The Wedding Ceremony
Rings, roses and readings: three very important elements in any wedding celebration - although maybe not quite as important as that other ‘R’. The ‘R’ for Romance? But where would the romance be without the words that express your deepest feelings. Readings – whether religious, spiritual or in the form of poetry – can turn a civil ceremony into a beautiful and emotionally-charged occasion.
The ring is a symbol of eternity, a circle of love between man and wife that cannot be broken and roses, or of course flowers of any kind, have always been used for decoration at weddings.
Some people choose the flowers at the wedding on the basis of their symbolic meaning. For example orange blossom has always been associated with weddings because it signifies purity and chastity, snowdrops represent hope and roses symbolise love. However, people from different parts of the world may attach other meanings to the same flower. For example lilies symbolise majesty to some but are thought unlucky by others because of their association with death.
The groom often chooses a flower for his buttonhole which also occurs in the bride's bouquet. This is a vestige of the time when a Knight would wear his Lady's colours to display his love. Now that does warrant a capital R for Romance!
THERE'S something very special about a spring wedding. It's the favourite time of year for couples to start out on their new life together. But whenever you're planning to get married, and wherever
