All Things Wedding Seating

Russian music, singing, dancing, toasting and an abundance of food are all key to the two-day long wedding reception celebrations that traditionally follow a Russian wedding ceremony.

Toasts

A very important role at the reception is that of the Tamada, or toastmaster. Usually this role is given to a friend or relative although more couples are now opting to pay a professional entertainer. The role of the Tamada is not only to give toasts, but also to introduce the guests, organize singing contests and make sure that everyone is having a good time.

The first toast is made to the newlyweds – traditionally with vodka shots but these days, often with wine. Following the first shot, the guests begin to shout Gorko, Gorko, Gorko,! This means that the vodka or wine is “bitter” and the couple must kiss for as long as possible to take out the bitter taste of the vodka.

This tradition’s origins are slightly different to what is practised today. Historically, the bride would offer a vodka shot to each guest. The guests would pay the bride for the drink and then shout “Gorko!” – this was to confirm that the drink was vodka and not water. After drinking, the guest was entitled to a kiss from the bride. Although this tradition has been simplified today, it is still a quintessential part of a Russian wedding.

The second toast is made to the parents, where the bride and groom thank their parents. The toastmaster will then invite friends and family of the happy couple to make toasts, with 10 minutes or so in between each toast for the guests to eat and drink. Usually when a guest gives a toast, he also presents a gift to the newlyweds.

Every toast is followed by a call of ‘Gorko, gorko’ – and the bride and groom must kiss again!

Table place settings and seating plans

At the reception, tables will be laid with a small plate for zakurki (appetisers), a vodka shot glass, a water glass, and a wine glass. The wine in Russia is usually sweet and often drunk only with dessert.

At each table, the most honoured position is at the head of the table, with the most important guest seated immediately to the right of the host (women to the right of the host, and men to the right of the hostess).

Stealing and kidnapping!

Following on from the first dance, another Russian tradition of playfully “kidnapping” the bride is often carried out (this is also done in the Czech Republic and Germany). As all the guests crowd the dancefloor, the groom’s friends will swiftly “kidnap” the bride. They will then demand a ransom from the groom for her return.

The bride’s friends also have a similar traditional game of “stealing” the bride’s shoes. Another ransom is demanded of the groom for their safe return.

Day Two

Maybe due to the time required to recover from what must be cracking hangovers, day two of a traditional Russian wedding usually begins in the late afternoon or evening. Although anyone from the first day is invited to attend, usually only the closest friends and family members attend this second day of festivities. After another fantastic wedding feast, Russian customs dictates that the guests will scatter loose change all over the floor, and the bride has to “clean” the floor by picking up the money. The party continues late into the evening – a Russian wedding reception really shows you how to party!

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_wedding#Reception
http://www.russianlife.com/blog/marriage-customs/
http://www.wedding-bells.me.uk/Russian_Wedding_Traditions.html
http://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table-etiquette/europe-e_dinner_etiquette/russian.html

African wedding traditions have evolved over many centuries and despite some westernisation, a lot of traditional African weddings are still carried out today. If people do not go back to their villages to perform the traditional wedding rites and customs, they will still replicate elements of their tribe’s traditional African wedding whether they are in metropolitan Africa or in an entirely different country.

The variety of wedding traditions across the African continent is huge, so in this article I will focus mainly on the wedding customs found in South African weddings, particularly in the wedding receptions.

Karamu wedding feast

The wedding meal which follows the wedding ceremony is traditionally known as the Karamu. Before the reception begins, the oldest male present (usually a relative of the bride or groom) gives a blessing of the couple and the festivities about to be celebrated.

Table decorations using African customs and symbols

Four Elements – An old African tradition describes tasting the four elements – lemon, vinegar, pepper, and honey. Use this to create a sensory centrepiece, with four decorative pots containing each element included in a simple floral centrepiece. Give each guest a spoon, and a card that explains the tradition. Guests are invited to taste the four elements along with the newly married couple. This ritual dramatizes the “Traditional” promise to love “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.

Kola Nuts – In Africa, the kola nut is a symbol of healing and used for many medical purposes. Exchanging kola nuts with friends and family symbolises that they will always be able to heal their differences, that no adversity would ever prove greater than the love they have for one another. Hang kola nuts from a decorative branch on each table, or fill a beautiful vase with them and invite your guests to share and swap them with each other to partake of this unique custom.

