People love weddings; it is a time when love is celebrated.
A wedding reception is held after the completion of a wedding
ceremony. This is an event where 2 people are joined in holy
matrimony to share their lives together as husband and wife.
This is a very special occasion, which is celebrated simply
because it is one of the best reasons to feel happy about
life.
From the church, chapel, or court, the bride and groom, together
with the guests, go to where the reception is held. This can
be an intimate setting, or it can be a huge hall, depending
on the number of guests. The reception can be very elegant
and formal, or it can take on the nature of a picnic or outdoor
barbeque, it all depends on the preference of the married
couple.
In western society, a wedding reception consists of various
traditions which form part of the celebration. Toasts, speeches,
dancing, wedding cake, bouquet, garter etc. are some of the
elements which form part of the wedding reception.
Wedding traditions vary between countries, and between regions
of the same countries. Wedding reception catering is not always
the same; it can be a buffet or a sit down menu.
Some traditions include:
The bride tosses her bouquet over her shoulder to a group
of all the single women present. Whoever catches it is supposed
to be the next to get married.
Similarly, the groom tosses the bride's garter to the single
men, often after removing it from her leg, to the amusement
of the guests. On occasion, the bride will "rig"
the bouquet toss by tossing the bouquet to a woman who is
engaged. The groom then arranges for the fiance of
the bouquet toss winner to receive the bride's garter. Sometimes
the man who catches the garter is supposed to put it on the
leg of the woman who catches the bouquet, or the garter is
sold in a raffle instead of being tossed.