Weddings can be stressful to plan, as the multitude of options for a cake, reception and guest list can often be overwhelming. However, the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton may hold different stresses. They have scheduled their wedding date for the 29th of April 2011.With the upcoming news of the highly popularized wedding, students start to think about their own future weddings.
The way weddings are celebrated throughout the world varies widely and usually depends on traditions, cultures, and beliefs. Everyone has their own dream wedding whether it is something small and simple or big and traditional. Students were asked about how their culture traditionally celebrates weddings and what they would like for their own weddings.
Junior Adeeba Rasoli from Afghanistan gave several reasons why Afghan weddings are different from American weddings. The night of Henna is typically the night that vows are exchanged in a mosque lead by an Imam. Usually, a shawl is placed over top of the bride and groom, who are then handed mirrors so that they can see their reflections which symbolizes that they are now united as one. The bridesmaids also prepare months in advance to create a special cultural dance in honor of the bride. Although Rasoli disagrees with Afghan weddings being really exciting, she enjoys seeing the bride and groom happy together with family and friends by their side.
“It’s still special regardless of how boring it may be sometimes because it’s an unforgettable memory,” Rasoli said.
In Vietnam, weddings do not have many differences from an American wedding. The formal wear for the bride is a long silky dress that does not necessarily have to be white. They also wear a type of gold crown that is decorated by colorful gemstones. On the other hand, the grooms wear a typical tuxedo on for his wedding. Vows are exchanged at a temple where family and friends are welcome. A reception is followed after the bride and groom exchange their vows.
“[The food was] not exactly [significant] but it is a tradition to kill a whole pig to serve at the wedding. They also put a lot of Vietnamese candy into a red bowl for the invitees” said sophomore Kimberly Huynh.
Apart from cultural weddings, there are also religious weddings such as a Jewish weddings. The chupah is traditionally a canopy under which the celebration occurs and symbolizes the bride and groom making their home together. Instead of vows, Jewish weddings have a contract called the ketubah, which is read by the rabbi after the ring ceremony. The newlyweds commonly frame their ketubah and display it in their homes. Photo teacher Meredith Stevens had a Jewish wedding three years ago and explained a couple things that are typical in a Jewish wedding.
“There’s chair dancing, where the bride and groom are lifted up on chairs and the guests dance around them” Steven said.
Near the end of the ceremony, the groom breaks a glass with his foot, which signifies that the marriage will last as long as the glass is broken. Some couples send the broken pieces of glass to close friends and family as a reminder of their wedding.
Many Indonesians have their own ways and customs for weddings as well. Before the reception begins, the guests normally stand in a long line, waiting to greet the bride and groom. What guests wear to a wedding depends on the time of the party. If it is in the afternoon then men can wear long-sleeved casual shirts and women can wear casual but nice clothes. If the wedding is held in the evening then formal wear is worn. An Indonesian wedding is mostly conservative and nothing should be too revealing.
The bridesmaids hold fans instead of flowers and their dresses are very colorful with lots of prints and patterns. Junior Marissa Uriarte, who is of Indonesian and Peruvian descent, said “I love the way the bride is dressed up so elegantly with lots of gold jewelery and make-up along with how happy she looks next to the groom, they get treated like king and queen.”
If it were up to Uriarte, she would choose not to have a wedding, much less a huge festive Indonesian wedding due to the fact that the ceremony is too conservative and serious for her taste. However, Uriarte looks forward to attending Indonesian weddings because she gets to enjoy the food and happiness that surrounds her.
Students commonly have the same concern with keeping their own weddings as traditional as their countries or to instead prefer to have a move modernized wedding. There are many students and faculty who want to have, or have been, to weddings that are very nontraditional. Anthropology teacher Holly Miller recounts an American wedding that she went to. “The wedding party sang and danced down the aisle” said Miller. AHS students have the benefit of living in a country where an impressive amount of different cultures reside. Interaction between people from two different countries allows each to get insight into the other, which increases understanding between them. Like Uriarte, one may be descended from two different cultures, but choose to have only one of them portrayed in their wedding. Also, there may be people like Rasoli, who would choose to break off from tradition by having their wedding outdoors.