Bridegroom

As Members of a Wedding Avoid these Common Wedding Party Mistakes

Picking the members of your wedding party is a big moment in the process of planning your nuptials. While selecting the friends and family who will serve as groomsmen and bridesmaids, there are a few points that can be important to keep in mind during the decision. For one, you want to think over the many mistakes couples have made in the past when dealing with this important task. Look over these common wedding party flubs and gain some insight into how to move through this process unscathed. 

Introduce Everyone Immediately

More often than not, a wedding party is going to consist of people who are very important to you and your partner. However, this does not mean that the people you select will know each other. One of the best ways to get matters off on the right foot is by introducing everyone in the group immediately. You can do this by bringing the crew together under one roof for a preliminary meeting, or if a physical hang isn’t possible, create a group message for digital communication purposes. 

Wedding Members Early Commitment

Anyone who has acted as a bridesmaid before knows that taking on the role can often prove to be incredibly expensive. If you want the members of your wedding party to feel comfortable from the start, you need to disclose all costs as early as possible. The sooner the group knows approximately how much money you will need them to spend on your wedding, the less likely it is that there will be upset feelings or confusion down the line. 

Don’t Forget To Delegate To Your Members

Though the members of your wedding party are going to help you by taking on a variety of tasks during the planning of your nuptials, you’ll need to get the ball rolling. Essentially, it will be useful for you to delegate the biggest and most pressing of items on your planning checklist. This will eliminate any confusion over who is responsible for what, giving the members of your party a clear idea of your expectations and where you require the most help.

Consider the Clothing

Ugly bridesmaid dresses are a trope of the wedding world. Though you might want some control over how the members of the party look, picking exact outfits for the group is likely not the best way to go. In fact, you may see the best results by giving the group a general idea of what you’d like and allowing them the freedom of picking their outfits on their own. Simply provide guidelines for color and style, and it can make a world of difference in how your group feels about what they have to wear.

Keep in Contact With Your Members

Another common mistake couples make when it comes to their wedding parties is forgetting to keep in contact with the crew as the weeks roll on. There might be a good chunk of time between when you ask people to be in the party and the first event they will need to attend. In order to guarantee everyone is on the same page at all times, be sure to connect with the crew whenever possible. Even a simple text can go a long way when it comes to making people feel included, heard, and prepared. 

Say Thanks

Finally, don’t forget to show your appreciation. Couples place a lot of demands on the members of the wedding party. If you’re asking friends and family to jump through hoops to bring your big day to life, you’d best have a token of gratitude and a word of thanks ready for them. A little bit of recognition will go a long way.

The way you treat the members of your wedding party will have a profound impact on the success of your big day. Think about the common mistakes couples have made in this regard, and learn how you can best avoid these pitfalls as you put together the details of your wedding.

Wedding Traditions From Around The World

Certain wedding traditions have been practiced for hundreds of years.

There are all kinds of traditions that continue through the world. Many have similarities while others can be vastly different.

If you’re trying to plan a unique ceremony for your special day, check out some of these special wedding traditions from around the world.

 

 

 

Wedding Traditions from other Cultures

  • Congo – Brides and grooms aren’t allowed to smile on their wedding day. When they do, it shows that they aren’t serious about the marriage.
  • China – The bride travels to the groom’s home in a decorated sedan chair. Attendants take care of the bride on the journey by holding parasols to shield her from the elements. They throw rice at the chair as a sign of prosperity and health. Female bridesmaids put the groom through a series of tests for him to prove his worthiness of the bride. He must give them envelopes of money before they’ll allow him to have their friend.
  • Fiji – The potential bridegroom must present his father with a whale’s tooth when he asks for her hand in marriage.
  • Jamaica – The bride is paraded through the streets. If the villagers go home, it means she didn’t look her best. She must go home and spruce herself up for another go.

Some Other Cultures Practices

  • Guatemala – The groom’s parents host the reception party. The groom’s mother breaks a ceramic bell filled with grains to give the couple prosperity.
  • Germany – The guests break porcelain dishes in front of the new home. The bride and groom are to clean these dishes up together as a demonstration of working together to overcome anything.
  • Scotland – Gretna Green is the place to elope. In medieval times, Gretna Green would marry young couples who did not always have parental permission.
  • Kenya – The bride’s father spits on her as she leaves the reception. It’s thought to preempt fate by not seeming too supportive of the couple.
  • Greece – The best man (or groom’s best friend) shaves the groom before the wedding. The new mother-in-law feeds him honey and almonds.
  • Japan – A Shinto bride wears white from head to toe. The head covering is thought to hide the horns of jealousy toward her new mother-in-law. The white symbolizes her maidenhood.
  • Norway – The traditional cake is called kransekake. It’s a tower of almond cake rings stacked on top of each other. The center is often filled with a wine bottle. The bride may wear a gold and silver crown with small trinkets as part of her wedding finery. As she moves, the trinkets jingle, which scares off the evil spirits.
  • Russia – Couples partake of a sweetbread called karavaya which is decorated with grains of wheat for fertility. Whoever takes the largest bite without using their hands is thought to be the head of the family.

As you go through this list, you might notice that many of the wedding traditions are similar to customs we have here. It just shows that we’re more alike than we think.