among us. The wine bottles will be flowing freely, and fruity cocktails made from some of the white Italian wine including Pinot Grigio and Italian Chardonnay will be made later on in the evening.
My entertainment is going to be very light hearted; it came from the personalised wine gift I received from a friend. Basically, everyone who comes will be allocated a bottle of back label wine. They will then have to design a wine label for their wine based on a particular upcoming occasion or event. For example, Father’s Day has just passed, so they would have had to design a wine label related to Father’s Day, the resulting wine gift they could in theory have given to a dad they know as a father’s day wine gift.
There will be a number of different annual themes and occasions for the personalised wine to be created under, including birthday, wedding and anniversary for example. Each participant will have to design a label under each theme and the best wine label design for each particular theme will be put on the winner’s wine bottle and they will then have to present it as a personalised wine gift to someone at that next occasion. It doesn’t end there; when they give the wine gifts photos must be produced for all to see throughout the summer to see the recipients’ faces. I haven’t done it before, but I think it is pretty safe to say that giving a personalised wine bottle as a wedding gift, birthday gift or anniversary gift for example, hand-drawn by thirty something year olds isn’t quite the way forward. So, obviously a back plan is allowed, an official and professional bottle of personalised wine can be given too. I anticipate professional personalised wine gifts to be much more of a hit than the interesting wine gifts that we will be producing after consuming a couple of wine glasses!
If you do end up giving personalised wine gifts this summer as birthday presents, wedding gifts or engagement gifts for example, don’t give a home-made job! Get specialised personalised wine and get a bag or gift box to present them in. If you would like to give a much more special wine gift, then consider combining the personalised wine (or Engraved Wine) with some wine glasses or even better engraved wine glasses to create a classy wine set that can be treasured for years to come.
Well seen as it’s summer and many of us will be outside enjoying the beautiful sunshine! Take a few snaps and keep them ready for winter when you will need to start sorting out christmas presents. What better present than a personalised photo frame with a photo from an enjoyable summers day? – It will light up any cold winters afternoon!
Tags: celebration, Engraved Gift, engraved gifts, gift, Gifts, GiftsOnline4U.com, Personalised Wine, www.weddinggifts2u.co.uk, www.winegifts4u.co.uk
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July 23rd, 2010
Birthday Gift Ideas For Your Mum
If you are looking for a special birthday gift for your mum, you’ve come to the right place. Whatever your mum’s age, whatever her likes and dislikes, there are some great ideas for her right here. Follow our guide to the best birthday gift ideas around…
Champagne
For a luxury idea birthday gift for your mum, you can’t do better than personalised Champagne. Personalised Champagne is the ultimate luxury present, and comes in many forms – gift sets, with engraved flutes, engraved bottles and special birthday accessory packs. Champagne bottles say ‘Happy Birthday’ loud and clear! Why not buy engraved flutes to go with the Champagne? You could mark the engraved flutes with the date of your mum’s birthday or a special message from you. A personalised Champagne gift will make your mum feel so special – great for all ages.
Wine
If you don’t have the budget for champagne but still want to get your mum a bottle of tipple then why not consider a bottle of personalised wine? They can be engraved with a personalised message or you can design your own wine label – why not use a picture of you and your mum and design the label around that? Personalised wine will still have the same WOW factor as a bottle of personalised champagne but it wont break the bank!
Wine is more of a classic and underestimated drink in comparison to champagne which flaunts luxury and celebration in your face. Isn’t your mum a classic… one of a kind, someone who gets better with age. I’d say my mum is 
that’s why if I was giving her a gift then I would most certainly be considering a bottle of personalised wine for her birthday, probably an engraved wine gift, rather than labelled. Just because engraving is a little bit more permanent than a label. Just like my feelings for my mum.
Treasured memories
Personalised photo frames are another great birthday gift for mum. You could print out a favourite photo for the personalised photo frame to make the gift even more memorable. A favourite photo of her grandchildren – or of yourself, of course – will bring a smile to her face. This gift is great for all ages.
Engraved pen gifts
As a constant reminder of your love for your special mum, why not buy her an engraved pen? Engraved pens are a classic gift, and are great for all ages. Whenever your mum reaches for your engraved pen she will be thinking of you. You can add a message of your choice to your engraved pen – or keep it simple, it’s up to you.
But like I said earlier (even though it’s always good to give alternatives…) I would give my mum an engraved wine gift, I know it’s the kind of gift that she would love!
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July 22nd, 2010
Bride and Her Wedding Dress
When people are invited to a wedding the thing they think about most (before the happy couple and the wedding gifts that they will have to buy) is the wedding dress that the bride will be wearing … who cares about engraved champagne gifts when the bride might be wearing black instead of the traditional white (I stress, that this is highly unlikely!).
