The tempo of the music begins to rise. Drums begin to throb. The bride and groom rise. Yet another ritual begins. Removing the garter from the bride's usually hidden leg.
If she's lucky, the garter will be removed with decorum and tossed among the bachelors waiting patiently nearby. If the wine and hard liquor has been flowing lavishly and abundantly for the past five hours, some sadistic youth will grab the groom, tie his hands behind his back with the tie which, a minute ago was around the groom's neck, and force the groom to remove the garter by the only means available to him. His teeth.
While there's a lot of grinding of guests' teeth at this unpalatable bit of ribaldry, the action is pretty close to what would have happened couple of hundred years ago.
When it came to weddings in days gone by, guests viewed the bride and groom very much like today's fans view their favourite movie stars. In "Singing in the Rain", Gene Kelly had almost his shirt torn off him by frantic fanatical fans. This scene could very well represent what happened at some of those wild weddings of the past.
Trying to anticipate, the well to do bride and groom would come prepared. Their pockets might be filled with gold coins to throw at the more boisterous of the guests. There were also gifts of kid gloves for the more refined. The bride might even stick bits of ribbon, lace and flowers over her clothes for those guests who had a tendency to grab at anything that looked as if it could be detached with ease.
But when all that could be given was given, and the hordes still bayed for more, than the bride had better be nimble and quick with those garters, or else she might be disconcerted by the number of foreign hands crawling up her leg.
It was no use for the bride to appeal to them with, "Look, just take one, OK? I'd like to keep the other one as a memento of the wedding." No. It was fling one garter as fast as she could, and remove the other one while the men scrambled for the first one.
By this time, running as fast as she could, she might reach the steps of the carriage. With one last mighty heave the other garter, like Atalanta's golden apple, would sail through the air to slow down those insatiable guests, long enough for her to jump in the carriage and away.
And they talk about the good old days!
Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of "The Complete Book of Australian Weddings", "The Small Organsiation Handbook" and an ebook "Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?" which you can see on her website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com
luxury cleaning services Buffalo Grove ..The bridesmaid gift is essential to the planning of a... Read More
There are many great options to consider for letting your... Read More
WHAT HAS WORKED FOR USBrief Reflections On Enjoying 36 Years... Read More
When it comes to decorating your reception tables, the centerpieces... Read More
Going to Italy on a honeymoon vacation could be the... Read More
Once upon a time a caveman, while out for a... Read More
Moissanite is fast becoming the new diamonds. The newest jewelry... Read More
Today Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com & Bookpleasures.com is pleased... Read More
Would you like to have a stronger, healthier, more enjoyable... Read More
For many centuries wedding favors have been a part of... Read More
You have purchased the latest bridal magazines from your local... Read More
People are looking for life-long relationships in the most peculiar... Read More
As Mark Twain said "Let us not be too particular;... Read More
It's important that your makeup look its absolute best for... Read More
Each of the dozens of Maui honeymoon resorts can be... Read More
Your big day is now over all the stress of... Read More
Does it seem like the phrases "ecology" and "wedding" could... Read More
Have you ever been lost?My favorite line about being lost... Read More
You are engaged and one of the most important days... Read More
An ideal combination. A good career, a great husband and... Read More
The wedding day is the day that most women wait... Read More
He ? or she ? asked, and you answered in... Read More
It's a fact, however odd it seems, that some brides... Read More
If you're going the increasingly popular route of personalizing your... Read More
Many wives cheat on their husbands. This could be due... Read More
quick home cleaning Northbrook ..Perhaps the single most important thing that must be accomplished... Read More
You have made the decision to contact a marriage counselor.... Read More
As a personal and professional development coach, I have listened... Read More
You've had friends to your home for dinner. Maybe you've... Read More
Hearing that your cheating spouse is "in love" with someone... Read More
Getting hitched, taking the plunge, tying the knot, jumping the... Read More
Well you may not become a billionaire or even a... Read More
Have you ever been irritated because your spouse does things... Read More
After seeing each other for years and being tagged as... Read More
The Cancun honeymoon vacation comes with its bagage of sweet... Read More
I recently watched a CNN programme which centred on "kidnapped... Read More
It is wrong if you thought that typical British weddings... Read More
Las Vegas wedding receptions are where people tend to go... Read More
Candles, rose petals, satin, succulent foods, perfume-you're probably already familiar... Read More
Tahiti honeymoon resorts are the best places you could think... Read More
Wedding planning is a difficult task for everyone. Unless you... Read More
When planning your wedding, what type of entertainment are you... Read More
Just the thought of all the expenses that come with... Read More
Brides are looking for different ways to make their wedding... Read More
When you come to choose a wedding gift it's no... Read More
If you forget the ring, there is still a chance... Read More
Every woman in the room agreed that Crichton was a... Read More
All brides want that one photograph that perfectly captures the... Read More
The term and role "Maid of Honor" is sometimes confusing,... Read More
When it comes to your decorating budget it really depends... Read More
Marriage & Wedding |