Wednesday 24 July 2013

Wedding Blog Hop

We're going on a Blog Hop, We're going to have some fun, It's a beautiful day...........etc (apologies to Michael Rosen)  It's all about WEDDINGS!

If you haven't got a cuppa by now, perhaps you should go and get one - lots to read and see!

If you came here from Tania's amazing creation and have completed the rest of the hop for the wonderful team at  Crafting with Dragonflies, you are in the right place! If you have come here because you are a follower of mine or you just lucked in, and you want to do the hop, just turn right around and go back to Crafting with Dragonflies and begin the Hop. It is well worth the effort because there are some fabulous prizes available, one on each of the seven team blogs and one on the main blog. 



Our theme is WEDDINGS and we have a little game running. It's a guessing game and involves a small rhyme about weddings that you will have heard of or already know.  You will get a clue for each word on the team's individual blogs - one blog , one word - and when put together they make up the rhyme.



My card for this challenge is a WEDDING card (surprise) and the image I have used on this is a Kenny K image called Wedding Garter. This image is a digi and KK have given this to us to give away, so some lovely person who leaves me some love on this blog by making a comment will get the image sent to them. How good is that!


  (Remember you need to be a follower of Crafting with Dragonflies to be eligible for prizes - and if you want to, you can be a follower of my blog as well but it is not contingent on winning).

I guess you have heard a lot about weddings on your hop so far - all those traditions and their possible origins. My little lady here is wearing a garter, and it has blue on it. This is supposed to be one of the oldest traditions of the lot, and comes from the superstition that a piece of the clothing worn by the bride would bring good luck to someone.  So, one tale is that people tended to pile into the bedchamber of the new couple and try to rip off the said garment in an attempt to get a piece of luck and happiness - nice!

In the 14th Century the wedding couple were accompanied to the bridal chamber, escorted in, undressed and as part of the deal, consummation was watched for and checked (especially if the girl was a virgin) by some of the guests - lovely! 



Another explanation for the toss of the garter is that wedding guests (men) would during this time play a game of tossing the stockings of the bride as they were removed.  The man who threw the stocking closest to the nose of the groom was the next to marry apparently! Later on, it developed that throwing them the smaller garter to fight over alleviated the bride (and groom) being left bruised and/or embarrassed and probably also explains why in some places it is the groom who removes it first! Protector of the innocent bride, he will throw this toward the eligible men to distract them while his new bride would throw her bouquet at the eligible women for the same reason. Possibly this would also allow them to slam the door of the bridal chamber while the crowd was distracted! It all sounds a bit barbaric to me! 


Silver was used as currency in the past, and a silver coin is a sign of wealth (luck) - if the bride was given some silver it was indeed very lucky for her if she was poor! Some women now have a silver coin - usually a sixpence - either in a purse in their dress, or sewn into the lining or worn around the neck or in the bouquet or in their shoe! Sometimes the groom gets to have the coin in the shoe instead - lucky man. I think this little girl has the silver sixpence in her garter!


My own wedding was a little out of the norm - it was in a church, but the reception was just a party at home for two hours, and there was definitely no garter throwing! I did have a bouquet - a small spray of Singaporean orchids - but I didn't have the frou-frou wedding dress.  I had a nice silk shift in a beautiful pale coffee colour.  I cannot believe how slim I was or how dark!  I am certain all the old biddies in the area were counting on their fingers to see if a small packet was delivered six or seven months later but I liked the dress, it suited me and while it didn't cost sixpence it was cheap! Our whole wedding was catered for by ourselves and my Mum made the cake. I got it decorated very plainly with just white icing and we laid a spray of orchids across it. We had two witnesses (friends who signed the certificate) and went to dinner with family later before sailing off for a two week honeymoon on our small yacht - such bliss! Oh well, each to their own. 

Now, your turn!

Somewhere in my blog is a word to add to the rhyme. Add it to the others.
Go to the comments section and leave some love - you might win the KK image!
When you have done that return to Crafting with Dragonflies
blog and leave a comment there as well.  

Did you work out the rhyme? Good - email me with it, putting WEDDING BLOG HOP in the subject line. My email address is on the main blog.  Please DO NOT put the rhyme in the comments section. 

Oh, and well done if you got this far!









30 comments:

Gail said...

I'm sure you had a wonderful day whatever the cost .I had two witnesses that were friends of my husbands ,I had never met them before so it was a bit strange . KennyK is always a bit saucy ,not sure if they are my cup of tea.

~ Barb said...

Wow, what an understated wedding, sounds perfect. What a great idea to have a celebration at home and then out to supper with family. You didn't say whether the old biddies were right ;o) I sure like the background you've used and red is such a great accent for your image.
{Hugs} Barb

Susan Hogan said...

