Wedding accessories
Bride's dress
Nowadays it is impossible to imagine a bride without a veil and a dress that is not white. This is a long-established tradition dating back several centuries. However, this was not always the case. In Rus', girls wore an elegant embroidered sundress.
The color of the wedding dress was said to be red. This was explained quite simply: red is a symbol of fire, which the Slavs worshiped. Second meaning: red – beautiful. Also, if the bride wore a red outfit, then no one would jinx her. To enhance the effect, several hidden stitches were made with blue thread on the wedding dress.
Nowadays it is believed that white is a symbol of the purity of a young lady. If the bride is not getting married for the first time, then it is better to choose a dress of a different color that best suits her spirit.
Veil
A strong amulet: under it the bride hid her face from prying eyes, revealing it only after the marriage ceremony was illuminated in the church. Before the ceremony, the veil could not be given to unmarried friends to try on - the groom would be taken away. But at the wedding feast, it was the bride who threw the veil into the crowd of unmarried bridesmaids. The veil (like the dress) was kept throughout life. It was later used to make a curtain over the baby's cradle to protect against the evil eye.
Shoes
They must certainly be white and must be worn, which means a successful marriage for many years. Therefore, it is recommended to wear them around the house for at least a day before the wedding. Buy closed shoes (not sandals), without laces. The meaning of superstition is easy childbirth.
Gloves
For the same reasons as a veil, no one should be allowed to try on before or during a wedding, especially unmarried friends.
Decorations
It is not recommended to wear natural stones, especially pearls - this will lead to tears. However, this does not apply to turquoise. Jewelry is the best accessory for a bride. By the way, before, a close friend used to put earrings on the bride before the wedding, but now it’s a witness.
How to choose a bridesmaid's hairstyle?
The first and most important nuance that must be followed when composing an image: the hairstyle and makeup for the bridesmaid, as well as the outfit and accessories, should not completely copy those of the main hero of the occasion, and should not be bright and conspicuous. Everyone knows the main rule of choosing bridesmaid dresses: they should not be white. A similar rule applies to the choice of hairstyles for guests: you cannot copy the image of your future wife.
How to “get out” of this situation? We can offer several options:
- The hairstyles of all girls cannot completely copy that of the bride, since everyone has different hair. Some have short ones, some have medium or long ones. In fact, the same or similar outfits will be enough, but let the hairstyles for the girlfriends be different.
- If all the guests and the bride have long hair, they can certainly do the same hairstyles. Only the hero of the occasion should stand out against their background: let her hair be decorated with a veil, wreath or other accessory, but there should be no additional decorations on the heads of the girlfriends.
- It is advisable that the hairstyles of the girls invited to the wedding be made in the same style as that of the bride. If you are having a themed wedding, such as Chicago in the 1920s, research what hairstyles for long, short and medium hair were fashionable at the time and do them for the wedding.
- The bride's hairstyle should not pale in comparison to the bridesmaids' hairstyles. For example, if the future wife has short hair, and she could only neatly style it and decorate it with some kind of hairpin, the girlfriend should not curl her lush long curls and fill them with glitter hairspray. It's better to make a modest, sleek or messy bun.
You should agree on what hairstyles you will do for your friend’s wedding not at the last moment at the bachelorette party, but much in advance. The bride should consult them about looks and hairstyles in particular at least a month before the celebration, so that they have time to buy outfits and accessories, as well as sign up for a beauty salon. And if the hairstyle is simple, the bridesmaid can even do it all with her own hands.
External image of the bridesmaid
First, you need to decide what image and outfit you should prepare for the celebration. Do not break the most important rule - the outfit should not overshadow the dress of the hero of the occasion. The wedding is not yours, but your friend's. Consider in more detail what rules exist that need to be followed when choosing an outfit.
- Under no circumstances choose a white dress or suit; today this is the prerogative of a friend.
- The outfit should not be too provocative or revealing; such a choice would be appropriate for a bachelorette party.
- There is no place for crinoline, rich decorations and bright colors. The dress should be pastel shades, with a minimum of gold trim and all kinds of rhinestones.
- Do not wear high-heeled shoes - there will be a lot of fuss, participation in competitions, and if there is a wedding ceremony, then you need to stand in the church for about an hour. Try to choose comfortable and elegant shoes so that you can enjoy dancing during breaks at the wedding banquet and participate in competitions that the toastmaster will certainly prepare for witnesses.
Editor's Choice: Wedding Scenario for a Second Marriage
Wedding without guests
Reviews from those people who celebrated their weddings without witnesses, toastmaster, in the circle of close people and relatives, are only positive.
