Lara Swanson Blog

Category Archives: tradition

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Tradition: Jamaican Wedding Cake

January 23, 2008 – 8:30 am

In Jamaica, the wedding cake is a central part of the wedding celebration. Typically it’s a rum cake, and the cake or the dried fruits inside may be soaked with alcohol for up to a year prior to the wedding. What I think is the most interesting part of the way Jamaican weddings handle the cake is the guest involvement - while in most American weddings the bride and groom are the only ones who touch the cake as part of the cake-cutting tradition, in Jamaican weddings, the guests may be involved both before and after the cake has been baked and served.

In some cases, guests send the ingredients for the cake to the bride and groom beforehand. What a great way to involve those from far away and help them feel included! Imagine, too, if you’re a guest who has sent an ingredient to be baked in the cake and can arrive at the reception and taste what you had a part in - it’s yet another wonderful way to incorporate your guests in the celebration of your union.

For those guests who can’t make it, many Jamaican couples will actually mail them a slice of the cake afterwards! While the logistics of this may puzzle some American couples, I’d encourage you to take this idea to heart when thinking about those guests who weren’t able to attend your wedding. Is there another symbol of your wedding - such as the guest favors, sand from your unity ceremony, or scripture passages - that you’d be able to mail to them? The effort alone to make them feel included will be wholeheartedly appreciated.

Resources:
Bits of Culture - Jamaica
Wedding Channel Cultural Traditions: Jamaica
World Wedding Traditions in the Carribean

By Lara | Comments (0)

Tradition of the Day: Best Man

September 21, 2007 – 9:50 am

Tradition detail: The “Best Man” stands next to the groom during a typical American Christian wedding ceremony. He can have many duties, everything from getting the groom to the wedding on time to holding the real rings during the ceremony to toasting at the reception.

Where it comes from: I’ll give you a hint - it’s where many other traditions have come from. You got it - from long ago when many brides were kidnapped by their grooms. But you better believe the family was going to fight off the groom, so he needed some help. This came in the form of the Best Man, who also stands next to the groom at the church, ready to help fend off any relatives.

How couples are changing it: Your best man can be a best woman. The bride can have a best man. And you can have as many best people as you want (we promise). “Best Men” kind of has a ring to it.

Creative ideas: Honor your bridal attendants (best people) during your ceremony in new, creative ways. What if they all passed the rings towards you as they silently blessed them or said a silent wish? How about walking in with them? Exploring ways to unite your party and celebrate YOUR new unity is a great way to demonstrate how important these people are to you and how happy you are that they surround you.

By Lara | Also posted in wedding | Comments (0)

Tradition of the Day: Bridesmaids

August 24, 2007 – 9:41 am

Tradition detail: During the ceremony, the bride has by her side a number of women dressed in identical gowns. These women have close relationships with the bride, and may also include the groom’s sisters or close female friends.

Where it comes from: A running theme in wedding tradition history is a fear of evil spirits. The bridesmaids (beginning from Roman law, perhaps even continuing into the 19th century) would dress not only in identical gowns, but identical to what the bride was wearing. This way the evil spirits would be confused and would not know which was the bride. She would then be safe from the evil during the ceremony.

How couples are changing it: It’s not unusual to have a “junior bridesmaid” or even a male “bridal attendant”. By including individuals as members of your bridal party, you’re demonstrating how close you feel to them, and how important their relationship is to you. Don’t worry about the individuals not fitting the traditional mold of bridesmaid - just consider how great it will be to have your loved ones standing next to you on your wedding day.

Creative ideas: Are there many shapes and sizes in your bridal party? Are you worried about picking a dress they won’t like? Hand them a color card and let them buy their own dress to match it. You’ll have different shades of the same color, but everyone will feel good about what they’re wearing (and may even be able to wear it again!). You could even ask the groomsmen to pick out their own ties of that color.

By Lara | Also posted in wedding | Comments (2)

Tradition of the day: Cake Cutting

August 10, 2007 – 8:51 am

Tradition detail: At the reception, you and your new spouse stand up in front of your guests and make the first cuts in your wedding cake. Everyone cheers as you feed each other (or, sometimes, smash the cake in each other’s faces) and kiss.

Where it comes from: A groom would break, literally, bread over the bride’s head. This version of the tradition is no longer practiced and has been replaced by today’s cake cutting and feeding. What this older version represents has many interpretations, including fertility and the loss of virginity.

How couples are changing it: Cupcakes, cookie tables, “Candy Shop”s, the works. You can do anything to satisfy the sweet tooth, particularly if there are guests who have wheat allergies. There’s nothing wrong with feeding each other something other than cake - two of my brides used chocolate-dipped strawberries!

Creative ideas: At a wedding I photographed, the bride and groom performed a tradition they’d seen in Jamaica called the “Kissing Bird”. In true “Lady & the Tramp” style, the bride bit into a big piece of cake and lifted her head so her groom could also have a bite. They ate towards the center and kissed. “Aww”s all around.

By Lara | Also posted in asofterimage, tips | Comments (0)

Tradition of the day: Groom on the right, bride on the left

August 3, 2007 – 10:13 am

Tradition detail: During a typical American Christian ceremony, relatives and friends of the groom sit on the right side of the ceremony, and relatives and friends of the bride sit on the left side of the ceremony. At the head of the ceremony stand the officiant, the bride (on the left) and the groom (on the right), and their bridal attendants next to them, all on the corresponding sides.

Where it comes from: Yup, you guessed it, this is another tradition that comes from long ago when many brides were kidnapped by their grooms. By standing on the right, the groom can have his right hand free for his weapon to fend off those trying to stop the wedding.

How couples are changing it: When using ushers, have them simply seat people wherever. No more “groom’s side or bride’s side” questioning - just fill the place up! This is especially helpful if one person has more guests than the other.

Creative ideas: Have your ceremony be in a location where you can be in the center of the room. Line up four different areas of chairs to face towards this center location; your guests, then, all will have a perfect view of the goings-on. There is no right or left (or wrong!) place to sit. This gives you much more freedom for where your processional enters from, where you want to put flowers and other decorations, and ensures your guests will be able to see.

Here’s an actual seating chart a bride sent to me:
Wedding Seating

And here’s another wedding I photographed, with three areas of chairs all facing the couple. The couple entered from the doors I was facing and stood under those center columns during the ceremony.

Note: “In a Jewish ceremony, it’s the opposite; the bride and her family are on the right, the groom and his are on the left.” - The Knot

By Lara | Also posted in tips, wedding | Comments (0)