Twelve symbols of life – Twelve items represent a different aspect of the love and strength which unites two families. These are wine, wheat, pepper, salt, bitter herbs, water, a pot and spoon, a broom, honey, a spear, a shield, and a copy of the Bible or the Koran. These items are always present at an African wedding, and could easily be included in the table decorations at the reception.

Sharing and feeding others

It is the African belief that in marriage, a couple are joining not only their own lives but those of their families. This is demonstrated by each feeding the other’s family from baskets of unleavened bread, serving the older members of both families first and most ceremoniously to show respect.

Additionally, custom dictates that the bride must feed her new husband to show the wedding guests how well she will take care of him in the future. If she does not feed him or give him a drink properly, the senior women in her family and his are required to show her how to do so properly. Once he eats what she has given him, she will then take him and officially present him to her parents as her husband. Her parents will ask her in front of all the guests to confirm that she has made this choice herself and she will publicly agree.

In modern-day society, these rituals are performed ceremonially and more for show, but the roots remain as strong as they ever were.

Dancing

In most African wedding cultures, there is often the famous money dance. The newly-married couple dance for as long as they possibly can as their wedding guests shower them with money. What happens to all the cash collected varies from culture to culture; some couples get to keep it all as a gift to themselves whereas in some areas the money goes to the mother of bride.

Fire

In South Africa, to mark the start of the newlyweds life together, the bride’s and groom’s parents would traditionally carry a fire from their hearths in their homes to the home of the new couple, where a new fire would be lit.

References

http://www.africanweddingtraditions.com/wedding-reception-etiquette.html
http://weddings.weddingchannel.com/wedding-planning-ideas/wedding-ceremony-ideas/articles/african-american-wedding-guide-ceremony-elements.aspx?MsdVisit=1
http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/african_traditions/south_african_traditions.html

Traditions associated with food and drink abound in Italian wedding reception customs. Food symbolising fertility and for good luck are called ‘confetti’ – candy covered almonds tied in mesh bags which are thrown at the couple – and twists of fried dough powdered with sugar called ‘wanda’. Guests are also given ‘Bomboniere’ favours – 5 sugared almonds wrapped in lace symbolising health, wealth, fertility, happiness & long life.

The menu at an Italian wedding reception is of huge importance and a lot of effort will be put into making it just right. Guests may be served as many as 14 different courses with wine and other drinks. After dinner, the customary multi-layered Italian wedding cake is served with espresso and coffee. Italian wedding cakes are not customarily on display throughout the reception, but are brought out just prior to cutting and then served to the guests.

Toasts

The father of the bride is the first to make a toast at the reception. After this, the best man is in charge of giving the toast that will take place right before dinner, known as the “per cent’anni” which is a wish for the bride and groom to stay together for one hundred years, and for which the guests are served sweet liquor and strong drinks.

Whenever there is a pause in the meal or celebrations, be sure that a guest will call out “evviva gli sposi” which is a cheer for the new couple. The groom also receives demands from the crowd to kiss his new bride, and guests also kiss the bride for good luck.

An Italian wedding seating plan

Some sources indicate that traditionally, there is no “top table” at Italian weddings. However, as the European / USA tradition of organised wedding seating plans filters into many countries, modern day Italian weddings often do have a standard top table layout. Sweetheart tables (a great alternative to the traditional top table) for the bride and groom are popular – the Italian custom is for the bride and groom leave their table and visit every table at the reception to greet their guests, prior to leaving for their honeymoon.

There is often a table set aside for gifts, and the new mothers-in-law are seated near to it. They are expected to thank the guests and write a list of the gifts.

Wedding gifts

Traditionally, an Italian bride will carry a satin bag (la borsa) in which guests place envelopes of money. Sometimes the bag is guarded by the bride’s grandmother during the reception or, alternatively, the bride will wear it and allow male guests to put money in it in exchange for a dance with her. As another way to raise funds for the couple’s honeymoon, the groom’s tie is cut into pieces and sold to the wedding guests as a memento.

Dancing

The first dance will take place before the evening meal. Upon entering the reception, the newly weds are introduced and take their first dance, followed by the bridal party and then the rest of the wedding guests. After the first dance with her new husband, the bride shares a dance with her father, and the groom dances with his mother.
It is traditional that a group dance, the Tarantella, be performed at the reception. The men who dance it hold their jackets open to the sides – apparently to reveal any weapons they may be carrying!

