Summer Wedding Idea

Friday, September 23, 2011

A Glance at Wedding Cake Traditions Around the World

For a moment imagine all the distinctive forms weddings which are so intensively enjoyed across the globe. One wedding ceremony may be extensively formal as well as elegant with the presence of all the traditional elements. Whereas, another wedding may be more slipshod that will include flip-flops together with a beach locale. No matter what type of wedding is visualized, a beautiful wedding cake is a must-have for all types of wedding.
In fact, despite of the bride's wedding outfit, the wedding cake is the next item to receive much of the attention. The traditional wedding cakes usually come in tiers that are built systematically in the form of pillars in order to attain great height. All through out the history, wedding cake traditions around the world are used to signify, long and happy life, fertility and good fortune. With all numerous figures and shapes available for wedding cakes, till date they stay as the centerpieces in weddings across the globe.
Great Britain- As said, the wedding cake traditions around the world are diversified with different shapes, sizes, and colors. In Great Britain, an elaborate fruitcake welcomes the reception. Dates, prunes, and raisins are items used to fill the cake, and also the wedding cake is soaked with either cognac or brandy. Moreover, the cake is then coated with marzipan together with further decoration.
United States - Consisted of multi-layers with white frosting, the traditional wedding cakes in United States express the real celebration of the ceremony. Nevertheless, outside US there are numerous other wedding cake traditions that most American families are turning to in search of a better idea.
Japan - For Japanese, the wedding cakes are in fact a detailed show instead of just being a formal desert. Because Japanese families find multi-layered cakes expensive, they have switched to the alternative to create large wax or plastic cakes for the wedding reception. These fake cakes are characteristically centralized as the traditional cake when the bride together with the bride groom pretends to slice through the cake. However, the guests are not let to be disappointed as they are later offered much affordable sheet cakes.
Iceland - Though in Iceland, the traditional wedding cakes have adopted the same multi-layered cakes as in US, but their outlook is very much different. The ring cake is composed of consecutive ring-shaped layers, and the rings are almond-flavored and usually dressed with marzipan. Nevertheless, the hollow centre of the stack is the eye-catching portion, which is filled with chocolates, numerous candies or at times with a bottle of wine.

Asian Style Wedding and Wedding Guest Favors

When one says "Asian-themed wedding", it means in the most of cases Japanese or Chinese traditions that took roots far in the past. Spring and fall are popular seasons for nuptial ceremonies in Japan. The traditional Japanese matrimonial ceremonies are Shinto-style that is held at shrines (jinja). In a Shito-style wedding ceremony, the bride wears a traditional kimono for the event, and the groom wears montsuki haori hakama. Usually, only the family members and close relatives of the couple will attend the Shinto-style ceremony. This includes sake drinking rituals, exchanging wedding rings, and more on. There are neither bridesmaids nor a best man, and the older married couple called nakoudo (matchmaker) visits the ceremony.
Most of weddings in Japan are held at hotels or wedding halls. Chapels and shrines are conveniently located within the facilities, and couples can choose the style and favors for their ceremonies. A Japanese ceremony can be of Christian, Buddhist, Shinto, and non-religious styles. The style of the ceremony doesn't necessarily match with one religion; the Asian-themed style assumes the mix of traditions. Non-Christian couples often have their matrimonial ceremony at chapels.
After the wedding ceremony, the reception party is hosted. The style and scale of favors at receptions vary depending on the place. Typically, relatives, friends, co-workers, and neighbors attend the reception. When you receive an invitation card, you must return the enclosed card and inform immediately whether you can attend or not for accounting reasons.
If you are going to attend a Japanese wedding reception, you are expected to bring cash as the gift for the bride and groom. The amount depends on your relationship with the wedding couple and the scale of ranks, though the fixed amount may be indicated in the invitation card. The average is 30,000 yen for a friend's wedding. It must be said, that the cash is enclosed in a special envelope, and your name is written on the front. When you go to the party, you give this envelope to the person at the reception desk and sign your name in the guestbook. People usually are formal dressed to attend a Japanese wedding reception. Female guests could wear dresses, suits or kimono, while male guests wear only white shirts and black formal suits. With the above it is then necessary for the couple to give the invited guests favors to reciprocate for their gifts of money.
During the reception, the special couple sits on a stage taking delight of the guests' speeches and performances which form part of the events favors to the attending guests. The most amusing speech may be specially rewarded by extra favors. Sometimes people are asked to perform something at the reception. Many couples sing their favorite songs as gifts. The couple after cutting a large wedding cake, then walking around the room, greeting guests and lighting the candles a full course meal is often served at the table.
At the wedding reception, souvenirs favors called hikidemono are prepared in bags for guests to take. The common favors are tableware, sweets, interiors, and other useful things, especially candles, napkins and dishes, mostly in red and golden colors, are accepted at the Asian-themed matrimonial events. In recent years, special party favor catalogs from which couples can choose presents have become popular for selecting the favor gifts.

