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A "wishing tree" is a traditional part of Dutch weddings, and an interesting alternative to the guest book. A beautifully shaped bare branch (or two) is placed in a pot and arranged on a table beside the bride and groom's table. The branch can be bursting into bud for a spring wedding, or a dried and painted branch. You can decorate the branch with ribbons or beads, whatever looks beautiful to you.

Guests are given a paper leaf or piece of decorative card attached to a ribbon when they arrive. During the reception, they write their best wishes to the bride and groom. The couple gets to read them before hanging them on the branch. After the wedding, the couple can use the branch as a centerpiece or decorative item in their own home. Eventually, couple can take the leaves/cards off the tree and make a collage of them or put them in a scrapbook. Whatever you do with it, you'll have a tree-full of warm wishes to savor for years to come.

The bouquets of the Roaring 20s tended to the large. In fact, many of them were outright huge. In addition to all those flowers, the were lush with ribbons. To our modern eye, they might have appeared tangled, untidy even, but that was because they would be knotted every inch or two.

The knot, you see, is a symbol of love. Traditional brides would repeat their name and the name of their groom-to-be three times for each knot, binding the two together in happy union forever. If you don't think you have quite the budget for an immense bouquet, perhaps you can manage a few yards of knotted ribbon!

Are you looking for a special wedding garter and coming up against a wall of mass-produced, scratchy creations that are sure to drive you bonkers on your wedding day? Well, we've found someone who makes one-of-a-kind, bespoke garters that have received rave reviews from real life brides.

Peterene Designs, on Etsy, is a Boston-based artist with a passion for design. If you're looking for a unique garter that is more than just the traditional band of tight, thigh-squeezing, 'something-blue-it-will-do' satin and lace, then have a look at the fantastic garters that Peterene has designed. There's pretty much anything there you can think of, from sexy French style to army-camouflage, raunchy leopard-print to virginal white lace and roses. It's a visual feast!

This is a funky way to add a contemporary personal touch to an old wedding tradition.

This writer was a little startled to see May cited as a bad month to marry. It was, after all, the month she had chosen for her very own wedding, and all seems to be going just fine, thankyouverymuch. No "ruing the day" going on in this house!

A little research soon showed why May was not a favorite in the traditions. According to some traditions, the start of summer was when the festival of Beltane was celebrated -- complete with outdoor orgies! Not exactly the time to be committing to lifelong fidelity ...

Felicia Ann Aguinaldo has a secret. Ever since she was small, she has obsessed over weddings. And even though she thinks she is a long way from getting engaged, she went to a wedding showcase. She pretended to be a bride.

Even better, she and her friend made up a cover story to tell vendors if they were asked questions. Just in case there was some sort of questionnaire, so they wouldn't be put on the spot. Or caught up in their lies.

Aguinaldo freely admits they lied for fun. And really, she didn't do any harm. She could have gone as an enthusiast, but wanted to pretend just for a little while. And she did learn some things for her future wedding. Like just how expensive fondant-covered cakes really are.

To top it off, she actually won a raffle prize: a one-night hotel stay, plus breakfast. She's planning to use it to alleviate the stress caused by her fake wedding planning.

Photo by Shelley Panzarella licensed under Creative Commons.

Can you picture a bride having her dress ripped to shreds by a bunch of men wanting a piece of the good luck she's supposed to bring? Sounds insane but it used to happen. That's where the tradition of tossing the garter stems from. Way back when (actually it was somewhere around the 14th century) this is what male wedding guests used to do. Obviously, having her wedding dress ripped to pieces didn't go down well with a bride so the custom of wearing something just for throwing at those desperate men began.

However, that didn't work too well either as drunken male guests tried to rip it off the bride before she was ready to throw it. One can only imagine the mayhem! Thus, the tradition evolved a bit more and removing the garter became the right of the bridegroom only.