References

http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/west_europe_traditions/italian_traditions.html
http://www.weddings-abroad-guide.com/italian-wedding-traditions.html
http://www.ehow.com/about_6475608_wedding-etiquette-italian-weddings.html
http://www.italyitalianweddings.com/ceremonies.php?metodo=espandi&id_services=8

Spanish wedding receptions tend not to be small affairs – expect a couple of hundred guests at a traditional Spanish wedding (bodas). Invitations are sent to the whole extended family and the local village, making the wedding a vibrant and joyful celebration. A Spanish wedding reception goes on late into the night and has many of its own traditions and customs.

A vision in black!

Traditionally, the bride wears a black silk wedding dress with a black lace veil, but today most brides wear white. The groom wears an embroidered shirt, handmade by his future wife. The veil is part of the wedding dress and symbolizes God’s protection. The church and reception venue are often decorated with Orange Blossom flowers, which represent happiness and fulfilment.

Table plan

Traditionally, Spanish weddings do not include bridesmaids, groom’s men, a Best Man or Maid of Honour. At the reception, the top table is traditionally set for 6 – the bride, the groom and their parents. Traditionally, there are also no speeches although the bride and groom may expect to be heckled by the guests for a kiss or two.

Music and dancing

A “Mariachis” band traditionally plays traditional folk music from Spain and Latin America. Guests traditionally dance a “seguidillas manchegas”, or money dance which is also a tradition in Germany and other countries. Guests who dance with the bride or groom traditionally give them money. The dance is said to symbolise prosperity and financial security for the newlyweds.

Reception Food

A traditional Spanish wedding meal (banquete de bodas) may begin with cold cuts and snacks while guests gather and photos are taken. The meal itself consists of a starter, a fish dish (for example Paella, a delicious seafood and rice stew), a refreshing champagne sorbet, a meat dish and a dessert. Food is often sourced locally.

Reception favours

During the wedding meal, the bride and groom circulate among the tables during the meal handing out gifts and favours (detalles). Men will be offered a cigar or a mini-bottle of wine, often with the date of the wedding on the label, and women are usually offered something beautifully fragranced.

As well as throwing her bouquet to whoever will be next to marry, a bride also hands out pins with a flower motif to unmarried ladies. These are attached upside down to their clothes, in the hope that the pins will be lost during the dancing which indicates that the lady will soon marry.

Trick or treat?

A traditional Spanish wedding will start late in the day, meaning that the reception will end in the early hours of the morning. The happy couple, however, may find that when they eventually get to go home, close friends have got there first and prepared a selection of practical jokes! For example, they may hide things in the bed sheets, fill the bed with balloons and hang banners announcing the marriage off the balcony.

References

http://www.worldweddingcustoms.com/wedding_customs/wedding_traditions/spanish_wedding_customs.html
http://weddingsinspain.blogspot.com/2008/03/traditional-spanish-wedding.html
http://www.donquijote.org/culture/spain/customs/wedding.asp

Chestnuts roasting by the open fire, mulled wine, carols sung by choirs and sleigh bells ringing – what a lot of inspiration for a festive seasonal Christmas wedding. Read about three UK couples who did just that, with their Christmas themed festive wedding days proving that its the most wonderful time of the year!

Tara and James in Surrey

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas… Blue skies and fresh white snow greeted Tara and James on their wedding day. Festive guests arrived at the reception venue courtesy of a 1912 bus, and were warmed up with mulled wine on arrival. During the evening, Christmas films were projected across the walls, and professional dancers performed the seasonal Nutcracker ballet.

Tara and James named the tables after Father Christmas’ reindeers – can you remember all of their names? (Answers at the end!) They also used ivy to decorate the wedding seating plan.

Read more »

Emma and Karl in Lancashire, Jan 2011

Another snowy day in January 2011 greeted Emma and Karl, who had carol singers and a big brass band to play Christmas music on their wedding day. The bride carried a beautiful bouquet which was designed around an icicle them.

Emma and Karl’s wedding seating plan was cleverly created using a Christmas Welcome ring (a large Christmas wreath). Their top table was lit with twinkling fairy lights and the wedding cake decorated with Christmas foliage including mistletoe, Christmas roses and white magic.

Read more »

Amy and Jim

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Rich purple, silver and magenta paired with snowflakes and sparkling crystals decorated Amy and Jim’s winter wonderland wedding.

The seating plan used glittering festive names, such as sparkle, twinkle and shimmer. The table décor matched the wedding theme, with purple ribbons on napkins and snowflakes on place cards. Favours for guests were hung on a beautiful tree, which was then transformed into a wishing tree, where guests wrote their good wishes on labels decorated with snowflakes.