The Japanese Wedding Culture

Until recently Japan was considered a land of mystery. American movies, unfortunately, did not depict the delicate and intricate workings of the Japanese society. Today, some Japanese couples have western-style ceremonies, just like American couples, but in former years this would have been considered unacceptable. Older pictures show beautiful, slim women in kimonos, their black hair in a bun on top of their head, walking on wooden clogs. The farm women were shown in black, padded pants and tops. Mainly, what the Americans knew about these people they read in books.

In Japan there is an ancient myth that all things, including Japan itself, were created by the marriage of male and female gods, similar to Zeus and Hera. Although, today, many Japanese weddings are conducted in a Western-style, in previous year's marriage was conducted in a strict Shinto ceremony.

Once a boy or girl attain the age of marriage a search for a suitable partner began. Often times marriages were arranged between overlords who wished to strengthen their power. In these cases often the couple had not seen each other until their wedding day.

Sometimes there was a Mi-Ai interview whereby the future groom managed to obtain an invitation to the house of someone he was interested in. At that time he would leave a token, such as a fan to indicate his interest in the woman. If the woman was impressed she was seen using the fan. This was just an indication that they were interested in getting to know each other, not necessarily an invitation to marriage.

The bride always wore an all-white wedding kimono which symbolized a new beginning as it was believed the bride 'died' as a member of her family and was 'reborn' into her husband's family. Her face was painted a creamy white. The bride changed her clothing several times during the wedding; one of the kimonos indicated that she was a young, unmarried woman. This was the last time she could wear this outfit. The groom wore a black kimono with the family crest in white and wore white sandals. He carried a white, folded fan.

The wedding ceremony was strictly, Shinto, in that it honored the natural world spirits. After a purification ceremony, the priest called on the gods to bless the couple. The ceremony ended with the sharing of sake from three flat cups stacked on top of one another. This was usually done according the family's custom; the groom takes three sips from a cup, followed by the bride taking three sips, then passing it to the family for the same routine. The first sip represented three couples (the bride and groom and their parents), the second sip represented human flaws, and the third sip represented deliverance from the human flaws.

The Japanese wedding banquet food was very special, representing happiness, prosperity, many children, and happiness. The food was served in special ways to represent these attributes. For example, clams were served with the shells together representing the couple's solid union; fish was formed in a circle to represent solidarity; etc.

Incorporating Japanese traditions into a traditional wedding ceremony can provide a unique twist while honoring your heritage. Many more traditions exist providing a traditional ceremony with beauty, romance, and culture that will be long remembered by those in attendance after the event is over.

