Dancing brings people together. Whether you’re a professional or you have two left feet, it’s always fun. At weddings, especially the westernized ones, everyone awaits the newlyweds’ first dance and as it happens they watch in awe.
In other countries around the world, however, there are other dances that are equally – if not more – important. Wedding dance traditions are more diverse and varying than you could ever imagine.
Here are 5 wedding dance traditions from around the world:
Halay
One of the most common folk dances for Turkish weddings, halay is a dance done to a song which is a cycle of the same melody which starts off slow and increases in speed. People hold hands or are intertwined in some way, and dance (commonly in a line).
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The Tsamiko, The Zeibekiko, and the Sirtaki
Traditional Greek wedding dances centre around guests holding hands and dancing in a circle.
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A Sword Dance
Scottish weddings come with a few traditions around dance. At the reception the first dance is the bride and groom dancing a traditional reel. Thereafter, the bride dances with a guest who has “the highest rank among the guests”.
The very last dance is the Sword Dance. As it is performed guests form a circle and sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’, a traditional song.
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Ceilidh dance
This is the traditional dance at Irish weddings. It is to be performed with a ceilidh band.
Some ceilidh dances are named after locations, for example “Seige of Ennis”. Many newly-weds opt for songs which pay homage to the heritage of their family or to their ancestors.
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The “Horah”
This is a Middle Eastern/Israeli style of dance usually played as a second dance set.
Dancing is a big part of Jewish weddings. Often, it is the tradition that guests at the wedding entertain the newly wedded couple through dance, rather than the couple being centre stage.
The “Horah” is only one Jewish wedding dance traditions. Others include The Krenzl, The Mizinke, and The Mitzvah tantz.
The last connection one would make with neon is wedding decor, right? The world is a strange place at the moment so why not throw caution to the wind? Neon wedding decor is a very underrated trend that is worth shedding light on.
We’re not talking paint on the ceilings, glow sticks and lava lamps, so don’t worry.
Contrarily, neon can be incorporated in subtle ways. From a cascading colour palette to subtle decorations, neon can really make your wedding decor pop.
If you’re feeling extra or brave, kick the neon up a gear and really draw attention to your decor. Keep to a colour theme though, don’t go full 90s neon.
Most, if not all, mothers dream of the day their daughters will walk down the aisle. Often, they also imagine that their little girls will be happy to wear their wedding dresses from decades passed.
While this is an easy ‘yes’ for some brides-to-be, others may be a bit on the fence. Don’t feel bad about it! There is nothing wrong with wanting to be completely original on your special day.
A practice of tradition for some and sentiment for others, wearing your mothers wedding dress can have a lot of meaning behind it. However, you may (like many others) be willing to give up this custom in favour of individuality and self-expression.
To help you weigh up your options, here are some pros and cons of wearing your mother’s wedding dress:
Pros:
– Your mom will be over the moon
This is a beautiful way to honour your mother, and it will definitely make her happier than words can explain. A mother loves to see herself in her daughter.
– Money and time saved
Finding a wedding dress takes a lot of time. It includes several trips to various bridal stores and many fittings too. All of this will vanish if you use your mother’s wedding dress.
You know what else will disappear? The hole in your pocket in the shape of a gown. The money directed towards your dress will dramatically decrease.
– Possibility of alterations
You could alter the dress to keep the pieces of your moms dress that you love, and include parts of a dress that you’d love personally. You could get the best of both worlds.
Cons:
– Less exciting
While shopping may be a big task, it is very exciting. Your girls and your mom, all the special ladies in your life, accompany you to find the dress of your dreams. You may miss out on that experience.
– May make you feel overly cautious
Of course all brides are careful when it comes to their wedding dresses. However, when it’s an heirloom passed down to you, you may feel extra-stiff on your wedding day as you don’t want to spill anything on it or damage it in any way. This could make you a bit uncomfortable on your special day.
– Lack of individuality and orginality
You may feel a bit like it’s not your dress. This will be unpleasant and can put a damper on the day.
She is a screen icon, a legend and a mystery. Decades after her death, Marilyn Monroe is still much-loved and revered by many. Considering her legendary sex-symbol status, it seems fitting to take a look into her relationships.