Young people are now increasingly striving to unify and simplify wedding events. Moreover, such a development of a wedding celebration is logical when it is a wedding without a ransom, that is, in the absence of the main tradition of the celebration. The main reasons for such a ceremony are as follows:
- young people simply want to be among those closest to them, and they need a minimum of people present, mainly parents and closest relatives (siblings);
- or the newlyweds are generally left alone, at home or in a restaurant; for some period, parents and relatives are present, but the newlyweds spend most of the time alone.
Any wedding is a celebration of two hearts, and only they can decide how to conduct it, since this event will remain in their memory forever.
Redemption scenario
The ransom is an extremely exciting moment at a wedding, memorable for the newlyweds for the rest of their lives. The ransom ceremony does not take place without the participation of a witness. Together with your friends, you will have to write a ransom script in advance and come up with interesting entertaining tasks. Try to select tasks that are individually suitable for your couple, then it will be interesting for everyone.
Even though you are “selling” the bride, do not demand too much money from the groom, this is not the main thing. Let him better show how ready he is to fight for his betrothed, go through a series of obstacles and competitions, show his ingenuity and determination.
Please note that knowing the text of the script by heart and pronouncing it without hesitation is the responsibility of the witness. If you forgot something, be able to improvise in your own words while sticking to the topic. The newlywed waits in the next room while she is bought. You shouldn’t upset her with your forgetfulness or sluggishness.
Summary
Signs about witnesses at a wedding, like any other, come true if you believe in them. They have become the tool through which loved ones and guests try to make every moment of the wedding perfect. And yet they are not as important as everyone used to think. After all, the main guarantee of a happy life will always be the mutual love of spouses.
Appearance of a witness at a wedding
The groom is the guest of honor and must look the part. When choosing an outfit for a holiday, you should take into account the style of the celebration. If the newlyweds are organizing a themed wedding, it is worth thinking about the details and color ratio in advance. It’s good if, for example, at a purple wedding the witness wears a similar tie or bow tie, and at a seaside summer wedding in white Bermuda shorts and a blue jacket. A witness who has questions about proper appearance should discuss them with the bride and groom, then the appearance of a close friend will be harmonious and solemn.
Painting ceremony
It is worth saying that the witness and witness at a wedding have many important responsibilities. But still, their most important roles are as witnesses during the painting ceremony. What should a bridesmaid remember here?
- It is the witness and witness who must spread the towel in front of the newlyweds in the registry office.
- When the couple signs the wedding, the witness holds the bride's bouquet.
- The witness and witness put their signatures in the marriage registration book.
- The witnesses have the responsibility to beautifully arrange the guests in the “corridor” along which the newlyweds will pass.
- After the painting, it is the witness who accepts the bouquets that are given to the couple.
If before the painting the witness rides in the car with the bride, and the witness with the groom, then after the registry office the newlyweds ride in the main car, and the witnesses ride in the next one in the wedding procession.
Bachelorette party according to the old Russian tradition
In Rus', the betrothed girl, in the last week before the wedding, organized a wedding party or bachelorette party. It was a rather sad event - everyone was crying. The bride was crying, her bridesmaids were howling, and special mourners, the vytnitsa or voplennitsa, sang long ritual songs.
In their lament songs, they praised the bride and pitied her as she left her father’s house and went to someone else’s family. Marriage promised new serious responsibilities and meant the end of a free and carefree girlhood. How can you not cry?!
The bride's hair was unbraided. She walked with her hair down until the wedding - all the time in her borderline state: not yet a husband's wife, but no longer a free girl.
Fact: a bachelorette party in Rus' was always held in the bride’s house. There was no eating or drinking at the bachelorette party.
After crying, it was possible to begin round dances, games and fortune telling.
What should a witness do:
The role of the witness is not limited to just tinting the bride's lips and wedding competitions. The witness performs her function long before the wedding day: she organizes the bachelorette party, helps choose a dress, resolves organizational issues along with the groom, draws up a ransom script, and prepares all the necessary props in advance. And also, according to tradition, the witness chooses a wedding garter for the bride.
Before the wedding, when preparing a bachelorette party
An important duty of a bridesmaid before the wedding is to organize a fun and unforgettable bachelorette party. She agrees with the bride on the list of friends who will be invited to the bachelorette party, decides together with the girls what gift to buy for the hero of the occasion, and deals with other organizational issues of preparing the wedding.