Read more »

Sunny Christmas weddings

Of course, Christmas does not always bring snow and chilly feet – the southern hemisphere sees roaring temperatures, lazy days on the beach and warm sunshine at Christmas. Traditional holly, stars, mistletoe and Christmas trees look fantastic placed on a backdrop of pristine white sand and blue skies, so if all you want for Christmas is a wedding without the chill, why not consider travelling abroad?

See this post for some Christmas wedding inspiration.

Kissing under the mistletoe and rocking around the Christmas tree – a romantic, festive and unique Christmas wedding that everyone will remember for years to come. Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

(The reindeer’s names – well, there is Rudolph of course. The others are: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. Now, read the article again and see how many festive song quotes you can find!)

Pre wedding parties

Guests are involved in a Dutch wedding before and after the event. A lovely old Dutch custom holds that before the wedding day, guests would visit the bride’s house where they would eat bruid suikas, (a traditional sweetmeat) accompanied by spiced wine.

Many Dutch couples will also invite guests to a short party before the wedding itself, to which extended family, friends, colleagues and/ or neighbours are invited. Guests are offered drinks, nuts, olives and tasty finger food before proceeding to the wedding venue.

Dutch etiquette for wedding seating plans

In the Netherlands, the most honoured position is either at the head of the table or in the centre, with the most important guests seated first to the left and then to the right of the bride and groom, in descending order of importance. This fits well with general format for a European wedding seating plan.

Wish tree

A wonderful Dutch custom is the wedding “wish tree”. At the reception a beautiful tree branch is placed next to the bride and groom’s table, and paper leaves attached to pieces of colourful ribbon are placed at each guest’s place setting. Guests write their special wish for the happy couple on their leaves, which the bride and groom can then read and hang on the tree.

Reception food

Dutch wedding receptions are famous for serving sweet and heavy foods such as sugar cake, marzipan, sugared almonds, and a variety of heavy food and sweet cordials. Two traditional items served at a marriage celebration in Holland are sweetmeats called, “bridal sugar” and “bride’s tears.” ‘Bridal sugar’ is a typical Dutch wedding favour consisting of five sweets wrapped in tulle. Dutch custom uses the number five as representing the five wedding wishes of love, happiness, loyalty, prosperity, and virility. ‘Bridal tears’ is a small bottle of spiced wine, which contains real gold leaf to represent tears.

Reception décor

The reception venue is decorated with evergreen leaves, which signify everlasting love. The bride and groom sit under a canopy of fragrant evergreens, and receive gifts and best wishes from their guests. Traditionally in Holland, gifts are unwrapped immediately and passed around to be admired. The bride and groom will personally thank the guests for their gifts as each is unwrapped.

A large silver bowl filled with brandy and raisins is often passed around as a song is sung – “How sweet it is where friendship dwells…”

Clogs

Renowned for its clogs, Dutch marriage customs reflect this cultural icon. Traditional tales say that when a boy wanted to ask a girl for marriage, he would hand-carve a pair of clogs with beautiful designs. He would then place them secretly at the girl’s doorstep during the night. The boy would go back to the girl’s house the next morning and if the girl was wearing the clogs, that was the sign that she had accepted his marriage proposal. Contemporary interpretations of this tradition sometimes see the bride or groom wear a pair of clogs for the wedding day only – they are then hung on the wall of the happy couple’s home, decorated with dried flowers.

References

http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/west_europe_traditions/dutch_traditions.html
http://www.weddingandpartynetwork.com/blog/wedding-traditions/dutch-wedding-traditions/
http://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table-etiquette/europe-w_table_manners/dutch.html
http://www.catzmarketing.com/DIY/TC-Dutch.htm

Belgium is home to two linguistic cultural groups – the Dutch-speaking Flemish in the north and the French-speaking Walloons in the south, and a small group of German speakers. As a founding nation of the European Union, Belgium still retains its long cultural history, as can be seen in its many wedding traditions.

Wedding invitations

Invitations to a wedding in Belgium are sent out twice! One invitation is from the bride’s family, the other from the groom’s. These double invitations are a symbol of the new union of the two families.

Flowers for mothers

The bride traditionally takes two single flowers to her wedding. After walking up the aisle, she gives the first to her own mother, and embraces her. After the marriage vows have been taken, the bride presents the groom’s mother with a single flower, and embraces her. This shows the bride’s acceptance of her new family and mother in law.