The blonde bombshell had been married three times in her short life. Let’s take a walk down memory lane…
Husband 1: Jim Dougherty (1942)
A then-unknown 15-year-old Norma Jean Baker began dating Jim Dougherty, her 20-year-old neighbour in 1941. At the time, Monroe was living with Grace Goddard, a friend of her mother, Gladys, who was in and out of psychiatric facilities.
“They wanted to move back to [West] Virginia, and they couldn’t take Norma Jean,” Dougherty said in an interview. “She would have gone back to an orphanage or another foster home, so her foster mother suggested I marry her.
The pair married a few days after Monroe’s 16th birthday in 1942. Monroe wore a floor-length A-line dress with sheer long sleeves and a ruffled neckline. A few months into their marriage, Monroe was discovered while working at Radioplane Co when a photographer used her as a subject in a project of women working as part of the war effort.
She quickly became an in-demand model, causing a strain on her marriage as her career ambitions rose. The pair divorced in 1946.
Husband 2: Joe DiMaggio
Her career quickly escalating, Monroe met world-class baseball player Joe DiMaggio in 1952. DiMaggio had seen a photo of the actress and asked the photographer to set them up on a date.
They tied the knot on 14 January, 1954 in an informal wedding ceremony at the San Francisco courthouse. For their nuptials, Monroe wore a dark brown skirt suit with a white fur collar and carried a small bunch of orchids. Upon her death, the suit was auctioned off in 1998, fetching a price of $33,350.
This relatively short marriage was also a turbulent one. Monroe had to cut their honeymoon in Japan short to perform for troops in Korea. DiMaggio became controlling of Monroe’s career, becoming a part of all her contract negotiations and restricting the roles she may accept. The pair divorced a mere 274 days after saying I do. Monroe cited “mental cruelty” as the reason for the divorce.
Husband 3: Arthur Miller
Her third and final marriage was to famous playwright Arthur Miller, who she had met on set of the 1951 movie As Young As You Feel. Monroe wrote about the encounter in her diary, saying “Met a man tonight … It was, bam! It was like running into a tree. You know, like a cool drink when you’ve had a fever.” Monroe went on to marry DiMaggio, however, but they began a scandalous affair years later, while both were still finalising their divorces. At the time, the playwright was also under much scrutiny by the FBI under Joseph McCarthy for being an alleged communist sympathiser.
The pair wed on 29 June, 1956 at Westchester County Court in New York. They followed this up with a traditional Jewish ceremony on 1 July at the home of Millers’ Hollywood agent, Kay Brown, in which Monroe also converted to Judaism. Monroe wore a mid-length figure-hugging gown with ruched sleeves for the occasion.
Their marriage was one filled with ups and downs. Both were in the media for having highly publicised affairs, and Monroe suffered many miscarriages that took a toll on her physical and mental health. The pair quickly divorced after filming wrapped on The Misfits, the short story Miller wrote for Monroe.
Monroe passed away in 1962 at the young age of 36. She’s left behind an iconic legacy that will never be forgotten.
Same-sex marriage hasn’t been legal worldwide for very long. Many partners lived together and held ceremonies but as the world has changed more and more countries strive for marriage equality.
Here are some of the first couples to marry in their country once they were allowed. These are the first legal marriages, people had been living together, in civil unions and holding unofficial ceremonies for years.
Netherlands, 2000
@Onthisday/Twitter
The Netherlands was the first country to legalise same-sex marriage. The law was signed in December and four couples simultaneously became the first to be legally married.
According to BBC, the four couples responded to an advert in Gay Krant, the magazine that led the campaign for equal marriage in the company.
They were married the moment the law came into effect, cementing them as the first.
Canada, 2003
@GCNmag
In Canada, same-sex marriage was legalised in different provinces at different times but was made universal in 2005. In Ontario, it has became legal in 2003.
Michael Stark and Michael Leshner became the first couple to be married in June 2003 after the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling to legally allow such marriages.
Spain, 2005
@areadafamilias/Twitter
Spain has a documented same-sex marriage from 1901, and it was legal. This was only because one of the women pretended to be her partners male cousin.
Marcela Gracia Ibeas and Elisa Sánchez Loriga, were married in A Coruña (Galicia, Spain). Elisa took on the false name and male identity Mario Sánchez, which was listed on the marriage certificate.