Add Appeal to Your Personality With the Japanese Wedding Dresses

As soon as we think of the weddings, the first thing that strikes our mind is the image of a beautiful bride in a flowing white gown which is well enhanced with eye catching laces. Well, I would like to tell you that every country possesses various traditions and customs related to wedding ceremonies. In Japan, wedding ceremonies are mainly celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and anxiety. Though the wedding ceremonies are celebrated in a very simple manner in Japan but they are very much unique and different from other wedding ceremonies.
In Japan, wedding ceremonies are mainly held during the spring season. Japanese wedding ceremonies are not very much popular but the traditional Japanese wedding dresses are very famous in most of the parts of the world. If you are also wishing to enhance your self with the charming looks through the elegant Japanese wedding dresses and accessories, then you must read this article. In this article, I will mainly focus on the outstanding features of the elegant Japanese wedding dresses and wedding accessories.
1. Japanese wedding dress
Japanese marriage dresses are really very attractive and popular in different parts of the world. You can easily notice the beautiful Japanese bride because they are painted in white color from top to bottom. In Japan, it is believed that the white marriage gown can easily bring prosperity and luck in the married life of the bride. The Japanese ceremony dresses are well enhanced with the Kimono which is generally white in color. It is also known as Shiro Maku. These dresses are mainly made up of excellent fabrics that can simply provide a shiny and charming look to the wedding gown.
2. Wedding accessories
Marriage dresses are well enhanced with numerous wedding accessories. You can also take the help of these outstanding wedding accessories if you want to look more beautiful and gorgeous. Hoods are the most popular wedding accessories that are mainly used for covering the head of the bride. They also signify that the bride is quite patient and understanding. I would like to tell you that it is the tradition of Japanese wedding ceremonies that the bride should carry some additional accessories which are being offered to her by her elders. Kaiken is a kind of a sheathed dagger and it is also the most popular wedding accessory.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Fall Wedding Cakes

What is the perfect way to make your fall wedding even better? With a spectacular wedding cake, of course! Get ideas and suggestions for the most beautiful autumn wedding cakes.

The design of your wedding cake should complement the overall style of your wedding. The rustic style is very popular for fall weddings. If you get married in a barn wearing handmade bridal jewelry and watch, wear a casual bouquet of flowers fall, your cake will be as rustic and full of rustic charm. A nice idea is a cake decorated with sunflowers. The cake itself would be nice to be brushed with a coarse texture applied in a cream-colored butter cream frosting. Tie raffia around the dark brown bottom of each row, and placed accented with several mini-sunflowers in clusters at each level. Natural and beautiful, without being "perfect": it would be ideal for a rustic fall wedding cake.

Another nice idea for a fall wedding cake is a falling leaf theme. It can be done in many different ways, from an elegant single-color design for a colorful burst of foliage to create a minimalist metallic leaf pattern. Choose the style that best suits your wedding colors and design. For example, a formal ballroom wedding autumn have very cleverly decorated cake with a high gilded gold leaf. Show it on a gold cake stands for even more of a royal touch. Brides who want a playful cake can be distributed many different colors and shapes of leaves on sugar all over the cake in a random pattern. Real-preserved leaves can be sprinkled on the cake table to continue the theme. A single sheet of color made to resemble bright red sugar maple leaves were absolutely beautiful with any type of fall wedding.

Your wedding cake can also be an opportunity to indulge your whimsical side. A very playful idea has made the sides of the cake layer with a flat cutout silhouettes to decorate like your favorite animals of the forest look. It would be great to see a collection of woodland animals such as squirrels, foxes and deer all over the cake layers. If you want, forest leaf and acorn shapes and the cake will be added. Do it all in soft, warm wood tones of pine green, mushroom, and brick red. This kind of cake would be a natural choice for the bride, the unique things that are handmade specially for enjoying it, like one-of-a-kind custom letterpress invitations and bridal jewelry.

With the fall of nature as a popular theme is another great opportunity for a fall wedding cake is made to resemble bark. There are several approaches to this assumption. Is the first frost a cake with dark chocolate glaze, which was pulled through a mold to resemble the bark of a tree. Decorate it with forestry accents, like marzipan mushrooms and ferns, leaves, gum paste. Another very cool wood-inspired cake design is to frost the cake with white chocolate ganache. When sprinkled with cocoa powder, it is the bark of a white birch tree look like. What to make for a unique wedding cake on the white! Add thumbnail sugar, fruit or berries for decoration.