To facilitate the process of organizing a bachelorette party, the witness should draw up a plan where she needs to describe the most important details of the holiday. You should also calculate the budget for the celebration in advance, choose the venue, decide on the theme, outfits and surprises for the bride. A rough plan for preparing for a bachelorette party:
- Prepare a list of invited friends, discussing it with the bride in advance.
- Buy postcards for bachelorette party invitations or send them out electronically.
- Solve the issue of photo and video shooting in order to leave a memory of this wonderful day.
- Prepare a script, competitions, surprises, as well as the venue, having previously booked a table in a cafe, sauna, VIP room in a club, decorating the apartment in the style of a pajama party, etc.
Helping the bride on her wedding day
On the most exciting wedding day, the witness is not only the bride’s assistant, she is the right hand, an integral part of this celebration. On the wedding day, the witness helps the bride get dressed, corrects her makeup and hairstyle and practically does not leave the hero of the occasion. The witness does not need to count on a free minute during the wedding; it will be in great demand, but these troubles will only bring pleasant emotions, as well as a good mood.
During marriage registration, the role of the witness will not be limited to the formalities of the registry office, she will also have to coordinate the guests. When the guests start giving gifts, she is there to help the newlyweds. The best man and the witness take the flowers, leaving only her wedding bouquet in the hands of the bride. If the wedding goes without a toastmaster, then the groomsmen’s responsibility is to prepare a script for the celebration and interesting competitions. Therefore, the main requirement for this role is to have excellent organizational skills so as not to make guests and newlyweds bored.
The role of the witness in ransoms at a wedding
The ransom is one of the most interesting events during a wedding, which also falls on the shoulders of the bride’s friends. The role of the groomsmen at this stage of the wedding: preparation of the ransom script, selection of details. Ransom is not an easy task, coming up with an interesting, not outdated scenario is not so easy. To make everything fun, you don’t need to invent a new bike - add a dose of romance, give the groom the opportunity to show how well he knows his soulmate, present everything in a playful way.
The main thing is that when arranging a ransom, the bridesmaid must correctly calculate the time, without delaying this process too much. It will be sufficient to have from three to five competitions, each lasting no more than five minutes. It is also advisable to avoid competitions with alcohol, so as not to bring the groom to a state of intoxication, but, on the contrary, to add excitement and cheerfulness to the newlyweds’ mood. The ransom can also take place with the participation of children, this will add zest and originality to the game.
What does a witness do at a wedding?
The most important and undeniable task of the witness is the moral support of the groom! This is especially true for the bride price, where the future spouse will have to overcome many trials and withstand jokes, sometimes caustic ones, from the bride’s guests.
The witness also answers:
- For organizing and holding a bachelor party;
- For helping the groom at the wedding: explaining to the newlywed what he should do, helping with the ransom, etc.;
- For the preparations of the future spouse on the wedding day;
- For decorating the wedding procession.
In addition, a friend of the groom can help decide who to invite to entertain the guests. Especially if the witness knows artists or musicians.
It is not uncommon for witnesses to be responsible for entertaining guests during a walk and photo session of the newly-made family. Here we have to talk about the availability of snacks, glasses and champagne in the required quantities. To prevent such responsibilities from becoming an unpleasant surprise on your wedding day, this point should be discussed in advance.
With a good and responsible witness, the groom's responsibilities at the wedding are only to show up for the celebration and not get confused at the most crucial moment!
Wedding omen - how a witness can bring her happiness closer
It is believed that you can only be a witness at two weddings, and that the third should be personal. Otherwise, the girl will never get married.
As mentioned above, if you keep the ring box, your own happy marriage will happen very soon.
An item made by the hands of the witness and worn by the bride during the wedding also promises many goodies for everyone.
Another sign recommends pulling the bride by the hem of her dress without anyone noticing. The main thing is not to overdo it.
Despite the colors mentioned above, it is recommended to wear one green item to the wedding.
In a restaurant, it is advisable to sit on the edge of the table and pull the tablecloth towards you, and then pull the fork from the celebration. All this, according to popular wisdom, helps to attract a betrothed.
And, of course, you shouldn’t forget about such a ritual and sign as throwing the bride’s bouquet.
By the way, only the newlyweds and witnesses can hold this bouquet in their hands during the entire celebration. Neither parents nor guests have the right to even take it.
There are many rules, there are many rules, but whether to follow them or not is everyone’s personal choice. After all, miracles happen only to those who believe in them. It’s the same with signs. And the main task of witnesses at a wedding is to support the newlyweds and resolve minor and not very pressing issues. And this should be at the forefront, and not adherence to any signs.
