Healthcare | North Idaho

Why toast at a reception?
Toasting represents the collective best wishes of friends and family. Toasts may be offered with any beverage, but champagne is a wedding favorite. Raising a glass together is a way for everyone to share in wishing wellness and happiness to the newlyweds.

Why are there wedding favors?
The bride and groom are considered to be lucky, as in anything they touch. Wedding favors are a way for the bride and groom to thank thier guests for sharing in their happiness and to symbolically pass on their "good luck".

Why is the bouquet tossed?
The custom of tossing the bouquet is the modern day alternative to the old tradition of the "tearing of the wedding dress". In days gone by, single ladies would tear a piece of the bride's dress for good luck. One can only imagine the fate of a bride's gown at a large gathering! Thus the tossing of the bouquet is the modern alternative that allows the bride's gown to remain intact. It should not be forgotten that the lady who catches the bouquet is the next woman to be married.

Why is the garter tossed?
Like the bouquet toss, the garter toss is also a modern alternative to the less than savory tradition of the old. In the old days, guests would follow the newlyweds to their room and wait for them to undress, then take their stockings and toss them at the bride and groom. The first male to hit the bride or groom with their stocking would be lucky and the next to marry. Thus the garter toss. The gentlemen who catches the garter would be the next to wed.

Why are shoes attached to the car?
Shes represent power. Shoes signify the creation of a new family unit. Shoes and cans were attached to the bumper of a car to cause noisy clatter to drive off evil spirits.

Why is the bride carried over the threshold?
It was believed that evil spirits hovered at the threshold of the home the newlyweds would enter. The bride was lifted over the entrance to keep the evil spirits from entering through her feet.

Why throw rice?
Rice and wheat symbolizes fertility, prosperity, and bounty. Today guests throw rose petals, porpourri, and bird seed. Showering the newlyweds in bubbles or releasing birds or butterflies, and the ringing of bells replace rice today.

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