♬ 主播：Flora（中国）+Selah（美国）

♬ 歌曲： Live Your Beautiful Life

As some of you may know, Selah is getting married in just a few weeks (Selah再过几周就要结婚了). 目前她也在筹备自己的婚礼中，那么本期节目就由Selah带大家走近西方婚礼。

A wedding maybe one of the most important events in life, but different cultures have unique ways to celebrate it. Actually, in China nowadays, we have both traditional Chinese weddings (中式婚礼) and Western-style weddings (西式婚礼). 但是这肯定跟西方国家的婚礼还是有区别的。

So today, we have Selah to share with us some of the authentic wedding customs from Western culture (正宗的西方婚礼习俗).

01. Before the wedding: bachelorette and bachelor parties 婚前的单身派对

Typically, a bride will have a bachelorette weekend (新娘会有一个单身周末) where she goes on a trip or celebrates with all of her closest friends. The groom will also have a bachelor weekend where he does the same (他会做同样的事).

And nowadays, a lot of people do creative activities for these parties. Some may have a themed costume night (主题盛装夜: 人们一般会化装出席,一般扮成 fictional characters --虚拟角色).

他们可能会rent a cabin（租一间小屋），甚至是going to another country。

Selah打算举办一个chill and simple（轻松又简约的）bachelorette（单身派对）。Her bridesmaids (伴娘团) are coming in town a few days before her wedding, and they are all hanging out together in a large Airbnb (在一个大的爱彼迎民宿里)。

Since it’s usually the maid of honor who plans the bachelorette (通常是首席伴娘规划新娘的单身派对), Selah doesn’t know exactly what it will look like. As Maid of Honor, it's your job to ensure you have all activities planned ahead of time (提前计划好所有的活动).

Selah knows that it will be full of quality time and celebration. 比如说outings（郊游）, having dinner。

02. The old traditions at the Western wedding 西方婚礼的老传统

传统的西方婚礼中，新娘在结婚时身上都要有四样东西：something old, something new, something borrowed（借来的东西）, something blue。

There’s actually a meaning behind each of these items. “Something old” represents continuity(延续性), like staying connected to your family or your roots. “Something new” symbolizes optimism (乐观) and hope for the future.

“Something borrowed” is about borrowing happiness, usually from a happily married (已婚的) friend or family member. It’s like sharing their good luck.

Something blue象征purity（纯洁）、love和fidelity（忠诚）. It’s a really old tradition dating back to ancient Rome (古罗马). These traditions are so meaningful.

However, this tradition that has started to phase out (逐渐消失), but still is special to some people.

phase out 逐步淘汰：逐步停止使用

Some are not doing this as much anymore, but it is up to their personal preference (取决于他们的个人喜好).

And for good measure, there’s also a tradition to include “a silver sixpence in her shoe (在她的鞋子里放一个六便士银币).” It’s an old British tradition. The sixpence was meant to bring wealth and good fortune (财富和好运) to the couple’s marriage. 这样的话，在西方的传统中，新娘应该是要准备5样东西了。

03. Where the ceremony happens? 婚礼仪式在哪里举办？

Western weddings can take place in a variety of places, like a church (教堂), a beach, a garden, or even a private venue (私人场所).

It’s pretty different from a Chinese wedding nowadays, which is usually held at a hotel or at home (在酒店或者家里举行).

在一些西方国家，婚礼仪式（the ceremony）一般会在一个 church 里举行。而the reception（招待会）会在一个hall or banquet room（大厅或宴会厅）这样的地方。

banquet /ˈbæŋkwɪt/ n. 宴会厅

现在，中国婚礼一般都是ceremony和reception在一起进行了，仪式进行完之后就可以宴请宾客了，也许在这一点上我们是有区别的。

Where is Selah planning to hold her wedding?

Selah: “For me personally, I am going to have my wedding in a family friend’s backyard (后院)! It is going to be outdoors and more simple than a huge wedding venue (大型婚礼会场).”

Being surrounded by nature must make the whole atmosphere feel so peaceful and special. 一定很自然也很温馨。

04. Giving cash or gifts? 随份子还是买礼物？

In the West, guests often buy a gift from the couple’s wedding registry (婚礼礼物登记) instead of giving cash.

Selah has a wedding registry with essentials (必需品) that she wants to start their life together-like kitchen supplies (厨房用品), house decorations(房屋装饰), tools, furniture (家具) etc.

在收到这些礼物之后，新人一般会write thank you cards (写感谢卡) to everyone who gifted them money or gifts off their registry.

05. How do they send wedding invitations? 婚礼请柬怎么发？

Often, people will send out “Save the Date (预留日期)” cards to people to tell them to mark that day on their calenders (告诉人们在日历上标出这一天). 也是为了让人们给这一天预留出时间。

Then, they will send invitations (发请柬), with a website or QR code on the back (背面有网站或二维码) that directs (引导) people to more information. It’s quite convenient these days.

06. Unforgettable moments during the ceremony 婚礼仪式上的难忘时刻

On the wedding day, one of the traditions in the U.S. is the “First Look (第一眼).” This is a private moment when the groom sees the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony (这是新郎在婚礼仪式前看到新娘穿着婚纱的私密时刻). It’s often very emotional (激动人心).

Another fun tradition is the bouquet toss (扔手捧花)! The bride throws her bouquet over her shoulder to a crowd of single women, and whoever catches it is said to be the next to get married (据说接到手捧花的单身女性就是下一个步入婚姻殿堂的人).

It is a sign that there will be good luck to come (好运到来) and whoever is single that catches it, will likely get married next.

In many Western weddings, couples write personal vows (个人誓言) to share during the ceremony. They express love, promises, and dreams for their life together. It must take a lot of courage to stand up and share something so personal in front of everyone. But that’s what makes it so beautiful.

These are just a few of the many beautiful and interesting wedding traditions from Western culture.

请在评论区告诉我们：

What else wedding traditions in the West do you know about (你还知道西方有哪些婚礼的习俗呢)?