Handkerchiefs

On her wedding day, the bride carries a handkerchief, upon which has been embroidered her name. Following the wedding, this is framed and hung on the wall in the marital home. The next female member of the bride’s family to get married will inherit the handkerchief, and her name will also be embroidered on it. In this way, the wedding handkerchief is passed down from generation to generation, and is considered to be an important family heirloom.

Belgian Etiquette – Wedding seating plans

It is considered in Belgium that the most honoured position is either at the head of the table or in the centre, with the most important guests seated first to the left and then to the right of the head of the table. This customary etiquette matches perfectly with the European style of top table seating plan. Other guests will expect to be told where to sit, with husbands and wives not usually seated together. When sitting down to a wedding meal, it is considered polite to allow women to take their seats before men.

Belgian Etiquette – Toasting the happy couple

In French speaking Belgium, the most common toasts are salud, or a votre santé . In Flemish speaking Belgium, gezondheid will be used. It is expected that guests maintain direct eye contact from the moment the glass is raised to the moment it is placed back down on the table. It is polite to stand for a toast. The Flemish raise their glasses twice during a toast, once during the toast and then again at the end of the toast.

Traditional Belgian fare

The North sea and Atlantic ocean supply a vast variety of sea food, with eels, cockles and mussels all considered delicacies. Two of the best known Belgian dishes are carbonades of beef – a beef stew – and waterzooi – a chicken or fish chowder. A Belgian wedding cake is often either a croquembouche (see previous French wedding traditions article for more information)

References

http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/west_europe_traditions/belgian_traditions.html
http://www.belgium.net/belgium-guide/belgian-tradiions.html
http://www.etiquettescholar.com/dining_etiquette/table-etiquette/europe-w_table_manners/belgian.html
http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Afghanistan-to-Bosnia-Herzegovina/Belgians.html

Norway is a beautiful Scandinavian country boasting snow-capped mountains and a beautiful North Atlantic coastline, home to its famous fjords. Norwegian weddings, often held in the summer months, are colourful and exuberant affairs full of fiddle music and traditional wedding costume (Bunad).

Guests

A typical Norwegian wedding is smaller than a typical UK or US wedding. This, of course, will mean a smaller and less complex seating plan, as generally children are not invited and only close family and friends are invited to attend.

Skål! – Wedding meal toasts

Toasting plays an important part in a Norwegian wedding reception, and toasts are often given throughout the wedding meal. Toasts may be given by a great many guests, the order of which will broadly correspond to:

• father of the bride;
• the groom;
• the bride;
• maid of honour;
• best man;
• groom’s father;
• bride’s mother;
• groom’s mother;
• grandparents/godparents;
• friends; and finally
• “takk for maten-tale” (thank you for the meal). This speech compliments the food thanks the chef and waiting staff.

A table just for cake!

After dinner coffee is usually served alongside a huge selection of cakes and pastries laid out on their own table, and often supplied by the bride and groom’s friends and family. Popular choices are Bløtkake (cream cake), almond cake, cheesecake, and chocolate cakes.

A traditional Norwegian wedding cake is a Brudlaupskling – a floury bread cake covered with a mixture of cheese, cream and syrup dating back to the days when white flour was hard to come by. A Kransekake cake, a famous conical almond ring cake decorated with edible flowers and sugarwork, is another Scandenavian wedding cake. The Norwegian flag is a traditional topper for a wedding cake.

Music and dancing

Norwegian brides will wear a traditional silver or gold grown, with small spoon-shaped bangles hanging from it. During the wedding reception the bride will dance energetically, so that the silver charms make tinkling music to ward off evil spirits.

Night food menu

Norwegian wedding receptions are expected to continue into the wee small hours, and guests are offered a Nattmat – a night food menu – to keep the celebrations going. It is a simple menu, often consisting of something like sausages, soup and bread or sandwiches.

References

http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/scandinavian_traditions/norwegian_traditions.html
http://www.ingebretsens.com/culture/weddings/norw-wed-tradition

The Wedding meal

Danish wedding meals are usually a sit down three course meal. A Danish wedding seating plan appears to follow the fairly standard European top table layout, however it is expected that guests find their places and remain standing until the bride and groom have taken their seats at the top table. Before the meal starts, and in between courses, guests are invited to make speeches, toasts and even sing songs – even with hand outs for the guests so that they can join in! This makes a traditional Danish wedding reception meal a long and fun filled event.

