American wedding traditions

B. Ceremony on day-off F. The groom’s expenses

C. How to choоse a wedding ceremony? G. Press announcement

D. The bride’s family H. Old traditions

1. In Scotland people over the age of sixteen do not require their parents consent in order to marry. Marriage is performed by a minister of any religion on two Sundays in the districts where the couple had lived for at least fifteen days previously. Weddings may take place in churches or private houses.

2. Alternatively, the couple may give notice to the registrar of the district in which they have both lived for fifteen days previously. The registrar will issue a Certificate of Publication, which is displayed for seven days, and it will be valid for three months in any place in Scotland.

3. Marriage at a registry office in Scotland requires a publication of notice for seven days or a sheriff’s licence, as publication of banns is not accepted. Such a licence is immediately valid but expires after ten days. One of the parties must have lived in Scotland for at least fifteen days before the application, which is often prepared by a solicitor.

4. As soon as the wedding date has been decided the couple will think about the kind of wedding they want. Though comparatively few young people nowadays regularly attend church, most girls still dream of a white wedding, with its solemn ceremony, bridesmaids and the rest. There is no equivalent in England of our Palaces of Weddings, and civic ceremonies in a registry office are very dull. But what with the church fees which are extremely high and other extra expenses, a white wedding costs a great deal of money, so a couple may decide against it on these grounds.

5. There are practically no special customs attached to weddings at a registry office. For these reason attention will be mainly given to church weddings, with their age-old ritual and customs. However, the reader should bear in mind that by no means all the customs concerning the preparation for a wedding or the wedding ceremony itself are necessarily maintained, quite often reasons of economy.

6. The rules are not absolutely hard and fast, but generally they are the following.

The groom is expected to give a small present to each of the bridesmaids, and such a gift can range from a piece of jewellery to a beautifully bound book, a powder compact or any personal and pretty article. The bridegroom pays for the ring and the wedding licence, the organist and choir. He will pay for the bouquet for his bride and bouquets for the bridesmaids, buttonholes for his best man and any flowers worn by the bride’s mother and his own mother, if they want to wear flowers – many women do not. He pays for the cars which take himself to the church and the car in which he and his bride will drive from the church to the reception.

7. The Bride’s Parents are responsible for the press announcements, the bride’s dress, flowers for the church and members of family. The bride’s father given her away or, if he is dead or cannot be present at the ceremony, his place is taken by her mother or a close relative, or even a great family friend.

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American wedding traditions

The American ceremony is probably the most well-known in the world. Although these days there is quite a number of unique wedding ceremonies taking place. Today you 1__________to get married in an airplane or in a drive-in movie theatre, all you need is somebody to marry. Other people will 2__________ of the rest. Money is either very important or not important at all. In Las Vegas there are marriage ceremonies performed for only twenty dollars, but 3___________ be the most expensive occasion in two people's lives. The tradition in the USA is different from The Church of England, in the wedding ring ceremony. Instead of just putting a ring on the woman's finger the groom also gets a ring.

Most weddings in the United States follow a similar pattern to 4____________. Customs and traditions vary, but common components are listed below.

An American wedding is typically a happy, joyous occasion for all people of all backgrounds. American wedding traditions really vary from one religion or culture to another, but in American wedding tradition it's 5__________.

Every American wedding has subtle traditional elements, but there are no really strict guidelines that we follow when planning our big day. Over the last ten years, wedding etiquette has really relaxed and American wedding traditions have become a lot more liberal. This new liberal outlook has enabled couples to marry in a style that they are comfortable with, instead of the sometimes rigid standards that some 6_____________ American wedding tradition.

A.a wedding ceremony could also

B.the Italian wedding

C.you are allowed

D.used to associate with

E.when planning our big day

F.a happy time

G.take care

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