The garters we see most often are pretty, lacy affairs and look terribly innocent and sweet. Which is great if all you're going to do with it is toss it at a bunch of inebriated men. But for later on, (you know, if you're going to carry the tradition to it's extremes and get hubby to take it off), then how about this sexy, satiny little number from Agent Provocateur? It's blue too, so will help you fulfil another tradition. The 'something old, something blue' story. Or dispense with that and wear the one in black.

Nowadays, brides often wear two garters. One to throw away and one for her husband to remove in the privacy of their bedroom. Which could be the beginning of a whole lot of fun, if you're not too worn out after the day, that is!

It used to be that an engagement was announced with tasteful cards, hand-written by the mother of the bride. Fifteen years ago, save-the-date cards were unheard of. These days engagement announcement cards are quite rare, and save-the-date cards (and fridge magnets!!) are commonplace.

In an interesting evolution of tradition, save-the-date and engagement announcements are becoming one and the same. It is not unheard of to see an engagement announcement which then asks that you save the date. This is quite reasonable, given that if you send an engagement announcement to someone, they will expect to be invited to the wedding.

When your children are married, it could well be that announcement/save-the-date cards are standard, and they will hear your tales of your wedding without them as ancient (and irrelevant) history!

When I happened across "Attendant bells", I thought that perhaps they were given out at the reception as a way to encourage bridal couple nookie without endangering the stemware. (You know, people tap on the glasses with a fork to encourage kissing at the head table.) So, I figured, you provide each table with a bell which they can ring, instead.

Nope. That's not the intention. "Attendant bells", it turns out, are used in Celtic (mostly Scottish) weddings. When the couple has been married, and is walking back down the aisle, their attendants ring their small bells to celebrate the new marriage.

Bells can be quite inexpensive. Even the classic silver one shown costs only $12.00, and could easily be engraved as a personal thank-you gift for the attendants, male and female!

African weddings are deeply symbolic, as is so much in the African culture, and involves more than just the joining of two lives. Usually, it is also about the joining of two families and, quite possibly, even two communities and is generally more of a process, rather than an event.

In South Africa, a Zulu wedding takes on many forms.

The bride may change her clothes three times during the day, in order to show off to her in-laws just how beautiful she is in different colours.

For the wedding ceremony she will change into a traditional outfit (see picture, right). Her flaring red headdress is reminiscent of the hairstyle of her ancestors. Traditionally, this headdress was made of her mother's hair.

During the ceremony the parties from both the bride and the groom's side compete through Zulu dance and songs. After the ceremony everybody tootles off to the groom's home for the traditional slaughtering of a cow by his family, to show their acceptance of the bride.

She then places money inside the stomach of the cow while the wedding guests watch. This symbolises that she is now part of the family.

The wedding ceremony ends with the bride giving gifts in the form of blankets to her new family. This tradition is called ukwaba. Even the long-deceased family members receive gifts and are represented by the living ones. The family cover themselves with the blankets in an open area where everybody will see. The spectators ululate, sing, and dance for the family.

I was fortunate enough to witness a Zulu wedding many years ago and it was such a joyful, colourful and emotional occasion that the memories are still bright and fresh.

The envelope lands on your door mat with a deep, luscious thunk. You open it and read, with pleasure, that you've been invited to a wedding. You smile,place the invitation on your desk and then....forget all about it. Oops! This is not what a good guest does. It doesn't matter who is getting married, you have been invited and have a duty to be a good guest. So what does that entail? Well, let's go back to that invitation that's hidden under a pile of bills and receipts, and start there.

1. Who is it addressed to?

Read the address carefully, it will let you know exactly who is invited. If children are not mentioned, then they are not invited. Period. If there is no mention of a partner, then it's just you, and no tag-alongs. Don't even think of asking if you can take a friend, that is RUDE and makes for an awkward situation.

2. RSVP

As soon as you know if you are able (or not ) to attend, send back the RSVP card. The bride has catering deadlines to meet. (And brides also panic if their guests don't RSVP - you don't want to cause her to go into melt down, do you?) Also, if your plans change and you need to cancel, let the bride know as soon as possible.