Kiss kiss

There appear to be many Danish wedding reception traditions associated with kissing! For example:

• At some point during the reception, the groom will leave the room. Male guests take this as a cue to kiss the new bride. Similarly, at some later point the bride will also leave the room and all of the ladies will give the groom a kiss.
• If all of the guests tap their knives or forks on their plates, the bride and groom must kiss.
• If all of the guests stamp their feet on the floor, the bride and groom must dive under the table for a kiss.
• If all of the guests tap their knives on their glasses, the bride and groom must balance on their chairs and kiss!

Danish wedding cakes

The traditional wedding cake of Denmark is the ‘Kransekage’ – a tower of almond paste cookie rings. Another popular traditional choice is a cornucopia cake made with almonds, sugar paste and marzipan in the shape of a horn of plenty. It is decorated beautifully with intricate sugar work on the outside and filled with fresh fruit, sweets and almond cakes.

It is considered good luck for the happy couple to cut the cake together on the day of the wedding – before midnight – and for each guest to eat a piece. Often, the top ring of a Kransekage cake is saved for the first anniversary or the baptism of the first child.

The Bridal Waltz

The ‘Brudevals’, or bridal waltz, is a couple’s first dance. It should be danced before midnight on the wedding day and guests stand in a circle and clap as the couple dance. As the music continues, guests move in closer and closer until the bride and groom are surrounded by their family and friends.

The Groom’s socks

Hand in hand with the beautiful, elegant and glamorous tradition of the bridal waltz is a special tradition just for the groom. Male guests will lift the groom up in the air and cut off the toes of his socks. Some sources say that this is so that the bride’s first chore as a married woman is to darn her husband’s socks – I would imagine that in this day and age it would be the groom’s first chore to go and buy another pair!

References:

http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/locations/scandinavian_traditions/danish_traditions.html
http://www.rineandjim.com/wedding-traditions.php
http://www.denmark-getaway.com/danish-wedding-traditions.html

Tasty invitations

Traditionally, buns called Kolache are baked a few weeks prior to the wedding, and given to relatives, friends and neighbours as an invitation to the wedding reception. Kolache have at least three sweet fillings, and show off the culinary skill of the new bride. What a delicious tradition!

A smashing reception

As the bride and groom reach their reception venue, a plate or glass is broken in front of them. They must sweep it up together to show their new union and ability to work together as a team. However, some articles that I have read indicate that this tradition sometimes may actually create conflict, as bride and groom fight to have the broom – some traditions say that the person who gets the broom will be the decision maker in the household, while the one who holds the dustpan will be subservient!

Wedding feast

The wedding feast at a Czech wedding can often occur late into the evening in comparison with European timescales. Often a traditional beef goulash is served up at around midnight to provide sustenance for the partying guests.

There appears to be no specific Czech tradition influencing the seating plan – often the European top table layout is used. For smaller weddings a U shaped table is often seen, with the bride and groom seated at the head of the table.

At the start of the feast, the bride and groom show their unity by eating a bowl of soup together. However, it is not as simple as it may sound, as their hands are bound together with a piece of cloth or towel, and they both hold the same spoon to eat from. This tradition symbolises their new reliance and trust in one another, and their ability to share and give to each other in equal parts.

At the end of the feast, bridesmaids present the guests with sprigs of rosemary to symbolise fidelity.

Traditional wedding dances

Among the many special dances performed at a wedding reception are the Kolibka and the circle dance. The kolibka involves the chief bridesmaid, who holds a plate in her arms as she would hold a baby. Guests throw coins onto the plate to start a nest egg for the couple’s future children. During the circle dance, the bride closes her eyes whilst dancing, and single girls try to steal a part of her veil. Men create a protective circle about the bride to try and stop the theft. When the circle is broken by a successful girl, it symbolises the bride’s loss of innocence as she enters her new married life.

End of the evening traditions

When the reception has almost finished, friends of the happy couple perform one final tradition – the kidnapping of the bride! The bride is taken via a circuitous route to a local inn or pub, where she and her friends wait for the groom to follow the clues left behind and find her. When the groom finds the bride, he must claim her by paying a ransom – often a round of drinks for the kidnappers. This tradition symbolises the bride’s separation from her parents, and the beginning of her new partnership with her husband.

References

http://www.moravianweddings.com/pages/about_moravia/6.aspx
http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Czech-Americans.html#ixzz1cdWTqbiS