A wedding is a day for celebrating love, joy and the families that come together. And, what better way to bring two families together than wedding traditions? Whether it is a tradition handed down for many generations or something the special couple has chosen for themselves, it is a time to celebrate their love for each other.
Every detail should be just right, from finding the perfect dress to picking the right venue. While there is much to do, here are a few fun traditions we discovered that will have added meaning when you incorporate custom ribbons. So try these out, or suggest them to a friend about to tie the knot.
Handfasting Ceremony Traditions
This particular ceremony is becoming increasingly popular but has strong, traditional roots. No matter why the bride and groom chose this ceremony, it always involves cords or ribbons. The word handfasting has given us phrases such as “tying the knot” and “bonds of matrimony.” It signifies the joining of the individuals involved. During the ceremony, the bride and groom weave ribbons together using their chosen colors, messages and symbols.
Make sure everyone feels involved by including small trinkets, such as charms, into the ribbon weave or braid. Each trinket should be unique, from favorite colors to symbols representing different events in the couple’s lives. Another way to include everyone is to have various family members, such as mom/dad or grandma/grandpa, place different parts of the ribbons around the couple’s hands.
Why not make this an even more unique and individualized experience? Customize your ribbon rolls before braiding them together in the traditional manner. Choose names, dates, sayings or anything involving the couple getting married. Consistent with tradition, the bride and groom will have individual ribbons wrapped around their clasped hands. So, the ribbon imprint should be unique to the couple and individualized to the person. This personalization will help signify the joining of the two in marriage.
The Cake Pull
While this tradition is often found in the American South, it still fits in for nearly any wedding. Customizing the ribbons to match the pulls adds a specific and unforgettable charm. So, what is a cake pull?
A cake pull, sometimes also known as a ribbon pull, is a New Orleans wedding tradition not unlike the bouquet toss. The bride gathers a number of her single or eligible female friends around the wedding cake. Inserted into the wedding cake are various charms with ribbon tails. After a count of three, each of the women pulls a ribbon, exposing a charm. The charm is meant to signify the puller’s future.
There are eight classic charms historically used for ribbon pulls, each with its own meaning. The ring (which indicates the next to get married), the horseshoe or the four-leaf clover (signifying good luck), the telephone (offering good news), the anchor (encouraging hope), the heart (indicating impending love), the thimble or the button (revealing the old maid), and the penny (meaning poverty). While these are the charms used most often, a cake pull can have up to twenty different charms for the various single friends of the bride.
The charms are usually inserted into the bottom layer of the cake (after it is baked, but before it is frosted) and are often made of sterling silver to be a keepsake for the woman who pulled it. Many brides provide bracelets as gifts for the charm to be worn on.
Now, you can take this fun filled tradition and make it your own. Personalize small ribbons attached to each charm with memorable, custom text before baking them into the wedding cake.
Accessories & Traditions
From trading out traditional flowers for a ribbon filled embroidery hoop to adding custom ribbons to jewelry, every wedding will be perfect with personalized ribbons. Here are some great ideas to add to your new traditions.
Make a statement during the wedding by braiding custom ribbons into the bride’s hair instead of a veil. And remember the bride’s maids and flower girls. Let them in on some of the ribbon fun. Give them ribbons to carry with their flowers, or weave some custom ribbons into jewelry as a statement piece.
Need something blue for the bride? Order custom blue ribbon rolls and tie big, beautiful bows to her wedding shoes. Keep the traditions alive with blue ribbons in the bride’s bouquet or throughout her accessories. From the garter to a small piece of ribbon tacked inside the hem of her wedding dress, help that special gal find something blue for her special day.
And don’t stop there! Add these pretty ribbons to embellishments for all the dresses and suits for the wedding party. Yes, it is traditional to use flowers, but incorporate ribbons to make everything even better. Even the men at the wedding party can be part of these fun traditions.
So, no matter what traditions you plan on having at your wedding, remember that custom ribbons make everything better.