The Egyptians’ belief that the fourth finger of the left hand was connected to the heart established the tradition of wedding rings being worn on that finger. The multi-layered, highly decorated cakes that are common today are a recent addition to the wedding ceremony, first becoming popular around the late nineteenth century. The contract contains a set of promises the couple makes to each other. Independent Legal Advice Both parties to the contract should get separate legal advice before signing it. This is good advice in the event that a person is going to enter into any type of contract, not just one with his or her spouse. For women, the traditional wedding vows were slightly different and stated that the bride promised to “love, cherish, and obey” her husband. This is now considered out of date by many people and so in most traditional wedding ceremonies, both the bride and groom make the same vows to each other, and the notion of the bride “obeying” her husband is abandoned. I know my own husband asked for my father’s permission before we got married. Does your family have any traditional ways of doing a marriage; other cultures have done this for years, it is their traditions. Believe it or not arranged marriages tend to last a lot longer than a marriage of love. One tends to believe that everything will be all polished and perfect for a marriage of love, however after that honeymoon stage the couple starts noticing things they never did. Why do so many couples choose to make it the place for their big day (or night as the case may be in Vegas)? There are two very different opinions on Las Vegas as a wedding venue. Some people feel that a Las Vegas marriage is something that should avoided like all-in-one tight white suits. Then there are others who see the city as a place to have a wedding that’s unlike anything they’d probably envisaged their own ceremony to be. A non-traditional ceremony may include a dog as the ring bearer, a cat as the flower girl and their masters (bride and groom) taking their places before them at the altar. Marriage ceremonies, after the processional is complete, often start with a welcoming preamble by the officiator. An opening prayer of some sort, essentially a blessing or invocation to the day and the ceremony, usually follows the preamble.