Although most people think white is the traditional colour of wedding dresses – to symbolise virginal qualities – this hasn’t always been so. Queen Victoria is credited with setting the trend for white wedding dresses in motion, but for hundreds of years wedding dresses were a colourful affair, as this poem shows:
“Married in white, you will have chosen all right. Married in grey , you will go far away. Married in black, you will wish yourself back. Married in red, you’ll wish yourself dead. Married in blue, you will always be true. Married in pearl, you’ll live in a whirl. Married in green, ashamed to be seen, Married in yellow, ashamed of the fellow. Married in brown, you’ll live out of town. Married in pink, your spirits will sink.”
By the late eighteenth century, white was firmly established as the most popular colour, but many brides still chose their dresses on more practical grounds. The bride and groom often appeared quite stern on their wedding photos! Some brides, particularly frontier brides, chose dresses that could be worn after the wedding. As wedding dresses usually followed the fashions of the time, they required only a little alteration to be perfect to wear again and again.
By the time of World War I, wedding dress styles reflected the role of women in society. The hems got shorter and brides got rid of tight corsets. Coco Chanel is renowned for her influence on women’s fashions, and it was she who introduced the short wedding dress in the 1920s. The wedding dress was knee length and was worn with a long train.
During the Depression, a bride and groom could rarely afford the luxury of new wedding attire, and the bride would make do with her best dress. If a bride did buy a new wedding dress, after the ceremony she would often dye it a more practical colour. By World War II, weddings became hurried affairs, with the bride and groom often marrying after an engagement of only a couple of weeks. The wedding dress would usually be a smart suit – practical and stylish. If the bride and groom both happened to be in the armed forces, they would marry in their uniforms.
After the war, Royal weddings once again began to influence the choices of wedding dress. Grace Kelly’s fairy-tale wedding to Prince Monaco, in a lavish silk and lace gown, inspired many a bride-to-be. Our own Princess Diana may have had an even greater sway over wedding dresses to come, but these days the focus is on individuality, with brides being more likely to choose from an overwhelming number of styles and designs. Personalised wedding gifts are also popular today, with the art of celebration as important as ever.
If you need to find a great gift for the bride why not consider a bottle of personalised champagne? It’s a simple gift, that the bride will love. It’ll also be great while she is getting ready with all her bridesmaids! – engraved rose champagne would probably be perfect.
Take a look at our range of wedding gifts to see if you can find something that the bride will love
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July 21st, 2010
Group of Bridesmaids in Pink at Wedding
It’s an unfortunate fallacy that brides don’t want their bridesmaids to look too good – few brides are this insecure – at the end of the day if they were then they probably wouldn’t be getting married, or are likely to not have bridesmaids for fears the groom might try and run off with one of them. A bridesmaid is an integral part of the wedding celebrations, and choosing a bridesmaid dress which both compliments the wedding dress and suits the bridesmaid is key.
Before you head to the shops, take some time to think about the kind of dress that’s right for your bridesmaid or bridesmaids. Bridal shops are packed to the brim with bridesmaid dresses of all shapes and styles, and it can be daunting to be presented with all that choice if you don’t know where to start. Begin by looking through bridal magazines at pictures of bridesmaids and cut out any styles that appeal to you. Discuss any preferences with your bridesmaids too – do they have a particular body part they are desperate to cover up, such as arms or ankles? Take their wishes into consideration – you don’t want a glum-looking bridesmaid on the wedding photos!
Your Wedding Theme
Make sure you have chosen the wedding dress, and the groom has chosen his suit and cravat or waistcoat colours, before choosing the bridesmaid dresses. You can even take into account the flowers and colour-way of the wedding venue. This way you can give your wedding a unified theme – although remember, not everything has to match. Sometimes contrasting bridesmaid dresses can look just as good as coordinating ones. Just know what look you are trying to achieve before you start.
Remember also to choose bridesmaid dresses that compliment the style of your wedding dress. If you have chosen a short-skirted summer style, it’s no good dressing your bridesmaid in a traditional bridesmaid gown with a full skirt and sleeves. Likewise, if you have opted for a winter wedding and are planning to wear a warm shrug or wedding coat over your dress, the bridesmaid will look a little silly in a strapless number – not to mention cold! It’s traditional to buy your bridesmaid a personalised gift to say thank you – why not buy her a stylish engraved compact mirror to remember the special day?
Flower Girl
Don’t forget to consider an outfit for the flower girl, if you are having one. A flower girl rarely looks right in a smaller version of the grown-up bridesmaid dress; it is often better to put the flower girl in something more suitable for her age. There is a growing trend for the flower girl to appear in a cute tutu style dress at celebrity weddings – a style you could consider for your own flower girl. Don’t forget to buy your flower girl a cute personalised teddy bear to say thank you.
