Rituals in a wedding

Marriage means companionship in today’s world although the necessity of it was realized in having children and bringing them up in a safe and loving environment. The home concept started with marriage, and it offers shelters and a warm and congenial atmosphere around the marriage, for many. The most important person in the home being so implied is the lady and in most of the societies, it is she who moves to the husband’s place to live life in a completely different manner than she has been living, in all probability. The ceremony symbolizing marriage is the wedding.

It is an important event in anybody’s life because of several reasons, viz. having all the close relatives and friends together to participate in the transition from bachelorhood to family life. Since the age old customs have not yet vanished in the modern societies, although the understanding and concept has changed, all effort is put to make it the grandest event of life. Gifts, decorations, bridal dress, wedding rings, the avenue of reception, the invitation cards, and the after marriage outing, which is called the honeymoon…  they are all essential components of a wedding.

Traditionally, there are several family members and close friends who get delegated with each of these responsibilities.  However, a wedding is called an ‘event’ and there is a new stream of service providers who offer to arrange everything in place for a price. These event managers can be very economical to hire considering the time required to be invested in putting things together. The bride-to-be and the groom-to-be can’t expect the luxury of the others personal time in today’s fast paced world. The bride is mostly concerned with the bridal dress and the wedding ring.

The Bridal dress is always in white nowadays. It is a symbol of mourning according to some, but has been customary since 18th century. It is a one time wear which is aesthetically designed. Chiffons and satin materials lend the dress the sheen it deserves. The sleek looking wedding ring is a life time possession for a bride, for emotional reasons.  For this reason, the careful choice of the ring can be one gesture which wins the heart of the bride for life. Choosing the right kind of invitation card is another aspect in the arrangement of wedding. Without the kith and kin, the wedding can be a forgettable event.

When the relatives are far away, it takes mention of some intimate symbols to attract them to attend the wedding. It should be noted that the person invited is mentioned symbolically or by name in print. That implies the keenness in the invitation and relatives and friends may brave the journey despite incurring considerable expense. The after wedding reception thrown after the ritual is solemnized, includes the lighting, the appropriateness sitting space, the ball and the music besides the quality of food & drink served. The music should attract people to dance to the occasion and raise the glass to cheer the newly wed couple. For the food to have variety and to include every necessary dish the event managers can be given an approximation of people who would like to have a certain kind of food and hence the buffet can include such.