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Immediately after the wedding
ceremony the couple may release a pair of white doves. These doves symbolize the
love and affection that the couple hold for each other.
There are a few other small
traditions that apply to the ceremony. One of these traditions is to adorn each
entry way that the couple will pass through with elaborately tied ribbons. These
ribbons are symbolic of the unity of the couple. It is also customary for the
groom to carry a small piece of iron in his pocket during the wedding ceremony.
This piece of metal is said to ward off evil spirits and ensure a happy future
for the couple. The bride may also rip her veil slightly. This is said to bring
good luck to the couple.
The reception that follows the wedding ceremony is where the majority of Italian
traditions take place. It is customary for the guests to assemble in the
reception room before the bride and groom arrive. You should arrange for your
guests to be served alcoholic beverages during this time. The women are
traditionally served sweet liquors while the men are served stronger drinks. It
is important that these drinks be served before the couple arrives at the
reception because tradition holds that the guests offer a toast to the bride and
the groom the moment that they arrive at the reception.
There are a few traditional dances that are typically performed at traditional
Italian weddings. The Tarantella is one example of these dances. There are
several different stories on the origin of this dance but most of the stories
revolve around a spider bite. In just about every version of the story, la
tarantella was a dance that was performed either to counteract the venom of the
spider or as an uncontrollable response to the venom. In modern times this dance
is performed as a way of wishing the couple good luck in their future together.
La Tarantella is a group, circle dance where the participants dance in a
clockwise direction until the music speeds up and then they reverse directions.
These tempo changes occur several times and each time the tempos speeds up the
group changes direction again. This continues until it is impossible to keep up
with the tempo of the music.
No authentic wedding would be complete without a scrumptious feast featuring
several courses. A traditional Italian wedding reception begins with an
antipasto course that features olives, pickled sweet peppers, mushrooms and
cheeses. That is followed by many other courses that include pastas, meats,
soups, salads and desserts that are each accompanied by free flowing wine. There
are certain foods that have symbolic meanings. For example guests are usually
presented with an odd number of almonds. The almonds represent the fact that
marriage is often bittersweet. They are presented in odd numbers that have
different traditional meanings. For example three almonds wish the couple luck
with children while five almonds wish the couple monetary wealth.
Another Italian wedding tradition is to have the couple break a glass or vase at
the conclusion of the reception. The Jewish faith has a similar tradition where
the groom will break a wine glass at the conclusion of the ceremony but these
traditions vary in their intentions and symbolism. Jewish couples break a glass
as a symbol of human frailty and the hardship that their ancestors have endured
because of their faith. An Italian couple, however, breaks a glass or vase for a
completely different reason. According to Italian tradition the number of pieces
that the glass breaks into represents the number of happy years that the couple
will enjoy together.
It is fun for couples of Italian descent to incorporate traditional elements
into their wedding. Even if the couple only has distant relatives that
originated from Italy and have never even been to Italy, it is still acceptable
to follow these traditions. Couples of other nationalities may also choose an
Italian themed wedding just for the enjoyment of trying something different.
About the Author: Ex
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