Strange Wedding Reception Traditions

[aprincessmom]

I saw my first dollar dance at a Portuguese wedding on the Cape. The bride's father worked for my dad. My dad went up, pinned $100 to the bride's dress and then grabbed her father and slow danced with him. The places was howling with laughter. They also had slaughtered a pig at a wedding celebration -- it was part of her dowry -- a few days earlier and used it for the meal at the wedding.

There were very few people there who spoke english and we spoke very limited Portuguese but it was one of the best weddings I've ever been to.

 

[dbond]

I'm from Texas and almost every wedding I have been to has had a money dance. I read it was a Catholic tradition and my family is Catholic so that could be why.I have even been to a few where they auction off the bride and groom. To start the money dance the first dance goes to the highest bidder.

The only weddings I have been to with out one were Baptist and they don't allow any dancing.

That's interesting that it's a Catholic tradition. I didn't know that. It makes sense to why I've only seen it recently, last 15-20 years. I grew up in East Texas, the first Catholic wedding I went to, I was in my 30's. East Texas is heavily Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Church of Christ.

 

[Sonya]

I haven't seen the dollar dance in years.

In my father's family, it is the tradition of "chivary". The bride is taken around the church once in a wheelbarrow. (They did this for my cousin and I wouldn't let them for mine) Also, although I haven't had any experience with this, they supposedly go to the place where the bride and groom are staying and invite themselves in and stay all night, or they bang pots and pans under their bedroom window.

 

[rubyslipperlover]

a very sweet Jewish tradition --

when the last child gets married -- meaning that all of his/her siblings are already married -- the parents do a dance together at the wedding. I saw this at a friend's wedding.

 

[MickiMouth]

I did the dollar dance at my wedding, no shots. I didn't want to but it seemed important to my Mom. My Dad's family is Catholic. I've never been to a wedding with a grooms cake.
After the wedding the wedding party is driven by appointed drivers (family or friends with nice cars) behind the bride and grooms limo past the brides childhood home. Is that common everywhere? We did that after my wedding.

 

[Hippychickali]

I wonder what the history is behind the dollar dance. Does anyone know where it originated and what's its story, off hand?

I think that's a great tradition...to be driven by the childhood homes of the bride and groom. Here that doesn't happen often. Probably because a lot of people don't get married near the community where they grew up.

Ali

 

[lissawynn]

piratesmate I actually live in Schuylkill County, PA, and this is what inspired this thread. People around here do some strange stuff, but as another poster stated, it doesn't seem strange to them.

My DH had to dance in the pig trough at his sister's wedding. I had somehow forgotten that...

 

[boucheresq]

the macarena or the chicken dance?

but seriously, I went to a wedding where the parents were Scottish and a lot of people came over from Scotland; and everyone (and I mean everyone) had to take a shot of something (like whiskey - yuk) upon entering the reception area - you couldn't get in otherwise and the oldest member of the family would share a shot with each group! I will never forget this girls' grandmother drinking all of the shots and she still seemed fine the rest of the night!

 

[MsLeFever]

My brother and his (now-ex) wife had a really nice alternative to the traditional throwing of the bouquet. They didn't have many single friends and they knew that their wasn't much enthusiasm for it.

So the DJ invited all married couples to the dance floor.

Then he said "All couples married more than one day and less then one year can sit down"

"All couples married more than one day and less than 5 years can sit down"

And so on until only my brother, his bride and the longest married couple was still dancing. Then the bride presented the bouquet to that woman. (In this case my aunt and uncle)

It was really interesting to see who had been married for how long and it was a really sweet gesture to a long and happy marriage.

 

[skuttle]

I've never been to a wedding without a "money dance". Of course, all the weddings I have been to have been Catholic. We had one at our wedding. People "paid" to dance with me or DH. I had everyone pin the money to my veil so it wouldn't mess up my dress...I don't like the little purses. I know some people think the money dances are tacky, but it's tradition down here. And we ended up with a lot of money so we liked it a lot!

