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American wedding are joyous occasions, celebrating the bond between two individuals. In more traditional socities weddings also were important events building bonds between families, but in modern America this has become less common in modern America. American wedding traditions are primarily English with strong religious influences. There were in fact two basic threads based around the two original colonies. Beginning at Jamestown, established Anglican traditions became important. Further north the Puritans at Massachisetts Bay Colony believed in simpler more austere weddings. Gradually wedding trafitions evolved. Here a major factor was arrical of non-Wnglish immigrants. Even before the Revolutionary War there were non-English immigrants and influences, including immigrants from Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, and other countries. Each of these immigrant groups brought their cultural and wedding traditions with them. The most important development in the American wedding was the Victorian Era in Washington during which many popular wedding traditions were fused with traditional practices. The austere Puritan ceremonies declined in popularity. The 19th century also brought increased European immigrantion. The Mecxican-American War also brouht many Mexicans with their Catholic Spanish traditions into the American wedding mix. Along with Christian European immigrants, large numbers of Jews with their destinctive wedding traditions arrived. And in the late-20th century we begin to see Buddhist, Hindu,and Muslim influences. As a result, the modern American wedding can be quite varied, depending on the indivisuals ethnic amd religious background. And of course the increasing secularization of American society has also affected the wedding ceremony. Some of the major American traditional include the bridal shower, bachelor party, the veil and wedding dress, flower girls and riung bearer, kissing the bride, the weddinbg cake, and the honeymoon.
American wedding are joyous occasions, celebrating the bond between two individuals. In more traditional socities weddings also were important events building bonds between families, but in modern America this has become less common in modern America.
American wedding traditions are primarily English with strong religious influences. There were in fact two basic threads based around the two original colonies. Beginning at Jamestown, established Anglican traditions became important. Further north the Puritans at Massachisetts Bay Colony believed in simpler more austere weddings. Gradually wedding trafitions evolved. Here a major factor was arrical of non-Wnglish immigrants. Even before the Revolutionary War there were non-English immigrants and influences, including immigrants from Germany, the Netherlands, Scotland, and other countries. Each of these immigrant groups brought their cultural and wedding traditions with them. The most important development in the American wedding was the Victorian Era in Washington during which many popular wedding traditions were fused with traditional practices. The austere Puritan ceremonies declined in popularity. The 19th century also brought increased European immigrantion. The Mecxican-American War also brouht many Mexicans with their Catholic Spanish traditions into the American wedding mix. Along with Christian European immigrants, large numbers of Jews with their destinctive wedding traditions arrived. And in the late-20th century we begin to see Buddhist, Hindu,and Muslim influences.
Although photography was invented in th mid-19th century (1839), we see veryfew wedding photograhy in the 19th century. Most of the 19th century photographic record ws studio photography. For the most part it was only rich people who could aford wedding photography. The invention simplified photography leading to the family snapshot (1900) changed this. And weddings suddently became a major subject for photography. And we begin to see a very substantail photographic record. This included not only the wellto do, but we see images of even the most modest weddings. We are not sure about the 19th century, but throughout the 20th century, we see families choosing o have children involved in the cermonies. At first the geder coventions were not well-established, but this changed by mid-century and we see boys becomng rng bearers and girls carrying the flowers. Ideas about outfitting the children varied over time.
Children can play a variety of roles in wedding ceremoies with varied outfits. Catholic boys serve as altar boys at weddings. They wear the standard altar boy liturgical garments. I assume at a few churches there are now altar girls. Children also coomonly participate as ring boys and flower girls. The outfits here can be quite varied depending on the formality of the wedding. The boys and girls wear very different outdits, by at some weddings the garmednts are coordinated. Normally younger children are chosen for ring bearers and flower girls, but because the idea is to include family, the ages are flexible. Ring boys often wear Eton suits, but at formal weddings we sea quite a range of outfits, inckuding fancy blouses with short pants or knickers. Somewhat older children and teenagers can be chosen for ushers.
As a result of all the varied influences, the modern American wedding can be quite varied, depending on the individual ethnic amd religious background. And of course the increasing secularization of American society has also affected the wedding ceremony. Some of the major American traditional include the bridal shower, bachelor party, the veil and wedding dress, flower girls and riung bearer, kissing the bride, the weddinbg cake, and the honeymoon.
Some images are available at actual weddings from various eras. HBC has just begun to collect information on these weddings. In some cases only the image is available. In other instances some information is avaialble on the wedding. Some HBC readers have provided infprmation about weddinggs that they or their parents have participated in and we this have more details about these weddings. There are also some famous society weddings which we also eventually hope to add to this section. Currently we only have information on American weddings, but we hope to eventually add information on foreign weddings as well. We are organizing this section chronlogically.
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