Any wedding is fraught with stress and tension and, sometimes, peppered with family feuds. How much more so when you're doing it for the second time and there are children from previous marriages involved. (Did you know that more than 25% of marriages in the USA involve children from previous relationships?)

It needs careful planning and thought to avoid hurting children and causing any of them to feel left out. Kids and resentment are a potentially explosive mix!

You could involve them by having a son act as a best man, or a daughter as a flower girl or bridesmaid...or a son could give his mother away.

If, however, you choose not do this but still want to include your children in the ceremony (and some experts maintain this is very important in helping children accept a new partner) then you could have them light a unity candle with you and your spouse, or give them rings, or, present them with a family medallion.

The family medallion symbol includes three equally merged circles. Two circles represent the marriage union while the third symbolizes the importance of children within the family. This visual and tangible affirmation of their importance in your life is incredibly powerful for children.

It's a lovely way of integrating your children and step-children into your wedding and a really meaningful way of showing them that your love and commitment to the new marriage extends to them too.

Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind & true,
When February birds do mate, You'll wed and not fear your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden & for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see.
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.

Imagine getting married in France, the country of romance. Picture your wedding taking place in a beautiful chateau, or in an ancient Parisien church, not far from the Eiffel Tower. Sounds good, huh!

Unfortunately, it isn't easy to get married in France. The bottom line is that you may not get married in France unless one of the couple has lived a minimum of 30 days in the town where they intend to get married, and it must be able to be proved.

However, if you cannot meet the legal requirements, you can still have a romantic, fairytale ceremony in the country of love, provided you first have a civil or legal ceremony in your own country. I know a couple who did this and it worked out extremely well. Their ceremony in London was very private, just the bride and groom, and the witnesses. Then, they and the rest of the formal wedding party then took the Eurostar to France, for their gorgeous wedding ceremony.

So you're shopping for bridesmaids dresses and you're wondering whose brilliant idea it was to have them ALL MATCH because where are you going to find a dress that your sister and your fiance's sister and your best friend from grade school and your college roommate ALL like? Plus the fact that the sister-in-law is pregnant and the other girls wear everything from a size two to a size twelve.

It's an interesting story, actually.

Most wedding customs have their roots in superstition, primarily about evil spirits who will curse the couple on their wedding day. In small villages, the bride would often walk to the church, with her friends; in order to ward off evil spirits -- or jealous exes -- the bride's sisters and friends would dress like the bride and veil their faces. The groom's friends did the same, for the same reasons. And thus began the custom of the members of the wedding party dressing alike.

Moral: Unless you are afraid of being nabbed on the way to the church, your bridesmaids do NOT have to match. They will all thank you for it, trust me.

Are you worried about the energy level at your reception waning after a few hours of partying? Do you want to encourage your guests to let loose and have a great time?

Consider adding a cotillón (or carnaval carioca/hora loca) to your reception. This Latin American tradition is a guaranteed way to have a memorable reception, especially if you're the first couple in your social circle to try it.

The cotillón happens about halfway into the reception and everybody (bride and groom included) is expected to show their fun side. It's not hard to do, since crazy hats and party props are distributed to the guests -- everything goes after that! "Mad hatter" hats, crowns, antennae, feather boas, silly string, whistles, bells and all sorts of noisemakers are put to good use while everybody has fun dancing and taking pictures.

It's more fun than it sounds, particularly at very elegant weddings.

One of the best weddings I've ever been to was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The reception was held at a beautiful historic mansion, the bride wore a stunning couture gown, the dinner was delicious (think Argentine beef!) but the best part of the party was the cotillón (which started at 2:30 AM) where we did the conga while I wore sparkly purple antennae and my husband wore a satin wedding cake on his head. It's a night I'll never forget.

Check these Flickr pictures and video for inspiration:

A glamorous bride
A bride wearing feathers
A guy with an orange octopus on his head
No translation needed
Cleopatra and her Pharaoh