blue of the rhyme signifies
constancy
'Those dressed in blue
have lovers true'
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Blue 'silk daisy' wedding garter with a handmade silk
flower and diamante crystal centre. An elegant garter for the modern
bride, in keeping with the 'something blue' tradition! |
Something Old
The Wedding veil was traditionally
handed down through generations of the family's brides.
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Gorgeous, cream and old gold wedding garter....cotton
lace, made the old way on 100 year old looms! Vintage designed lace
is available in black, cream, ivory and white, all in various
widths...see
the range design your garter and we will make it for you* |
Something New
The bride traditionally wore new unlaundered
underwear, this was to emphasize their acceptance of a new life.
NOTE: This is one tradition we
recommend you don't follow if you are wearing a basque, corset or control
garment on your wedding day. Wear it beforehand and make sure you
are comfortable, you don't want to ruin your big day with
uncomfortable underwear!
Something Borrowed
One item is usually worn belonging to a
happy bride, bringing the happiness of their marriage to yours!
Sixpence
A dowry was given to the bride and the 'silver sixpence in her shoe' secures
future wealth.
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A Custom Made Bridal Garter with a
sixpence in a tiny bag.
You can can have a little bag containing a sixpence added
to any of our bridal garters. The garter shown was a custom made
personalized garter. The sixpence bag is to the right of the
embroidery... |
Yellow Garters
superstition
Yellow garters were
thought to attract lovers, remember 'Twelfth Night'? In the
19c an obliging bride would wear a yellow garter placed there by a hopeful
girl-friend, to ensure marriage for the friend within the year. One Boston
bride went to the alter wearing 7 yellow garters from hopeful friends!
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Dainty creamy yellow, wedding garter with a single
blue ribbon... |
Throwing the
bouquet /wedding garter
Flinging the stocking was a favorite
wedding chamber sport: Men seized the bride's stockings and girls the
groom's, each group took it in turns to sit at the bottom of the bed and
in turn to toss the stockings over their heads to fall, for an early
marriage, on the bridegroom if thrown by a girl, on the bride if thrown by
a man.
Then
all the younger folks in,
With
ceremony throw the stocking
Backward,
o’er head, in turn they toss’d it;
Till
in sack-posset they had lost it.
Th’intent
of flinging thus hose
Is
to hit him or her on the nose,
Who
hits the mark o’er the left shoulder
Must
be married be ere twelve monthes older.
(Progress of Matrimony, 1733)
Throwing the garter and bouquet are believed to be direct descendants
of 'flinging the stocking'
It was customary for the bride to toss her garter to the male
guest who had won the 'race for the garter' (from the church to the bride house).
In 1820 Lady.... on stepping from her bridal coach, enquired who had
won the race. She called to the lad, 'come Tom and claim your prize.
For I intend to be properly married, and to have the luck I am entitled
to.' Smiling she added 'Take it off, Tom, and give it to your sweetheart,
and may it bring luck to both of you.'
But frequently the men got too drunk, and would become impatient
and try to remove the garter ahead of time. In the interests of decorum
the custom changed to tossing the bridal bouquet. Recently the toss of the
garter has been revived in America, where two garters will be bought one
to toss and one to keep.
ref: Blakeborough, Richard, Wit,Character, Folklore and
Customs of the North Riding of Yorkshire(1898), 100-1
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You can now order a garter to toss, to match any of
our wedding garters! This pretty garter is 'Charity' with £5 from
the sale of each garter going to the Keech Cottage Hospice charity! |
Valentines Day
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In 19th Century London postmen claimed a special meal
allowance to sustain them during the Valentines postal rush! |
A Dozen Red Roses
More red roses are bought at Valentines Day than at any
other time of year. A custom said to have begun in France when Louis XV1
gave his Queen, Marie Antoinette red roses on 14th February.
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Although we have a lovely selection of bridal garters
,we have sexy garters too......great for your Honeymoon! |
Leap Year
In a leap year women can traditionally propose to men.
If rejected the girl can claim a compensatory silk gown!( I don't know if
the men have heard the last bit!)
Wedding Anniversaries
Choosing 1st Wedding Anniversary Gifts - Getting it
Right
The first year of marriage is often described as the
hardest and so it is
vitally important to celebrate your 1st wedding
anniversary in style, just
so that your partner knows how much you love and
appreciate them.
Unfortunately, you may be too busy to think about finding
the perfect
anniversary gift and so a few favorites are listed below to give
you
inspiration. Most include some kind of paper product as this
is
traditionally considered to be the symbolic material for the 1st
wedding
anniversary.
For Him
You could name
a star after him so that he has a lifelong certificate to
remember the day by
or alternatively you can order a commemorative newspaper
from either the date
of your wedding or the date of your 1st anniversary.
If he is a family man
then you may want to consider buying a special gift
set that highlights the
history of his family name, all on a framed
certificate complete with his own
coat of arms. Another idea, but this time
for the more adventurous man, is to
send him on a day out to a rally driving
school or white water rafting for
example. You can buy gift packs with a
paper voucher that entitles him to a
great day out doing something he
wouldn't generally do in day-to-day life.
For Her
It is no secret that women are
generally more romantic than men and so a
gift such as a personalised poem
complete with your favorite wedding photos
in a silver frame can be a great
idea. Alternatively you might want to put
your own photo album together for
her that contains all of the photos that
mean the most to you. This continues
with the paper theme but is something
that she can keep as a memento forever.
Another idea is to buy her a piece
of jewellery or something similar that
comes with a certificate of
authentication. If you are feeling really
enthusiastic then you can arrange
a treasure hunt day which has you both
visiting the places that bring back
special memories. The paper clues can
either lead to the most special place
where you can leave a bottle of
personalised champagne or to a surprise
party with all your friends and
relatives.
Conclusion
With a little bit of
thought you can easily find the perfect
1st
wedding
anniversary gift for your loved one. However it is probably wise
to
order unique or personalised gifts well in advance of the special day
-
after all, you don't want to end up with an embarrassed look on your
face
when your gift is late and your partner thinks you forgot -- on this
very
first anniversary!
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How about causing a giggle at an anniversary party with a custom made
garter with their names/ initials and their wedding date or wedding anniversary!
Oh.... Fun & Games...
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