American Wedding美国婚礼

Bridal Shower（新娘送礼会）: Back in the days when （新娘送礼会） weddings were arranged by family members, a poor Dutchman fell in love with a girl whose father refused her a dowry（嫁妆）. Their friends showered her with enough gifts to help them start a household. According to another lore, the first "Bridal Shower" occurred at the end of the 19th century. At a party, the Bride's friends placed small gifts inside a parasol（太阳伞） and opened it over the Bride's head. When she opened the parasol, she was "showered" with presents! Bachelor/Stag Parties: The male equivalent of the Bridal Shower. Roman empire soldiers would feast（款 待） with the Groom the night before his wedding to say goodbye to his irresponsible days of bachelorhood, and to renew their vows of allegiance（忠诚） to their friendships.
The tradition of the father giving away his daughter has its roots in the days of arranged marriages. Daughters in those times were considered their father's property. It was the father's right to give his child to the groom, usually for a price. Today a father giving away his daughter is a symbol of his blessing of the marriage.
Who pays?
Traditionally the bride’s family – goes back to the idea of dowry where the husband’s family will take care of her, so the dowry would go with the bride and help to offset（抵消补偿） some of the expenses she will bring.
made popular in the 1840's by Queen Victoria (instead of the traditional royal "silver" wedding dress). Prior to this, Brides simply wore their best dress on their wedding day
When marriages were arranged by family members, the newlyweds（新人） very rarely were allowed to see one another. Family members exchanging a dowry were afraid that if the Groom didn't like the appearance of the Bride's face, he might refuse to marry her. This is why the Father of the Bride "gave the Bride away" to the Groom at the actual wedding ceremony. Only after lifting her veil just prior to the ceremony did the Groom see the Bride's face for the first time!
Most brides wear a long white gown（礼服） and veil Groom should not see the bride’s dress before the wedding Traditionally, the bride and groom should not see each other until the wedding ceremony White Wedding Dress: This was
When a couple gets engaged, the guy will give his fiancée a diamond ring Usually gets down on one knee The period between the proposal（求婚） and wedding is called engagement（订婚） Bridal registry 婚礼登记
Bridal party includes the bride, groom, closest relatives and friends such as the maid of honor （女傧相）, bridesmaids（普通伴娘）, groomsmen（普通伴郎）, flower girl（花童）, etc. Bridesmaids: The bridal party is a tradition that has been established for many centuries. For a long time the purpose of the bridal party was to fool evil spirits. The bride's friends dressed similarly to her in order to confuse any virulent presences that might be lurking about. Today bridesmaids are there to support the bride in the stressful times during the wedding.
Sophomore Culture
It is common to be a little older in America and not be married The decision is usually based upon feelings of love rather than on practical considerations; marrying a different race or religion is quite acceptable Traditionally, a man will ask the blessing of the girl’s father before he asks her to marry him
"Something old" represents the bride's link to her family and the past. The bride may choose to wear a piece of family jewelry or her mother or grandmother's wedding gown. "Something new" represents hope for good fortune and success in the future. The bride often chooses the wedding gown to represent the new item. "Something borrowed" usually comes from a happily married woman and is thought to lend some of her good fortune and joy to the new bride. It symbolizes the love and support of family and friends. A borrowed object can be, for example, a lace handkerchief（手帕） from a happily married friend. "Something blue" is a symbol of love, fidelity（忠诚）, and purity（纯洁） of the bride. It is an object such as a ribbon that symbolizes faithfulness and loyalty.（诚实和忠诚）
Marriage license（结婚证书）; typically need to be 18 to marry without parental consent The characteristics of typical modern marriage: Women’s liberation movement has changed attitudes and behavior, more sharing money-making and housekeeping responsibilities, more equality and shared decision making More problems: divorce rate is about 50%, unrealistic expectations entering marriage; blended（混合的） families are more common; unmarried couples and alternative lifestyles much more common
The Best Man: In ancient times, men sometimes captured （俘获） women to make them their brides. A man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to help him fight resistance from the woman's family. This friend, therefore, was considered the best man among his friends. In Anglo-Saxon England, the best man accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride.
Where? Traditionally in a church, but today can take place just about anywhere – home, hotel, wedding chapel（小教 堂）, etc. Rings are exchanged; symboloyalty