Nope, sorry - no little parcel; the old biddies were not right. Some have since admitted it to me (29 years later)!

Granmargaret said...

Lovely card. Thank you for your inspiration on this blog hop. Thank you also for your wedding story and beautiful photo.
Best wishes

Mayras Designs said...

Beautiful card love the image and the colors !!

Mayra
MayrasDesigns.blogspot.com/

Carmen said...

Your card is very lovely... Love the digi... Thanks for sharing about your wedding.

Anonymous said...

Oh my. So glad we have moved on from those traditions - not sure I could handle some of those. I also had a short engagement and had the same question put to me - by my mother! No parcel here either. Great wedding story. Thanks for sharing.
And your card is wonderful.

Unknown said...

Love your wedding story and card thanks for sharing hugs Txx

Anonymous said...

Lovely card using KK image!! Like you my wedding party was at home, but I was married in our home as well. You brought back me back. Thanks for sharing.

D- said...

What a pretty card. Love the red.
We had a small wedding, too and it was the best. I bet yours was just as precious. TFS.
D~
http://designsbydragonfly.blogspot.com

judith@poppy cottage said...

Thanks for sharing your story Susan, you made me smile about the old biddies! The yacht and the orchids sound very glamoorous, we did our wedding on the cheap as well, saving the pennies everwhere we could. Great card, love the background, hugs, Judith xx

papillon digital design said...

Love the card. Very cute. Thanks for sharing your wedding story.

Sunshine HoneyBee said...

Enjoying the wedding stories. I kept my garter instead of giving it away. My wedding colors were lavender & brown. I had a hard time finding a lavender garter but after much looking found one at Victoria Secrets and decided to keep it & not give it away. Also, my wedding bouquet was made of artificial orchids as were my sisters bouquets and for the bouquet I tossed I had a small bouquet of real flowers that I tossed.
Melissa
"Sunshine HoneyBee"

Gail said...

Susan - this a was a very funny writings on your blog regarding your wedding -especially the ole bitty bit! Loved it - just like some of those caddy women -hun? You looked lovely and sounds like you had a lovely time at that! Thanks for the hop and for the wedding challenge - each wedding story was precious - enjoy your crafting day! I am off to send you my answers! God Bless - Gail

KarinsArtScrap said...

it's a wonderful wedding card Suzan.

greetings karin

Margaret said...

I enjoyed reading about the garter and bouquet traditions and where they came from! Thank goodness that tradition is a little more refined now! Have a fun hop.
{{{hugs}}}
Margy
Owner: Digistamps4Joy

ursula Uphof said...

Lovely card and thanks for sharing your wedding story. Loved reading all the stories. Hugs, Ursula (DS4J DT)

Karen Hasheck said...

What a beautiful wedding card! I enjoyed your wedding story too.

Ina G said...

It has been so nice to read all our wedding stories as they were all so different. A lovely wedding card and I especially like the red.

Cheryl said...

What a pretty card Susan! And, I'd like to let you know that you were chosen as one of our Honorary Mentions for the A.R.T. CAS Sketch Challenge!!! Congrats girl...head on over and get your badge! ~Cheryl, Senior DT
http://arandomthursdaychallenge.blogspot.com/2013/07/art6-winners.html

Jeannie said...

Great card Susan, loved your story and the little history recap :)

DonnaMundinger said...

A wedding should always be what the bride wants and yours sounds like it was perfect for you. Your photo certainly shows you beaming. Ha! to the old biddies. Love your card. Saucy, she is! xxD

crafty said...

Love the card and unusual background. Enjoyed all the wedding stories too.

arlsmom aka Lynda said...

I'm sure your wedding was wonderful...great card!

KT Fit Kitty said...

I enjoyed reading about your wedding and seeing the photo - I bet it was wonderful no matter what the cost. Your card is beautiful - I love the die cuts!

Thanks for the great blog hop, the great story, and the inspiration! Enjoy your day!

KT Fit Kitty
http://ktdesigns2013.blogspot.ca/
P.S. I have candy on my blog.

kel Acopan said...

sometimes the simplest things are the best things. beautiful job with your card!!

lovies, =o) kel

Divya said...

Susan: Lovely card!!

Thanks for the sixpence clue as well!!

Love
Divya
http://pinkpapercastle.blogspot.in/

Jane said...

I really enjoyed reading your post, there were some strange traditions weren't there. You look great in you photo and your card is super! X

Anonymous said...

Nice card!!
You look amazing in your photo!!

Sarah said...

Sweet and SASSY little card!