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
move in cleaning service Lincolnshire ..Believe it or not, there is etiquette on how to... Read More
One of the good things about Las Vegas Wedding Packages... Read More
After choosing the design for your wedding invitations you can... Read More
In the next six months, my... Read More
Selecting a wedding ring isn't as easy as it looks.... Read More
With so many ways to ask your closest friends and... Read More
With the cost of today's weddings spiraling to astronomical levels,... Read More
Computer printed labels are a time-saver, but they make the... Read More
The invitation is the first impression of the type of... Read More
Great deals can be found when you know how much... Read More
How do you react if your spouse announces "I want... Read More
AttendantsAttendants, include the best man, Bridesmaid, ushers, and groomsmen. Generally... Read More
Planning as early as possible for your wedding is the... Read More
Your big day is now over all the stress of... Read More
Weddings are memorable events couples and their families want to... Read More
Games for a wedding shower are the best ways to... Read More
Many of the Jewish wedding traditions are derived from ancient... Read More
Wish to make that one day in your life really... Read More
The wedding service in the Greek Orthodox faith is an... Read More
Imagine the following scenario. Your spouse has given you an... Read More
If you are at all familiar with Las Vegas, you... Read More
For many centuries wedding favors have been a part of... Read More
Now that you are planning your wedding, you've got to... Read More
It is absolutely possible to find a beautiful and affordable... Read More
Not so many years ago, the proposition of a wedding... Read More
house cleaning company Glencoe ..Today's tech savvy couples are plugging in and creating unique... Read More
Monograms are a huge trend in weddings, to the point... Read More
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of... Read More
A couple should trust each other in many ways. When... Read More
The 1999 Julia Roberts movie 'Runaway Bride' is about a... Read More
Believe it or not, there is etiquette on how to... Read More
Would you like to have a stronger, healthier, more enjoyable... Read More
Mens diamond rings are becoming more and more popular with... Read More
The wedding shower is a traditional party of the marriage... Read More
Your wedding party is a major factor in the success... Read More
Are you looking for a las Vegas chapel to make... Read More
When you are planning a budgeted menu, you must first... Read More
Mattresses and marriage go hand in hand. Sleep is important... Read More
Between paying for the wedding and setting up a new... Read More
Speculation continues about the break-up of Brad Pitt and Jennifer... Read More
If you've always dreamed of flying in a helicopter, Las... Read More
If you're going the increasingly popular route of personalizing your... Read More
From the book Spider's Big CatchAs June wraps its arms... Read More
You've gotten engaged and have set the wedding date and... Read More
In the dim past of the last century, good time... Read More
Celebrate your marriage by planning a Florida honeymoon vacation with... Read More
Love should not blind a couple to the realities of... Read More
Every bride would agree that her wedding dress should be... Read More
"Til death do us part" is still the language used... Read More
A little strategizing can go a long way when trying... Read More
Marriage & Wedding |