Customs, Traditons, Superstions and Pretties..

I have been doing a lot of research into wedding traditions and customs. I have found a lot of things I like and learned a lot of interesting things.

Winter and I love the idea of a hand fasting. Part of the reason is because my mother is all about a traditional wedding and later down the road we plan to have a very small one of those too, for her... but for me too because it speaks to another part of me.

"Handfasting refers to one of two types of ceremonies, either a "wedding" or a betrothal of a year and a day, which the participants can then decide to renew or not at the end of that period. Handfasting is quite popular today, among many people who find that their own lifestyles call for an alternative joining ceremony to that provided by more typical weddings." -Handfasting.org
 
The site I liked about the history of handfasting is currently down... But here is a little on the history if you are curious about it =]
History of Handfasting
 


There is all kinds of really interesting information on this site Handfasting.org


I am of Scottish heritage and so it seems rather fitting... Also I know that Philippino wedding have an aspect that is very simlar.. My mother is Philippino and I remember stories and weddings that I went to when I stayed in the Philippines with my grandmother when I was 5 and 7... I was in two of them as a flower girl... The Phillippino's traditions involve a sort of lasso of white cord and often times a veil draped over both the bride and groom and the lasso tightened around the couple... sometimes they instead pin the bride and groom together...


For myself I think we want to tie our hands together.
 A very dear and close friend of mine and Winters named Sage is making us a hand fasting cord... It'll be wool, he's going to dye it himself and spin it and weave it for us... This are the pictures I showed him when I asked him about it.
Handfasting Cord

A veil is very traditional and there will be one for the church-y wedding... In the case of the Pirate-gypsy-handfasting-wedding I want I think I will opt for fresh flowers in my hair... red and white roses and baby's breath in my hair maybe? Speaking of flowers I want to give my guests sprigs of rosemary to wear and maybe a tiny bit of lavender.... Also very symbolic. I think I am really into the symbolic stuff and a little superstitious too... I love the idea of good luck charms as my friends might be able to tel from the wire jewelry and art that I make.


Speaking of History I asked our head gypsy from the gypsy carnvial half of the week long event I plan to hold the wedding at... I asked her about ways we could add a little bit of gypsy-ness to our handfasting because I feel like both Winter and I have a little inner gypsy in us... She linked me to this site...
Gypsy Customs


I read up on it and then got to talk to Barbie Griggs on the phone for about 20 minutes before she had to be at a meeting... She invited us to hold our wedding in the gypsy village! That is a huge honor to me. =D It's nice too because it's right next to our friends the NorthShadow family... Sage said if I got the ok from Tiff who runs the NorthShadow Inn's Kitchen then he'd be willing to prep a roast and help cook it... I'm waiting till Tiff gets online to ask her about it because I know she is super super busy right now. We are not sure if they will bring the kitchen in the fallowing year as Both Tiff and Zeek will be in school and I think having, finals? Or something like that... What I mean to say is that the spot is a very good location and super easy to find on the site as it's near the front gate.


One of the things I read about on the site from Barbie about gypsy custom was the wearing of a gold coin necklace.. I loved the idea of a coin necklace but didn't really find any online that I loved that weren't insanely priced.... So I think that idea may be off the table... Another coin related thing in weddings for good luck is a six pence or a penny in the brides shoe... or a gold and silver coin worn in each shoe from the brides parents.


"Something old, Something new,
Something borrowed, Something blue,
and a sixpence in her shoe..."

I love this rhyme!!! <3  Not sure what coin to use... I might have a sixpence in my little bitty tin full of foreign and strange coins... So far, I figure I'll have a new dress... I'm sure I'll end up having to borrow something.... I wonder if my mom has something old I could use... and I have in mind to have a pair of dark blue kinda a cross between Royal blue and Sapphire blue, Elastic garters to hold up my stockings! 

These are my favorites so far... Minus the rhinestone bits.

#1

#2

#3

 Ok so I got on etsy to get pictures... and on a whim I checked for coins and coin jewelry and I did find some I love!

Check this out!
 
Scottish Two Pence


and..

3Penny


and...
 
Twentypence



and..



Fiji Sixpence Earings!
 

Another tradition involving money is what is called a money dance... Money is placed in a bag worn by or pinned onto the bride towards the cost of a honeymoon. I don't know that I really like this tradition... I hate to ask for money.
Another one involving dancing is of course the first dance... I have no idea what music to play for this.... Another is connected to the garter toss and bouquet toss with those two lucky eligible catchers dancing together.. I heard another version instead of the bouquet toss... All the eligible women write their names on the bottom of a shoe and the one most worn off gets to dance with the catcher of the garter... I would love to do both and maybe have both garters thrown and thus two couples... But then again I would like to keep at least one garter..  Now that I think of bouquets I have no idea what I want yet because I love so so so many flowers... 

If I were to get hena done... Which is supposed to chase away the bad spirits around a wedding... I think I would want flowers somehow bracelet-ed around my wrists.. My friend Amy is a hena artist! <3 


I know I must be missing a ton of things I found in my research so far... that aren't at the top of my mind and will come to me later.... If anyone thinks of some fun traditions and customs for weddings and any other ideas please do tell! =D