Weddings The Wedding Send-Off
A supplement of the
CommunityAdvocate February 24, 2017
Traditions and modern spins for sending the couple off
T
he send-off of the bridal couple can be one of the most exciting moments of a wedding. Friends and family members watch the newlyweds set off for their new life together. There are many traditional symbolic gestures for this moment, some of which were borne of practicality and patriarchy. Nowadays, many couples are choosing fun, festive, progressive ways for guests to wave goodbye. Throwing rice Tossing rice at the couple, sometimes called an “exit toss,” gets everyone involved in the wedding celebration. According to one article on the Martha Stewart Weddings website called “How Throwing Rice Became a Wedding Tradition,” in olden times, marriage meant expansion (of family, assets, etc). It said, “Rice (most likely chosen for its availability and low cost) symbolized both fertility and prosperity,
Sparklers are a clever way to say goodbye and are sure to be memorable for the bridal couple and guests alike.
and tossing it at couples implied best wishes and good luck - for newborns, good harvests and everything in between.” Nowadays, the tradition appears in many forms. Guests throw candy and sugared nuts in Italy (for sweetness), and guests in Morocco throw figs and raisins (for fruitfulness). In America, creative couples are offering guests things like rose petals and paper airplanes that are less messy and hazardous. No one wants guests to slip on candy and twist an ankle, or feel the sting of a grain of rice in the eye. Tying shoes to the couple’s vehicle The forerunner to tying cans onto the getaway car bumper was tying shoes. According to the BrideandGroom website, a “bride’s shoes were considered to be symbols of authority and possession.” They Wedding send-off page 2
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