Since America is a place made up of many diverse cultural ethnic groups, it should not be so surprising that the American Wedding traditions are not unique to American alone. Through a slow evolution over time in America, the many diverse groups would be forced to intermingle in America unlike back in their own countries. The influences to different cultural wedding traditions were not right next-door. As more and more diverse cultures became neighbors and friends, personal traditions of each ethnic group eventually became intertwined to make the American Wedding what it is today. The American Wedding traditions are mixtures of mostly various European cultures, but did tend to have brought in various other more diverse cultural wedding traditions too. Since many of America’s ethnic groups today still carry on their more ethnic cultural weddings traditions; but come with some of the traditional American Wedding mixed with their traditions too, the definition of the American Wedding has expanded.
For what most all think of as being the traditional American Wedding, there is still the main traditional American Wedding aspect of church, white wedding gown, bridal shower, bachelor party and honeymoon. Rice throwing has turned into birdseed or some other bird safe items, where it used to be rice or wheat for the symbolisms of fertility. The tradition of asking the potential bride’s father for her hand also has fallen by the waste side too. But the traditional veil still has importance along with the wedding gifts given to newly married couple and the honeymoon formally thought of as the consummation time for newlyweds. The American Wedding also has kept the ceremonial American Wedding Traditions themselves the same through time. There would be both sides of groom and bride families and friends formally invited. The groom’s family and friends on one side and the bride’s on the other; with the groom and bride up in front with their traditional bride’s maids and best man or men and the preacher. The words have varied little too. The Priest, preacher, or what ever else denomination, asks each if they will take each other until the end, good or bad.
Then it is asked of the audience if there are any objections to the groom and bride becoming as one. If no objections, they are told that they are husband and bride. The traditional kiss seals the marriage. The American Wedding; traditions based on unions of those falling in love, but it is also two whole families becoming united too. When children become involved directly through these unions of marriage, there then become ties of the families through bloodlines. Thus making the family ties more complicated and permanent.
The one difference in today’s American Wedding and past time American Wedding is the elaborated costs and planning. There has become seepage of consumerism that has taken over. Because of this, there are now studies and talk shows on Bridezilla’s; this is somewhat of a new phenomenon in the American Wedding. The definition of a bridezilla is a engaged woman turning into a completely different person over the wedding plans and costs. Where in the American Wedding of historical past, the bride’s wedding dress would most always be hand made by a family member or past-down by a family member; usually the bride’s mother or even grandmother. Today, it has become the American Wedding tradition to buy your dress. Buying a wedding dress today usually costs as much or more than the wedding rings for both the groom and bride’s put together. Thousands of dollars is not unusual today for a wedding dress. Couples and families today are literally going into debt for lavish weddings. There are the costs of the place of marriage. Even churches can cost 100’s and up to 1000’s of dollars to marry in. There is the bridesmaids outfits and tuxes to rent or buy for key men in the wedding. There are the food costs of foods and cakes provided for the guests and the rental of the wedding party its self. Today, an American Wedding average over all costs runs around 20,000 dollars, which may or may not include the honeymoon. That depends on the thriftiness of the wedding its self.
Of course it is not all the fault of the Bridezilla bride, good old fashioned pushes for constant consumerism and in bombardment of advertising is more to blame. Just as every thing else in America, the American Wedding has hiked higher and higher in costs and in lavishness, leaving one to wonder if this may have any kind of connections directly or indirectly when it comes to the American divorce rates that are higher than ever before. Maybe or maybe not, but it is possible.