Finally remember that along with the dress it is now custom and practice to get your bridesmaids a unique gift to show them your appreciation. They probably helped you out more than you realise on your wedding day! Personally I would get my bridesmaids a personalised photo frame each. I would put in a picture that meant something to all of us and I would have them engraved with a special message so that each one of them knew how much they meant to me! The reason I would choose a personalised photo frame is because firstly I could get each bridesmaid the same gift and not feel guilty about who was getting a better gift than the other. Each engraved frame would be personal to each of the individual bridesmaids, so it would not be like I was fobbing them off with the same gift. Finally personalised photo frame could be displayed on their mantlepieces for years to come and remind them of special they were in you important day.
Tags: celebration, engraved gifts, Engraved Photo Frame, gift, Gifts, GiftsOnline4U.com, Photo Frame, Photo Gifts, wedding gifts, www.weddinggifts2u.co.uk, www.winegifts4u.co.uk
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July 20th, 2010
If you have the honour of being asked to be someone’s best man then you should feel really proud. But it is a duty that should be taken seriously as there are many important responsibilities that fall on you as the best man. For example making sure the groom gets to the church on time! The best man is usually someone close to the groom – a brother or very close friend, often a friend since childhood – and as such his involvement with the wedding, and his support of the marriage, is really important to the bride and groom. The groom could be nervous on the day of his wedding, wanting like the bride that everything goes perfect. The best man needs to assure him that that will happen!
During the hectic, often stressful, run up to the wedding, the best man will be helping out in all sorts of ways – running errands, acting as a confidant to the groom, smoothing over family frictions and bolstering the groom’s confidence ready for the big day.
A great best man needs to be cheerful, positive and reliable. He also needs to be pro-marriage and happy relationships – no groom wants a best man who moans about his own girlfriend or wife the whole time! Has anyone seen “Ghost’s of Girlfriends Past” ? – that explains why you shouldn’t have a best man who is anti-marriage!
Best man duties usually include:
Looking after the rings and presenting them at just the right moment during the ceremony. Loved by makers of comedy programmes, this task seems to provide lots of opportunities for mishap. A great best man must be reliable and responsible – no lost rings, please! That would probably end your friendship with the groom.
Making a speech that won’t end in a very quick divorce. The best man’s speech is traditionally a chance to make a bit of fun of the groom’s past, but no bride wants to listen to a litany of sexual exploits – and any mention of ex-girlfriends is a complete no no. How would you like it if your best man starting airing all your dirty linen in public? I’m sure you wouldn’t be best pleased!
Organising the wedding presents as they arrive, finding a room to store the wedding presents and making sure they are safe for the duration of the day. Obviously, this needs to be done by someone who hasn’t been propping up the bar all morning!
Among other things, the best man will need to keep the bridesmaid gifts and usher gift to hand for the groom to give out during the speech, make sure the bride and groom get the wedding presents before they leave the reception, and be supportive and cheerful all day.
As you can see, a great best man is an essential part of the proceedings and can help to make the wedding go smoothly in lots of ways.
Groom Gifts
As best man, one way you can be really great is to buy the groom a fantastic personalised gift. Think about your friend’s likes and dislikes before choosing, so the groom gift is truly special. Engraved groom gifts are a good choice – if he enjoys a cigarette or cigar then how about an engraved Zippo lighter? Or perhaps a personalised hip flask? The groom is bound to have chosen a special personalised gift for you, so don’t be outdone!
As the groom it is your duty to get your best man a great gift for all his help and support, make sure he knows how valuable he is to you and how you probably would not have made it down the aisle without him. A simple gift to give your best man, along with other presents (you’ll see why in a second) – is an engraved pen. Now I know what you are thinking …. why would I get my best man a personalised pen. Well it’s quite simple, everyone needs a pen. You will be giving your best man something that he will always use, therefore reminding him that you really needed him on your special day. So although an engraved pen is a simple gift…. it’s a gift that has real impact!
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July 19th, 2010
Wedding Entertainment
Wedding gifts and wedding favours can be overrated at times, especially on the wedding day when there is so much going on! There are so many great ideas for wedding entertainment you’ll be spoiled for choice…
Arrival Of The Bride
At the point when the bride’s big day begins, it is great to have some wedding entertainment to greet you as you step out of the wedding car. Some ideas of lavish entertainment includes a Highland Piper, a Spanish Guitarist or Minstrels.