Popular Asian Wedding Traditions

An Asian wedding is as colorful as the festivities this region is popular for. Asia is very respectful of its traditions and customs. And while there are many Western cultural influences already, during special occasions such as weddings, the people pay homage to the meaningful and colorful traditions of their nation. Here are some popular Asian wedding traditions that reflect the heritage of each country.
Japan - Wedding celebrations in Japan are very much filled with veneration and wishes of blessing to the couple. Traditionally, as the bride and groom's families enter the ceremonial hall, they bring offerings of fruit, salt, and water for the couple. These are the items that they associate with wealth and good fortune. They also offer sake or rice water to the ceremony. The wedding color for the traditional Japanese ceremony is purple. The bride wears a purple dress or kimono and is also usually adorned with images of purple iris flowers.
China - It is customary for the groom to give a whole roast pig to the bride's family. This serves as a good engagement gift from the groom to the bride's family. This is aside from the other gifts that the groom is expected to give to the bride and her family. The wedding color for the traditional Chinese wedding is red. This is the color that they associate with luck. The bright red gown of the bride is also usually adorned with images that depict good luck, fortune, and wealth. These symbols are golden phoenixes and peonies. Towards the end of the reception, firecrackers are being shot and are intended to drive away evil spirits that may harm the couple.
Philippines - Called 'pamamanhikan', the groom-to-be with his family visits the home of the bride at least six months before the wedding to formally ask for the bride's hand for marriage. This is the opportunity for both the bride and groom to discuss their plans for the future with their families, and the families in turn can give words of advice.
Korea - On the night before the wedding, it is customary for the groom to journey to the house of his bride using a lantern. The use of the lantern is very prominent in Korean culture, and this journey of the groom is intended to glorify this Korean tradition through their union in marriage. The groom also brings with him a chest full of gifts for the bride and her family.
In some parts of the ceremony and reception, there are other traditions that are not just interesting but meaningful as well. These traditions are intended to bring nothing but good fortune for the couple. While there are changes or infusions of these traditions, the essence of the event remains the same. Weddings are not just unions of two people, but they are also ways for the bride and groom to pay homage to their family, to their country, and to their culture. Asian weddings are not just filled with fun and joy, but also with good wishes and respect.

Guyanese Wedding Traditions

Guyana is a nation state located on the mainland of South America. English is the official language. In addition, Amerindian languages like Arawak, Macushi, Akawaio and Wai-Wai are spoken. A small minority speaks Guyanese Creole, which is English with African-Indian dialects and syntax. There is no standardized grammar in Guyana. In Guyana wedding celebrations, the African heritage can be seen. This is especially the case during the Black History Month and the anniversary of Emancipation. However, this seemingly rich cultural heritage has a range of misconceptions and a degree of superficiality.
Their significance from an African setting has a much wider meaning since these are seen as artistic performances or as cultural shows that offer theatrical performances, with a variety of dance, music and drama. Thus, these and other celebrations are seen as artistic exhibitions that are never taken seriously unlike Toronto weddings. They do not cover the ways of people's lives in their clothing, agriculture or manners. Cultural traditions have faded drastically and many people are now unaware of the symbolism where these are displayed.
Just like nuptials in Toronto, cuisines are a necessity. It is common to have Guyana cuisines in the weddings. One of the Guyana delicacies is the pepper pot. The dish has been around for generations and many are fond of it. It is therefore no surprise that it forms part of the Guyana wedding traditions. The dish is served with crispy cassava bread. Duck curry is another food common tradition in Guyana weddings. In addition, one may find fried rice, puri and chowmein being served at the events. Just like in Toronto, a traditional wedding in Guyana will usually be done in a church. Alternatively, it can also be done at home. A home marriage ceremony is usually done by Guyanas who live far or outside Guyana in order to give them the freedom to enjoy an authentic Guyana environment. A backyard will usually do it.
After meals, guests are invited to participate in Guyana dances. Guyana music has maintained traditional elements from Africa, India and Europe and this mix of native elements has become important in influencing Caribbean, Brazilian and American music. Just like in Toronto, popular musicals will usually be played on wedding ceremonies while the Guyana couple dances. However, recently many Guyana weddings have hired live bands to play traditional songs. These bands use traditional woodwinds, prominent horns and other instruments that have been replaced by stringed instruments.
Many bands in Guyana are talented enough to entertain the audience with authentic Guyana traditional music. One of the most popular music in Guyana is Calypso. This type of music is played in a satirical lyrically oriented style in wedding celebrations. It will usually be accompanied by traditional musical instruments like sitar, harmonium, dholak, tabla, dhantal and tassa drums. Most of this music can also be based from Hindu songs called filmi or bhajans. One of the traditions that have remained is called tan singing, which is a unique singing style found among native Guyanese of the Indian community. Evidently, Guyanese wedding traditions have lost much of their authenticity, but they continue to be unique celebrations in our current world.