Spying before the walk: Myth or truth

Back in the days our forefathers set some restrictions to protect us, such as 'Do not sing whilst taking a bath', 'Do not whistle at night', etc. We later grew up to understand the facts behind these don'ts. Back then we accepted them as it was without questioning the basis.

Same goes for seeing each other before the start of the wedding ceremony. Before I got married I heard all these stories about the groom not being allowed to see his bride before she takes the GREAT walk down the aisle. I heard it was bad luck to do so.

In my opinion, its just a way to see the groom's excitement as he sees his wife to be looking splendid in her lovely gown and all made up walking up the aisle towards him and also for the bride to be dumbfounded to see her groom looking all smart and suited up.

People go through all lengths in order not to let their partner see them and their attire before the ceremony. I remember mistakenly sending a picture of myself trying on my gown to my husband. BIG MISTAKE.  Piece of advice, always double check the recipient before sending any messages on whatsapp or whatever media you are using.

Curious as to how this tradition began and ways other couples tackle this tradition, I decided to research further and these are my findings.

HISTORY

Back in the days, the bride was considered the property of her father and marriages were usually arranged. The couple were not allowed to see each other before the ceremony to prevent the groom from changing his mind in case she didn't look as he expected her to. This was to avoid disgrace to the bride and her family.  This also explains the use of the veil.

LEVEL OF SUPERSTITION

The more superstitious the couple is, the more they prefer not to see each other before the ceremony to prevent any bad luck.

PERSONAL PREFERENCE

At the end of the day, it's all dependent on what the couple prefers and not what others suggest. Discuss with your partner for a mutual decision to be reached.

MIDDLE GROUND

For those couples who still want to save those memorable moments as they take the first walk down the aisle and for those who love to take pictures still looking fresh,  you can still do so without seeing each other.You can be photographed standing at windows next to each other, etc. Your photographer can assist you with creative ways of achieving this.

MORE ROMANTIC

Most couples consider it more romantic to see each other alone in the absence of the staring gazes of their guests to help calm their nerves and express their love for each other in a special way before the wedding.

Additional sources

http://www.wedpix.com/articles/010/pre-wedding-ceremony-bride-and-groom/

http://bridalguide.com/planning/wedding-ceremony-traditions/wedding-superstitions

http://amazingdaysevents.com/the-first-look-taboo-or-to-die-for

NB: Additional comments and corrections are always welcome.

Wedding planning

You have set a date for your BIG DAY. You have to start with preparations for the wedding ceremony, this can be tiring and you would surely need some reliable family and friends to assist. Now the big question is whether to plan your own wedding or hire the services of a professional planner?

There are pros and cons to this depending on the situation you find yourself. When I started preparations for my wedding,  both my husband and I were extremely busy so we took on a wedding planner to assist in making our special day very memorable.

Before you decide ask yourself these questions:
1. Do both of you have busy work schedules?
2. Do you have reliable and dependable people you can count on?
3. Are you the difficult to impress type that prefers getting things done by themselves?
4. Are you working with a very tight wedding budget?
5.Do you have enough time between now and the set date?

Think through these questions and you would know which side you are leaning towards. A wedding planner is best when you both do not have enough time to spare because of work, you are unable to get family and friends to run errands on your behalf, you do not mind paying someone to plan the wedding and you have the budget to support it. The opposite goes for those who prefer not to hire the services of a professional.These are not the only factors to consider but these are the key ones.

Personally I prefer a planner as I am able to transfer the running of errands and other stuff to someone else. It gives us time to do other things and be calm before the day. The important point is to ensure you receive updates from the planner and meet periodically to discuss your tastes, dislikes and receive status updates.

These are just my views on planning a wedding. I am welcome to any differing views or additional comments. 

Email: mwbridals@gmail.com