However, the first legal marriage after a change in the laws was between Emilio Menendez and Carlos Baturin. The two had been together for thirty years before they got hitched.
According to Business Insider, Menendez’s 88-year-old mother Marina was so happy about the wedding she paid for their honeymoon.
South Africa, 2006
South Africa Travel Online
Despite having it in the constitution that South Africans can’t be discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality, same-sex marriage was only legalised in 2006.
The first couple to marry under this new law were Vernon Gibbs and Tony Halls who exchanged vows at the Home Affairs in George, Western Cape.
The occasion was joyous, despite the two death threats the couple received before the wedding.
Argentina, 2010
@InfoVelozCom/ Twitter
Alex Freyre and José María Di Bello were not only the first to be married but were actually legally married before same-sex marriage became legal across the country.
Their marriage sparked much debate as they were originally given permission to marry by a judge in Buenos Aires gave them permission to marry on November 20 2009, but that decision was overturned by a national judge on November 23. This was then again overturned by the Buenos Aires judge the next day.
Eventually they were given permission by the governor of Ushuaia.
The next year in 2010, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner officially signed equal gay marriage rights into law for the entire country.
England and Wales, 2014
@globaltimesnews/Twitter
England and Wales legalised same-sex marriage in March 2014.
Sarah Keith and Emma Powell were among the first couples to take advantage of this change and get married. They had been together for 11 years after meeting at university in 2003.
United States, 2015
@promuzi/Twitter
The different states in the United States legalised same-sex marriage at different times.
The first legal same-sex marriage happened in 2004 in Massachusetts after the state’s Supreme Court overturned its ban. Marcia Kadish and Tanya McCloskey married a year after this ban was overturned.
However, it was only in 2015 that same-sex marriage was legalised across the country after a landmark legal case.
Many took the opportunity across the country to get married on the same day as the ruling passed.
Germany, 2017
@PopCrave/Twitter
Germany legalised same-sex marriage in 2017, with the first same-sex wedding took place in the same month.
Karl Kreile and Bodo Mende, who had been together for 38 years, got married in the town hall of Schöneberg, Berlin.
Australia, 2017
@fel_caldwell/Twitter
Australia legalised same-sex marriage in 2017 after a voluntary postal survey of all Australians resulted in 61.6% of respondents supporting legalisation of same-sex marriage.
The first same-sex wedding was held on 15 December 2017 when Jill Kindt and Jo Grant tied the knot. Sadly, they were only married for 48 days as Jo had been terminally ill with cancer and died in January 2018. The two had been together eight years before their wedding.
Taiwan, 2019
@__StreetCulture/Twitter
In 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage. Hundreds of couples got married a week after parliament passed the new law but Marc Yuan and Shane Lin were the ones to sign the first wedding certificate.
Langley Castle in Northumberland is hundreds of years old. By it’s age alone we know that it’s faced many a struggle. Presently, the castle serves as a hotel and wedding venue and thus is facing a new challenge: COVID-19 and social distancing weddings.
In response to the crisis, and their need to keep the wedding industry alive (for their own good too, of course), the castle’s management have come up with a creative solution. In fact, the solution is said to be a first in the UK.
Already known for many other “firsts” such as being the first wedding venue in the country to offer civil marriages and being the first in the UK to offer Game of Thrones style weddings, they are now the first to offer “Bubble Weddings” as a social distancing solution.
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The Bubble wedding gives you a “castle to yourself” experience. According to Chronicle Live the offering is customised to your liking and is created to be intimate, being only for couples and their absolute nearest and dearest. This allows for the wedding to follow social distancing rules.
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There are two packages and they both adhere to the guidelines set by the Government.
The first package is a Bubble with Bubbles day for 10 people. Included in this package is a marriage at the castle, canapes, drinks, buffets and use of all nine bedrooms, costing £4,500.
The second package, called ‘Key to the Castle, is for 18 people. The guests are allowed to lockdown and run the castle. This will cost £6,500.
There is also an option for the couple to come alone and get married there.
In times like these, creative and out-of -the-box solutions are exactly what we need! Hopefully, others in the wedding industry will follow suit and introduce new ways around the COVID-19 challenge.
