Though we still have a few die-hard traditionalists, most of our couples either omit the tradition entirely or use it to suit modern needs. Many order a separate cake and list names of birthday or anniversary guests. sometimes mothers or wives-to-be order a special cake just for the groom with his personal tastes in mind.

Charms: Gold or silver charms can be inserted into the bottom layer of the wedding cake at the time it is being iced. A ribbon, attached to the charm, hangs down from the layer. Each bride's maid in turn will pull a ribbon to see what charm they get. Each charm holds a special meaning from 'love' to 'luck' and even 'old maid'!

Bride's maids: Bear in mind many of our traditions evolved out of sheer superstition many years ago. The bride had a number of her closest, trusted friends surround her on her wedding day to help ward off evil spirits and keep them from invading her soul when her heart was most vulnerable. The bride's maids dressed like the bride (usually in white), believing they would confuse the spirits.

Nosegay: A nosegay is a small, tightly packed bouquet of fragrant flowers. In Europe around the time of the Great Plague, people believed bathing would allow spirits to invade their bodies. Wealthy, upper-class women carried ornate holders of silver or ivory in which they packed highly scented flowers. This was either pinned high on their bodice or carried vary close to the nose to ward off the evil smells!

Today, some brides offer nosegays to people who are special to them, such as grandmothers or godmothers, in place of a corsage.