More Ceremony Traditions

After the vows in a Latino Catholic wedding, the padrinos de lazo drape this large looped rosary over the couple's shoulders in a figure eight, joining them for the rest of the ceremony. Traditionally the padrinos buy and gift the lazo, so ask them before ordering; the gift box makes it easy to hand over at the rehearsal.

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In Latino and Filipino Catholic weddings the priest blesses thirteen coins that are poured into the bride's hands or exchanged as a promise to share everything in the home: twelve for the months and one to share. The padrinos de arras traditionally bring them, so ask first; keep the box after the ceremony as the coins are kept for life.

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In a Filipino Catholic ceremony, sponsors drape a veil over the couple and a cord in a figure of eight around their shoulders, a sign of being clothed and bound together. Traditionally the sponsors bring them, so ask first.

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In a unity candle ceremony the two mothers light the tapers and the couple lights the pillar together after the vows; this set includes the stand, so it can actually stand on the altar table. Check the venue's open-flame policy first: outdoors the tapers blow out, which is why many couples switch to sand or a cord. In Filipino ceremonies lighting the candles is the candle sponsors' role.

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In a Chinese wedding tea ceremony the couple serves tea to parents, grandparents and elders in order of seniority, addressing each by their new family title; the elders drink, then give red envelopes or jewelry. This red porcelain set with the double happiness character has the pot and six cups; add a red lacquer tray, and count your elders so you know whether six cups is enough for one round.

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Elders give red envelopes after drinking tea at a Chinese wedding tea ceremony, and the groom's party hands them out during the door games; wedding hongbao carry the double happiness character rather than New Year motifs. Families usually bring their own, so the couple's job is a spare stack of twenty for the door games.

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Right after the pronouncement the couple jumps over a decorated broom together, a tradition widely practised at Black weddings since its 1970s revival, honouring ancestors who were denied legal marriage and marked their unions this way; Welsh and Romani weddings have parallels. The broom is kept in the home afterward, so choose one you want to see on the wall.

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In a Scottish wedding the quaich, a shallow two-handled pewter cup, is filled with whisky and shared after the vows, each partner offering it with both hands as the cup of welcome and trust; often the whole family drinks from it next. Engrave it with your names and the date and bring it out again at anniversaries.

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A braided cord tied around your joined hands, from the Celtic tradition and now common in many ceremonies.

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At Greek and Italian weddings sugared almonds are given in an odd number, usually five, at each place or at the door: for health, wealth, happiness, children and long life, with the bitter almond under the sweet coating standing for a marriage with more sweet than bitter. A 2.2 pound bag makes about 80 favors of five; add organza bags and check the date on the bag when it arrives.

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At a Quaker wedding every person present signs the certificate as a witness, and couples of any tradition now commission a certificate as a guest book; it hangs in your home afterward, so the ink has to be archival rather than decorative. Six pens across the signing table keeps the line moving, and the calligrapher who makes the certificate can tell you which width suits the paper.

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