Weddings are in general very traditional events. The whole course of the day is set out by long-held tradition, from the wording of the ceremony to the cutting of the cake and the bride and groom’s first dance. But with more and more couples wanting to do the day their way and reject those ancient traditions we thought it was time for a good ol’ debate on the subject! So let’s get started…
Wedding Traditions – Something Old Vs Something New
In the Red Corner, recommending boldly going where no bride has gone before (yes we did watch the new Star Trek movie this week!), throwing aside tradition in favour of something new it’s Dom “The Tog Bride.”
In the Blue Corner, all in favour of sticking to tradition and particularly looking to revive his old family tradition of having Fish & Chips every Wednesday… man I miss those fish & chips! It’s Matt “The Gormless Groom.”
FIGHT!!
Dom: Traditions can be great, but it’s your wedding day and I think putting as much of a personal stamp on it as possible is important. If you don’t want to have a cake to cut why should you? If you want to say your own vows I think that’s lovely, don’t let tradition stand in the way of having the wedding you really dreamed of!
Matt: Traditions have stuck around so long because they work: they form a structure and a method to the wedding that genuinely works. It’s a tried and tested formula, with each traditional part of the day such as the speeches, the cutting of the cake, the first dance heralding the next stage of the day and acting as a fixed point of entertainment for the guests.
Dom: Most of the traditions associated with weddings come from a spiritual background and many have religious connotations. The idea of something old, new, borrowed and blue for example was originally meant to ward off evil spirits. For those that don’t hold religious beliefs some of these traditions may feel inappropriate.
Matt: But whatever their origin traditions take on new meaning over time – the father giving away the bride is a beautiful moment, but he’s no longer passing on ‘ownership’ of the bride, it’s simply an acceptance into the family by the father to his soon-to-be son-in-law.
Dom: First looks are far from traditional and break probably the number one rule of the traditional wedding: the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding, but they can be absolutely magical. Having that moment in private and defying the tradition actually helps make more of the moment and make it even more special.
Matt: First looks can be magical, but I also think that seeing the bride for the first time as she walks up the aisle to marry you is pretty darn special too!
Dom: You want your wedding to be unique, to be memorable and different from all the other weddings you’ve been to. Traditions create a very rigid structure and it’s hard to be original whilst adhering to them, sometimes it’s better just to break free completely.
Matt: Traditions can be particularly important to older generations and it may be upsetting for them if you break away from wedding traditions completely. Doing it your way doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning tradition, perhaps just updating it!
Dom: It’s your wedding and you should have it however you want it even if you might run the risk of upsetting someone. Once they get used to the idea people will generally come on board and embrace your new ideas!
Matt: Carrying out those traditions you’re taking part in something that your parents, and their parents before them along with all of your ancestors have all done on their wedding day and that’s a really nice feeling. It’s great looking back at all the photos of your parents and grandparents cutting the cake and comparing them to your own!
So those are our points but we’d love for you all to add your points to the fold! Leave a comment below, but not before you’ve placed your vote on which side you agree with!
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The post The Friday Fight-Out: Wedding Traditions – Something Old Vs Something New appeared first on Bride Vs Groom.
