A bride wants her to be as close to perfect as she can possibly make it and will often turn to her mother or grandmother for traditions that she can incorporate into her present day wedding. Here are a few that I have found.





1. The Bridal Shower
This is actually a time for the bride's friends to get together and have fun, eat and play silly games.  Oh, I forgot, the bride also gets to wear one really ugly hat made out of a paper plate. And no bridal shower should end without at least one photo of the bride wearing it. And for the brides to be out there, be sure to take notes. Trust me, 20 odd years down the road, you won't remember who came, what you did, or any of the other details that you will wish you could remember.
 
2. The Bridal Party
The "bridal party" can be traced back to earlier times when the bride needed protection because of their wealth and family connections. A group of family members were assigned to be her guards and literally protected her on the way to the wedding.
3. The Veil
The veil especially during the summer months are often being replaced with hair accessories, although I did see a bride in Jamaica who was being photographed with her veil billowing out behind her in the sea breeze. It was gorgeous!! I do have a little info about the origins though which is rather humorous. Apparently once upon a time, grooms were not allowed to see their brides until after the ceremony was completed. Only then was the veil lifted and the groom could see his new wife for the first time. By that time, it was too late to back out!
 
4. Kissing the bride
This was once a very important wedding custom, because this kiss was what actually sealed the wedding contract. No kiss and I guess you weren't legally married!!  
5. The Groom's Cake
This cake is often served at the rehearsal dinner and looks nothing like the cake that will be on show the following day. More often than not, it will be in the shape of something that is of importance to the groom. In my case the cake would have looked like a soccer ball, or in my (British) husband's words... a football and the flavor would be coffee!
6. The Honeymoon.
It was originally thought that this was the perfect time for the newly married couple to start their lives together. The wedding is behind them and all the stresses that entails and there are two weeks or so of pure bliss before the pair have to return to the real world. Now, things are changing. More and more couples are taking their children along with them on the honeymoon. If you were given the choice, what would you do??