On your wedding day, absolutely everyone will be looking at your ring. That means your nails are in the spotlight!
Don’t get caught without the perfect set of nails to finish off your look and make your ring stand out. From next-level nail art to keeping it neutral to splashing out in colour, choose something that is you. Remember, every detail matters.
Take a look at these to-die-for nail sets to get inspired.
A new policy is in the works at the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) that will bring changes to marriage laws in South Africa.
The DHA, during a presentation to parliament, argued that the existing policies which deal with marriages are not rooted in consitutional values such as nondiscrimination and equality.
According to Business Tech, the DHA said that while there have been many changes since 1994, there are still many flaws in the existing legislation. “For instance, the current legislation does not regulate some religious marriages such as the Hindu, Muslim and other customary marriages that are practised in some African or royal families,” they said.
They acknowlegded that due to the diversity in this country, it would be very difficult to draw up laws which regulate every existing cultural marriage. However, they have begun a process of creating a marriage policy which they hope will “lay a policy foundation for drafting a new single or omnibus legislation.”
Business Tech reported some of the key changes which will be instituted by the policy:
The new Marriage Act will enable South Africans of different sexual orientation, religious and cultural persuasions to conclude legal marriages;
The introduction of strict rules around the age of marriage (including the alignment of age of majority in the marriage legislation to the Children’s Act);
It will align the marriage, matrimonial property and divorce legislation to address matrimonial property and intestate succession matters in the event of the marriage dissolution;
It will allow for equitable treatment and respect for religious and customary beliefs in line with Section 15 of the Constitution.
It will deal with the solemnisation and registration of marriages that involve foreign nationals;
It will deal with the solemnisation and registration of customary marriages that involve non-citizens especially cross-border communities or citizens of our neighbouring countries.
The DHA said that the new policy is to be gazetted in the 2020/21 financial year, for the purpose of consultation from the public. Thereafter, it will be submitted to cabinet by the end of March 2021, in order to be approved.
Even though we can’t have formal weddings right now, doesn’t mean you can’t still have an at-home celebration!
Many couples have taken to livestreaming their big day via Zoom or social media to share their wedding with loved ones. If you plan on doing the same, you’ll want your bridal look to be on point.
Unfortunately, since you can’t have a professional hairstylist do your hair right now, you’ll have to do that part yourself. Luckily, there are tons of easy-to-follow Youtube tutorials that can help even the most uncoordinated person look sleek and stylish.
Here are a few different styles you might want to try out:
Get ready to plan your wedding without leaving your home. SA Bridal Fairs is hosting the country’s first ever virtual bridal fair, allowing people to still plan their big day during lockdown.
Brides and grooms can attend this virtual fair to get expert help on everything wedding, from wedding cakes, dresses, photographers, catering, venues, wedding planners, and much more, all from the comfort of your couch.
How it works:
On the day of the event, you will use your Registration Username & Password to enter the Virtual Bridal Fair. Attendees will then work their way through each exhibitors page, interacting with those you wish to, entering the competitions and so on.
There are three ‘halls’ featuring approximately 30-50 suppliers depending on province. Exhibitors at the Virtual Bridal Fair will be available to chat to brides and grooms via Live Chat channels. There is also the Bridal & Bridesmaids Gowns Show, showcasing a number of designs from local bridal boutiques and dressmakers, as well as the Bridal Information Pack Area.
You will also find the Magazine zone and the Quick Quote System – On the last page you will be able to click on the exhibitor booth of any particular exhibitor to go back to ‘find out more’ etc.
The SA Virtual Bridal Fairs events will take place on the following dates:
Sunday 17th May – KZN
Sunday 24th May – Gauteng
Sunday 31st May – Western Cape
Sunday 14th June – Free State
Sunday 21st June – Mpumalanga
Sunday 28th June – Eastern Cape
To attend, simply register on the Bridal Fairs website and purchase your tickets. Each Registration Pass recipient will also receive a free Bridal Information Pack which includes the 75+ page Wedding Planning Template Bundle, the Wedding Planning Roadmap, the Weddings Suppliers Printable Directory, the SA Bridal Deals Ebook and more.
Purchase your tickets HERE. Early bird tickets cost as little as R25.
