Strange Wedding Reception Traditions

[Miss Inga Depointe]

The dollar dance may seem "tacky" , but I think in it's origin it was very sweet. A young couple got married years ago without having lived together or set up housekeeping on their own, so they really were starting with nothing. People were poor - but a dollar from everybody money helped the couple get a better start.

Showers strike me the same way, now. It used to be that you had a shower to actually help a bride set up housekeeping, but now couples don't think they can even marry until they have everything already. So what's the shower for?

In the old days dollar dances and showers were nice things family and friends did for a young couple who was just starting out - now, they are just traditions.

 

[Hippychickali]

I have begged to not have a shower and I think I am being taken seriously. Instead, a good friend of the family wants to invite a small group of people over for a "bridal tea" instead and it's less about presents than it is about simply getting together. I also find jack and jill or bachelorette parties to be tacky, tacky, tacky!

Ali

 

[snoopy]

Italians are big on traditions. In addition to the dollar dance, which is done routinely in my family (but I believe its origin started with the Poles), I've seen a lot of the same traditions used in weddings and receptions over the years. One such tradition is the best man stands at the door of the reception hall and greets guests with a shot of liquer, usually something sweet like Frangelica or Ameretto. Another is the bride and groom usually break a champagne glass at the end of the night, the number of broken pieces is supposed to symbolize how many years they will have together. Its rare you will ever attend an Italian Catholic wedding where the bride isn't wearing a veil -- not doing so is supposed to bring on evil spirits. And all the male guests kiss the bride for good luck.

I don't think any of these traditions are tacky. I like the idea that these are traditions carried over from generation to generation.

 

[Hippychickali]

Snoopy, the reason many people are calling the traditions in this thread "tacky" is because it is a thread about Strange Wedding Traditions. I don't think anyone is trying to call down the practices and traditions of others.

Ali

 

[meandtheguys2]

Snoopy, the reason many people are calling the traditions in this thread "tacky" is because it is a thread about Strange Wedding Traditions. I don't think anyone is trying to call down the practices and traditions of others.

Ali

So, if someone thinks it is strange, it is okay to call these traditions tacky? And no one should be offended? I dont get your reasoning.

 

[snoopy]

Snoopy, the reason many people are calling the traditions in this thread "tacky" is because it is a thread about Strange Wedding Traditions. I don't think anyone is trying to call down the practices and traditions of others.

Ali

Well, someone upthread said they thought the dollar dance was tacky. I was merely pointing out that this is a long held tradition in some families -- more about keeping a tradition alive from generation to generation than a means to collect money from the guests. I think if I were unfamiliar with this tradition I might find it tacky too.

 

[Hippychickali]

I have problems doing things simply for "tradition-sake". Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of really great traditions out there but I would do them because they are meaningful not just because they have always been done. I can certainly understand why others might think otherwise and that's fine.

Meandtheguys, sure it's okay for someone to call a practice tacky if they think it's tacky. Why not? There's no reason to be offended if you have a differing opinion.

Ali

 

[snoopy]

I have problems doing things simply for "tradition-sake". Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of really great traditions out there but I would do them because they are meaningful not just because they have always been done. I can certainly understand why others might think otherwise and that's fine.

Well I guess others find meaning in the fact they have always been done, hence the word tradition.

In other words, one person's idea of tacky may very well be another person's touching time honored tradition. If you don't want to have those type of traditions at your wedding, then you should by no means have them.

 

[Hippychickali]

In other words, one person's idea of tacky may very well be another person's touching time honored tradition.

I don't think anyone is disputing this.

Ali

 

[Shugardrawers]

I had no idea either that other people found the money dance tacky. If you feel the bride and groom have been given enough, then don't participate. I don't think I've ever been to a wedding that had dancing that didn't include one. What I find really amazing is that I've been to countless weddings where there was no dancing or dj, no sit down dinner, no open bar and people actually find THAT tacky!

 

[MrsKreamer]

I remeber going to only one wedding where there was a money dance. I was young and didn't think much of it. I do find it tacky for me though. I am sure if it were a tradition I would feel differently. I am sure lots of people would think that my wedding was extremly tacky. I was pregnant. We were planning on getting married anyway, but complications and other stuff got in the way until I was 7 mos along. I was a big as a house walking(waddling) down the aisle. It was lovely though. I didn't wear white thought that would be a bit much! lol We had an interesting cake. It was a present from my aunt and uncle. I got to pick it out. We had a family only reception, so I only wanted one cake. So what we got was a 3 tiered cake with 3 different types of cake. the biggest layer was a wedding cake with white chocolate and strawberry filling. The secong tier was a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercreme filling (yum), and the top tier(which is in our freezer) is a lemon cake. It all looked the same on the outside so you couldn't tell until it was cut!

 

[Hippychickali]

I am sure lots of people would think that my wedding was extremly tacky.

I know what you mean - I'm sure there will be things that we choose to do at our wedding that others will see as tacky or wouldn't do at their own but I won't be offended. Different people like different things. If people are happy with the traditions they choose and they feel they represent themselves (as a couple), then why would they care what others thought?

Ali

 

[auntpolly]

I really don't think anyone likes hearing that something they like is tacky.

 

[Towncrier]

My wife's SIL decided to do the dollar dance with the shot one better. She drank a shot along with each partner who danced with her. She got so drunk that she ended up barfing all over her $1500 wedding dress and their brand new Toyota. Her husband (my wife's brother) was so upset, he just drove his new bride home and gave the keys to the honeymoon suite to one of the out of town cousins. A truly memorable event.

 

[NCRedding]

I been to many weddings (all in the south, though) , and have never seen the dollar dance. One of my friends had an unusual party though--a "trouseau tea" where the guests came to her house and saw all the clothing she had picked out for the wedding events and honeymoon, artfully displayed over her room. She even had some of her lingere out--one of my more blunt friends asked her if she planned to display her bed sheet after the wedding night as they did in medievil times.

 

[Hippychickali]

I been to many weddings (all in the south, though) , and have never seen the dollar dance. One of my friends had an unusual party though--a "trouseau tea" where the guests came to her house and saw all the clothing she had picked out for the wedding events and honeymoon, artfully displayed over her room. She even had some of her lingere out--one of my more blunt friends asked her if she planned to display her bed sheet after the wedding night as they did in medievil times.

Not to anyone who might hold this tradition near and dear to their heart but NCRedding, I agree. This is strange.

Ali