Royal Wedding equals traditions, but how traditional are we now?

Access Date & Time: 2019-09-06

Less than a week to go until the big royal wedding where we will be treated to the traditions of all things royal. While many of the traditions that the royal family have does not apply to many of us, it does make me ponder around how many traditions are still common in todays weddings.

First Look prior or during Ceremony: While becoming more and more popular to have the first look where the groom gets to see the bride before the ceremony, we are finding that this is not yet the norm and that many of our couples still love the tradition of waiting until the ceremony to see each other. I like the idea of first look prior as it gives the couple time to take that special moment to yourselves and relax before the ceremony. Those that have had a first look at Bridgewater appeared to be very relaxed when walking down the isle as they have already seen their other half which has put them at ease. On the other hand, many of the guest love to watch the grooms reaction to seeing the bride for the first time, so having the first look prior to the ceremony, your guest miss out on that 'special moment. My personal verdict - I still like the tradition of seeing each other for the first time at the ceremony along with your loved ones

Head Table, To have or not?: Another tradition is around the head table seating plan. Tradition has changed over the years. Many years ago the tradition would be to have your parents sitting up next to the couple, however over the years, this has become the bridal party......Now days we are starting to see a trend that a head table is no longer part of the seating plan and that the bridal party sit amongst the guest. This allows the bridal couple to mingle early in the reception portion which is a nice touch. My personal verdict - I think if I was to do my wedding again, this might be one tradition that I am willing to change.

First dance before or after reception?: Depending on where you are in the world will educate us on what the traditions are with first dances. In USA, first dances happen as soon as the couple enter the reception whereas in New Zealand the first dance happens after desert to kick off the party portion of the night. We have seen a number of weddings during the 2017/2018 season where the first dance is based on the USA tradition. It made me think about the practicalities of this. Many of our couple are really nervous about two activities of their reception, speeches and first dance. Many of the couples are so nervous they do not enjoy their food due to anxiety so why not get it out of the way and do it as you enter the reception. This allows you to enjoy the remainder of the reception knowing that the hard part is over. My personal verdict - I would do the first dance as your enter the reception

What traditions would you stick with or what new traditions would you create?


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NOTES FROM THE GUESTBOOK

From the first viewing we had at Bridgewater, we knew that it was the perfect venue for our big day.

All communication we had with Tracey was prompt, clear, and - most importantly for us due to having to postpone twice - genuine and empathetic. Nothing was too much of a hassle for them, and not having to worry about looking after any of the admin on the day (setting up tables, ordering napkins, creating centrepieces) was a win for us.

We had so many comments from guests who were blown away by how beautiful the venue is and how great the food was. I just wish I hadn't been such a ball of emotion that I could have eaten more of the amazing ham!
Tracey & Justin did a stellar job of running the day - including dealing with last minute transport issues on my behalf to keep me calm. Everything ran like clockwork, and the team that they had on did an outstanding job.

If you're considering Bridgewater as your wedding venue, all we can say is DO IT. You won't regret it.

— Gayle & Kyle —

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