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All around the world we can find people celebrating the passages from one stage of life to the next with some type of formal ceremony. These ceremonies, such as births, weddings, and funerals, usually incorporate special foods, rituals, and clothing specific to the occasion celebrated. Wedding Traditions explores the specific types of garments worn in marriage ceremonies, including an historical examination of the traditional white wedding dress worn in American and European weddings, as well as an overview of the garments and surrounding traditions of several cultures represented in the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection. Includes pictures of wedding dresses throughout history.

This excerpt from "The World’s Story: A History of the World in Story, Song and Art" and "Vol. II: India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Palestine", describes an 1885 Persian wedding. Note: Many Western sources about Islamic countries exhibit what has come to be known as orientalism. The terms used ("Mohammedan" for instance rather than "Muslim"), and the attitudes exhibited by the writers need to be questioned by modern readers.

With the spread of the Internet and the collapse of the Soviet Union, there is a new twist in the age-old marriage custom of the mail-order bride. Increasingly, western men are turning to marriage agencies or introduction services to find spouses from the former Soviet Union. In an industry that was traditionally dominated by agencies in the Pacific Rim, this new breed of Russian Internet marriage agencies is rapidly expanding and overtaking the market. The author has found at least 200 different agencies on the Internet that focus on Russia and other Soviet Republics. The popularity of these companies is due to various factors that include culture and economics. However, there is an element of risk for either marriage partner undertaking these ventures. The bride is isolated in a new foreign country, usually unable to speak the language, and often is more vulnerable to abuse. The groom takes the risk that his new wife is just using him for permanent residency status. The whole concept of mail-order brides raises questions itself. Can two people fall in love enough to marry without ever having met? This case proposes to examine this new player in a very old industry, its impact on this market and the legalities involved.

St. Louis has many parks where an outdoor wedding and reception can be held. This website gives a listing of parks and locations that can be rented for the event.

Tradition generally requires that the first cut of the cake be performed by bride and groom together, often with a ceremonial knife or even a sword. An older, archaic tradition had the bride serve all portions to the groom's family as a symbolic transfer of her household labor from her family to the groom's family....More

Choose from the cake, filling and icing recipes on this site. Also, read flavor-combintion tips....More

Imagine what it would be like to be married in a draped, round, stone pavilion; on a deck delicately balanced overlooking a pond; or at a lakeside pavilion on a lovely bricked terrace. Your wedding dreams take flight at the Butterfly House!...More

Request limousine service quotes here. Transportation choices include stretch limousines, stretch Hummers, stretch SUV Limos, party buses, and vans. Limo Coaches ~ Luxury Sedans

Wikipedia's, the free online encyclopedia gives the history and traditions of Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. A bachelorette party, hen party, or hen's night, is a party held for a woman who is about to be married as a rite of passage. The term "hen party" or "hens night" is more common in the UK, Ireland, and Australia "stagette" in Canada, while "bachelorette party" is more common in the United States.It may also be referred to as a "hen's night", "stagette", "girl's night out" or "kitchen tea" (South Africa in particular) in other English-speaking countries. Those attending the party are usually all female. Events such as the The Girlie Show in the UK add comedy to the male strip club. If held at home, it may be an occasion to hold a pamper party or compare products like lingerie or women's sex toys or to play games like "Truth or Dare", "Pass the Balloon", or a risqué version of "Consequences".

A bachelor party (United States), also known as a stag party or stag night (UK, Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand), bulls party (South Africa) or bucks party, or bucks night (Australia) is a party held for a bachelor shortly before he enters marriage, to make the most of his final opportunity to engage in activities a new wife might not approve of, or merely to spend time bonding with his male friends (often in his wedding party afterwards).