Wedding
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A wedding is a ceremony that celebrates the beginning of a marriage or civil union. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. In some countries, cultures and religions, the actual act of marriage begins during the wedding ceremony. In others, the legal act of marriage occurs at the time of signing a marriage license or other legal document, and the wedding is then an opportunity to perform a traditional ceremony and celebrate with friends and family. A woman taking part in the ceremony is called a bride, a man called bridegroom, after the ceremony they become wife and husband, respectively.
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[edit] Types
A double wedding is a single ceremony where two fiancé couples rendezvous for two separate weddings. Typically, a fiancé with a sibling might plan a double wedding with that sibling.
A destination wedding is any wedding in which the engaged couple and/or a majority of their guests travel to attend the ceremony. Whether this happens for an intimate beach ceremony in the Caribbean, extravagant nuptials in Las Vegas or for a simple ceremony in someone's back yard, chances are it qualifies as a destination wedding.
A white wedding is a formal or semi-formal wedding in the United Kingdom, Ireland and United States, as well as Commonwealth, traditions.
A military wedding is a ceremony conducted in a military chapel.
An online wedding is a wedding that is either conducted on the internet, or is an event that resembles a standard wedding when two people who wish their avatars, or characters, to be married. Many couples are using the internet to meet and share their vows. Planning is made easy, with online wedding guides (see references) where reliable and friendly vendors are listed.
A same-sex wedding is a ceremony in which two people of the same gender are married or, more commonly, civil-unioned. This may be an official and legally recognized event, or (in places that do not allow same-sex marriage) it may simply be an opportunity to make the same pledges and have the same celebration with friends and family as at a traditional wedding.
A civil wedding is a ceremony presided over by a local civil authority, such as an elected or appointed judge, justice of the peace or the mayor of a locality. Civil wedding ceremonies can use references to God, but no references to a particular religion or denomination. They can be either elaborate or simple. Many civil wedding ceremonies take place in local town or city halls or courthouses in judge's chambers.
[edit] Customs
Wedding ceremonies may contain any number of different elements, however most contain wedding vows of some kind and a proclamation of marriage, usually by the officiant. Most weddings also involve wearing the traditional clothes of the culture in which the couple is wedding. A wedding is often followed or accompanied by a wedding reception.
Other elements may include music, poetry, prayer, scripture, or other traditions. In most societies a number of traditions or customs have emerged around the wedding ceremony, many of which have lost their original symbolic meaning in the modern world. Other wedding traditions are relatively recent. Some elements of the Western heterosexual wedding ceremony symbolize the bride's departure from her father's control and entry into a new family with her husband. In modern Western weddings, this symbolism is largely vestigial, since husband and wife are of equal power and status. In some cultures, same-sex weddings are celebrated.
A wedding's particular customs may be varied, mixed, or invented to suit the personalities, interests, and cultural backgrounds of the couple. Such hybrid ceremonies are more common when performed by Civil Celebrants, as in Australia, the United States and Canada.
[edit] Clothing
Different wedding traditions call for different wedding outfits:
- Qipao, Chinese traditional formal wear
- Batik and Kebaya, a special garment worn by the Javanese people of Indonesia.
- Barong Tagalog, an embroidered formal garment of the Philippines
- Kimono, the traditional garments of Japan
- Ao dai, traditional garments of Vietnam
- Morning dress, a particular category of men's formal dress
- Kilt, men's dress worn at weddings particular to Scottish and British culture
- Topor, a type of conical headgear
- Seelai,Tamil Brides traditional formal wear
traditionally worn by grooms as part of the Bengali Hindu wedding ceremony
- Tuxedo
- Sherwani, a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia
- Wedding veil
- Wedding dress
[edit] Music
[edit] Western weddings
Music often played at western weddings includes a processional song for walking down the aisle (ex: Wedding March) and reception dance music. More at wedding music.
[edit] African weddings
Traditional music throughout Africa is almost always functional; in other words, it is performed to mark a ritual such as a wedding. A traditional African wedding ritual serves to combine the families of the bride and groom. Because Africa is a continent with a wide range of ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity, the music of Africa varies widely.
[edit] See also
[edit] Related events and social processes
- Betrothal
- Bride price
- Brideservice
- Dowry
- Dower
- Engagement and Engagement ring
- Handfasting
- Banns of marriage
- Wedding reception
- Wedding anniversary
- Prenuptial agreement
- Bridal shower
- Bachelor party
- Uxorilocal
[edit] Wedding traditions
- Bride kidnapping
- Marriage license
- Wedding band (or ring)
- Wedding dress
- Wedding gift
- Wedding invitation
- Wedding music
- Wedding vows
- Wedding trends
[edit] Participants
[edit] Related travel
- Honeymoon
- Wedding trip (traveling to meet a bride or groom in an arranged marriage)
