Wedding Extravaganza
The extravagance of weddings is a popular topic. We blame it on modern commercialism. But then, what excuse could President Ulysses S Grant have for the money he spent on his daughter's wedding?
For the occasion the East Room which was chosen for the wedding ceremony, was resplendent and aromatic with flowers and greenery. From the ceiling, suspended on floral ropes, dominated a giant wedding bell composed completely of flowers. Never before, in the history of White House entertainment, were the decorations so lavish, and the atmosphere so laden with perfume.
200 guests sat in the State Dining Room at the White House, their hunger assuaged by a seven-course wedding breakfast. The savoury part of the fare included chicken, woodcock, snipe and crab. For the dessert there was the ever popular strawberry and cream and cake. Punch was laid on, of course, possibly based on Mrs Grant's favourite recipe.
When food was eaten, wine was drunk, and good wishes were exhausted, Nellie and Algernon slipped into a Pullman carriage groaning under the decorative weight of flowers and flags.
Nellie, of course, stole the show. She was attended by eight bridesmaids dressed in white, four carrying pink bouquets, the other four blue. Algernon, showing himself a sensitive guy at a time when men were men and women had babies, chose also to carry a bouquet. His was pink and white.
The wedding dress chosen by Nellie was of white satin, fashionably bustled in the back, and trimmed with lace, orange blossoms and miniature oranges. Yes, I did say miniature oranges. What I'm not sure about is whether they came from grafted miniature orange trees, or bonsai trees.
Suffice it to say, that the dress alone cost $5,000. And that was in the year 1874. President Ulysses S Grant had decided, like so many other people, that spending money on a wedding was as a good an excuse as any. Especially if you have the money.
Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of "The Complete Book of Australian Weddings", "The Small Organsiation Handbook" and an ebook "Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?" which you can see on her website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com
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Bachelor II Groom aims to help men with all their wedding needs. BIIG Magazine will be available in print and gracing newsstands summer 2007.
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You've had friends to your home for dinner. Maybe you've hosted a Super Bowl party or two.
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Honey, I'm not taking your last name. That's right: millions of brides are no longer tied to centuries-old tradition. From asking their best guy friend to be a "man of honor" to keeping or blending their last name to having their favorite uncle officiate, WeddingChannel.com (www.weddingchannel.com), the number one wedding and gift registry website, has compiled the most popular new wedding rules and now announces a "New Traditions" channel (www.weddingchannel.com/newtraditions) for modern brides and grooms.
Foods To Avoid At Your Wedding
A wedding is meant to be a celebration of two lives joining together as one. There are a lot of different aspects to this type of celebration. There is a lot to prepare before hand ? some people actually take a year or even two years to get ready for their wedding day! There certainly is a lot too think about, and a lot to plan. Even if you can afford to hire a wedding planner, couples still have to make many, many different choices all throughout the wedding planning process.
Trashing of the Wedding Dress...
Trashing the dress Heard of this new concept
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For even more wedding planning tips and ideas, visit FMBrides.com.
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