I have attended only three weddings here in the United States, yet I feel like I have attended many perhaps because I have watched so many comedy movies about American weddings over the years.
Some American wedding customs have also recently been added to the Italian wedding tradition but they remain of American origin and they are unmissable for a ceremony here in Texas too.
Such customs are listed below.
The bridesmaids
It is indisputable, bridesmaids are a purely American custom and there is no wedding party without bridesmaids dressed in the same color, a color chosen by the bride based on the theme picked for the ceremony.
I was astonished to learn - upon researching it - that this tradition actually dates back to ancient Rome, where the bride was preceded by women dressed in white dresses as she was in order to confuse evil spirits who could have kidnapped the bride.
So I guess that what happened is that in Italy we have gradually abandoned this tradition, while in America they have made it their own to the point of giving it a new life: and so they have decided that no one dresses in white, at most the bridesmaids have some details that recall the dress of the bride. The goal is to recall the complicity that binds the bride and her best friends by having ‘matching’ outfits.
The maid of honor is the most important bridesmaid, the one who will sign the documents and be the support of the bride.
The wedding planner
In America is also very common to have a wedding planner organize the wedding. It is not surprising that this professional figure was born in one of the countries with the highest level of stress in the world, where people rush from morning to night and the time to dedicate to themselves and to the organization of their wedding ends up being very little.
Americans, for the most part, love doing things well and they are picky about details, and have therefore preferred to rely on someone who can organize and manage not only their agenda but also their budget with a critical, professional and competent eye in order to avoid style slips, ensure originality and do not accumulate excessive doses of stress in preparation of the wedding.
Location, location, location
American weddings can, and are, celebrated anywhere your imagination takes you to.
In immense gardens with rows of chairs arranged neatly on the grass and arches of flowers with breathtaking views or in the woods, or else by the sea.
Americans love personalizing their ceremony with landscapes, vows and details that speak of their love story.
The fact that many Americans are protestants makes it possible to have the wedding anywhere because the pastor or an officiant can celebrate the ritual outside the church at any location unlike per the catholic religion where the ritual needs to be done in church.
The wedding registry
The wedding registry is basically a wish-list of gifts the bride and the groom put together before their important day.
It becomes a valid tool for giving/receiving something useful and above all appreciated, avoiding double gifts and also for the guests in organizing the budget in the best possible way, knowing exactly how much to invest and in what.
Just think that today you can fill out the wedding list online, making life easier even for guests who live further away.
American couples often live together before getting married nowadays and the most requested gift is the honeymoon. Guests can therefore chip in for the trip of their lifetime.
I’d like to know more about how weddings are celebrated in other countries to see how much they have conserved of their culture and how much they are influenced by American customs.
When it comes to Italian weddings, I’d say half and half. What remains Italian is the food being served, the traditional church or city hall location for the most part and the entertainment at the party.
Some traditions such as the use of a wedding planner and the registry are now being implemented though.