 

[MosMom]

I think the garter thing is a little strange even though it is widely done. Let's show off my new bride's legs to my groomsmen and let them catch her garter. Nice.

 

[tar heel]

Where I grew up in the rural North Carolina mountains, there were no dollar dances b/c there were no dances at weddings! It also was highly unusual for anyone to give $ for a wedding gift and no one would have ever walked up to the bride and groom with a check. (Remember that many protestant churches have a strict prohibition against $ passing in church other than donations/collection plate -- goes back to Jesus throwing the moneychangers out of the temple. My own mainstream church does not do fundraisers for youth trips, church programs, etc. -- ever.) Most weddings where I grew up had half-hour receptions at the church with cake, nuts, mints and green punch!

There was a really strange post-wedding tradition called "seranading." Not sure why it had that name since no singing was involved, but I have to wonder if, perhaps, it did at one time. People in the community went to where the new couple was staying and kidnapped both the bride and the groom. The groom's pants were cut off and he was ridden around on a rail. The bride's ride was in a washtub full of water (cold, I think). I have absolutely no idea where any of this came from but can remember going to these events when I was a child. I'll have to ask my mother if people ever do this now.

I've only been to one wedding with a dollar dance. I'll admit that I found it kind of tacky.

 

[katerkat]

Seeing a black cat at a wedding is good luck

Cool! An excuse to bring the Wedge-ster to my sister's wedding!

 

[princess pooh]

a very sweet Jewish tradition --

when the last child gets married -- meaning that all of his/her siblings are already married -- the parents do a dance together at the wedding. I saw this at a friend's wedding.

I've seen something similar, except the parents sat on chairs in the middle of the dancefloor and everyone in the family danced in a circle around the couple. It was very sweet and touching.

 

[Deesknee]

DH wants to know if this helps marry her off?? We don't mean to be disrespectful, but have never heard of this. Of course we had never heard of the grooms cake until Steel Magnolias.

How about when the younger sibling marries before the older sibling...the older sibling has to dance in the pig trough?

 

[solotraveler]

My brother and his (now-ex) wife had a really nice alternative to the traditional throwing of the bouquet. They didn't have many single friends and they knew that their wasn't much enthusiasm for it.

So the DJ invited all married couples to the dance floor.

Then he said "All couples married more than one day and less then one year can sit down"

"All couples married more than one day and less than 5 years can sit down"

And so on until only my brother, his bride and the longest married couple was still dancing. Then the bride presented the bouquet to that woman. (In this case my aunt and uncle)

It was really interesting to see who had been married for how long and it was a really sweet gesture to a long and happy marriage.

I saw this at the most recent wedding I attended. I thought it was a very nice gesture. (And it certainly prevents any type of "single-girl throwdown" that seems to happen whenever the bouquet is tossed)

Solotraveler

 

[babar]

Hmmm, I'm Catholic, all my friends are Catholic, and not one reception had the money dance.

 

[Missy1961]

Hmmm, I'm Catholic, all my friends are Catholic, and not one reception had the money dance.

Same for me....and add that all my family (and I have tons of cousins) are Catholic too. I've never seen a money dance.

 

[JKMastalski]

Well here in South Philly, (again, Pennsylvania ) BEFORE the wedding, their is sometimes a huge block party called a "serenade". Mine was the Saturday night before my wedding and their was about 200 people that came. Its catered and their is dancing to a DJ and during the middle the groom "Serenades" his bride to be. Then a Mummers String Band came and performed. Its alot of fun. Myself being from CT, I had never even heard of it!! My local paper in CT loved the idea and featured a story in it about me being serenaded!

 

[Jennifer S]

I'm not sure if the Dollar dance is Catholic or not but I know a lot of Polish/slovak people who happen to be catholic do this. At my wedding you had to wear a bubushka (sp?) and an apron, after the dance you either got a shot or a piece of cake. When the dance was over everyone surrounds the bride and her husband has to try and break into the circle and take her - that's when they leave for the honeymoon.