As The Guests Arrive
For a great atmosphere, it’s a good idea to have some form of music during the arrival of the guests and also during the signing of the register (if you have chosen to make this a formal event). You could simply choose some suitable music and arrange for it to be played on a CD player or the venue’s sound system. Or you could make the wedding entertainment extra special by having a Harpist, a Vocalist, a Cello Duo or even a String Quartet to entertain the guests if you have the budget. This can work in either a church or civil ceremony. Remember that for a civil ceremony the music cannot usually be religious in nature and the registrar will want to see and approve your music choices in advance.
Champagne Greeting
As well as musical entertainment, it’s a good idea to have some wedding champagne on tap to greet the guests as they arrive. Personalised wedding champagne is a great way to make your wedding special – this can also be used for the toasts. Why not buy some engraved flutes for the bride and groom as their gift, which will help them remember their special day long after the guests have gone home?
The Wedding Breakfast
During the wedding breakfast it is important that any musical entertainment is low-key and provides simply a background atmosphere – no one wants to have to shout above a energetic jazz band, especially first thing in the morning! Save the lively entertainment for the evening festivities where everyone can enjoy it. You could, however, engage the services of a magician or a caricaturist to wander among the tables and keep the guests amused. If possible, have a toastmaster present – many civil ceremony venues provide one if the numbers are large enough. He will give you advice on wedding etiquette and keep everything running smoothly.
Children’s Entertainment
If there are a fair number of children at your wedding you should organise some children’s entertainment. Things like magicians, clowns and face painters are popular, or if you have room and weather for it, you could hire a bouncy castle too.
The Evening Reception
The kind of wedding entertainment you organise for your evening reception will depend upon the atmosphere you are trying to create. For a lively party, go for a recommended DJ, or a combination of a DJ and a band. If you are after something more refined you could opt for a jazz band, a classical vocalist or a folk group.
Whatever entertainment you end up going with, make sure you as the bride and groom enjoy your special day and make plenty of toasts with champagne!
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July 16th, 2010
Weddings Through The Ages
So when did the first wedding take place and why? It’s unlikely we’ll ever know the answers to these questions, although it’s widely believed that the first weddings were tribal weddings during prehistoric times, used to cement ties between tribes to aid survival. Other experts believe that marriage was used to guard against incest – which would often produce children with serious health problems. Life was all about survival in those days – romance probably played a very small part!
Like An Egyptian
It was the Egyptians who first legalised marriage, with wives having more legally enforceable rights than they had for a long time afterwards. The dowry was also payable in reverse in ancient marriages, with grooms paying the parents of the bride to compensate for taking her away.
The groom would also buy a personalised gift for his bride, often a piece of jewellery with a gem stone – this may later have become the engagement ring. The civilised Egyptians also invented the engagement as a way of getting to know if you were compatible with your potential spouse.
A Form Of Control
Like so many things in society, marriage was often seen as a way to control people and therefore encouraged. Men were considered to be better behaved and more productive if they were married, and women were thought to be less trouble if they had a husband to keep an eye on them. Children with two parents generally became better members of society.
Wedding and marriage were also a great way of making alliances between powerful families and clans. The bride and groom would bind together families who could otherwise have been enemies, joining land and resources in a useful way.
Across The World
Many cultures devised similar ceremonies and traditions for marriage, seemingly in isolation. In Japan the giving of gifts between families was considered of prime importance, with the bride only being allowed to live with her husband after the birth of the first child. The Vikings favoured rowdy wedding festivals, often continuing for up to a month! In Mexico the strong catholic links produced a wedding ceremony where the bride and groom were literally tied together, usually with a huge rosary.
Gifted
Gifts feature prominently across all cultures and all types of wedding ceremonies, from the earliest to the most recent. Gifts were traditionally personalised and useful, to show generosity and commitment between families, and also to show wealth and good intentions. Today, wedding gifts are all about stressing the personal commitment between the bride and groom, with personalised gifts being increasingly popular.
Nowadays gifts are common place at any wedding. Many couple register before the wedding and then the guests attending the wedding can choose from the list and get the gift they want to buy. Me, I personally find that a little insulting. Do they not think I am capable of buying a decent wedding gift. If I was going to buy a couple a wedding gift I would get them something that they could use for years to come. Something like a personalised champagne gift set. In this gift set I would give the couple a bottle of engraved champagne, with the date of their wedding and their names engraved onto the bottle. With this they have two choices, either they can drink the bottle and then save it as a display piece on their cabinet or they could not drink the bottle and save the champagne for say, their 50th Wedding Anniversary. That would be pretty awesome if they did that. Alongside that I would also give them a set of personalised champagne flutes, again with their names on. His and hers afterall! So yes, if you are buying a gift for the happy couple, sack of the register and go for something unique like a champagne gift, their remember it in the long run! If you don’t have the budget you could give them a bottle of personalised champagne with a personalised label on it. This is just as good! You just need to design the label and voila you have a personalised gift!
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