Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…
By: Claire Davis, Auburn University, Epsilon Eta
Wedding season is upon us! Brides everywhere are preparing for the hugely popular spring and summer ceremonies. They’re gathering their “something borrowed and something blue” items, vigorously flipping through magazines to find inspiration for their perfect wedding dress, unique jewelry to wear and fun activities for their guests to enjoy at the reception. For a lot of brides, another important aspect to their big day is incorporating family wedding traditions and Kappa wedding traditions. This season brides have a very special wedding to inspire them with ideas and traditions, so set your DVRs to record The Royal Wedding which is just three short days away!
Photo Credit: FlipFlopFoto.com
This Friday, Catherine Middleton and Prince William will say “I do” in a ceremony that will share many important royal wedding traditions. Did you know that Catherine will have a bit of Welsh gold in her wedding ring? This was started in 1923 by the late Queen Mother, when she was given a nugget of Welsh gold. Many royals, including the late Princess Diana, have had gold from the same nugget in their rings! She will also carry a sprig of myrtle (known as the “herb of love”) in her bouquet. This tradition dates back to the 19th century to Queen Victoria, who carried a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet and then planted it in her garden following the wedding. Since that time, royal brides have cut a sprig from the same garden to use in their wedding bouquet. The traditional location for royal weddings is Westminster Abbey, and Catherine and Prince William will continue this tradition, followed with a traditional carriage ride to Buckingham Palace.
While not royalty, Kappa brides are otherwise no different! Many Kappa brides will be getting married this year, celebrating with friends, family and other Kappa sisters. Kappa is known for having many of its own special wedding traditions. Many times, women will pin their badge under their dress or on their bouquet, fulfilling their “something blue.” Legacy Kappas may have chosen to wear their mother’s or grandmother’s antique Kappa badge as their “something borrowed.” Kappa sisters often are chosen as bridesmaids for the special day, and some Kappa brides will choose to have light blue and dark blue bridesmaid’s dresses. Irises have even been known to make an appearance in bouquets and table arrangements! Perhaps the most exciting of all Kappa wedding traditions is encircling the bride and groom and singing “Lovely Girl” or “Oh Pat.” Kappas have been serenading newly married couples for more than 25 years!
Photo Credit: FlipFlopFoto.com
Did you incorporate Kappa into your wedding? We’d love to know how! Tell us by leaving a comment below.
And, don’t forget to check out the Spring Edition of The Key – pages 18-23 feature beautiful wedding gowns by a Kappa wedding designer!
We sang “On the Heart of Each Sister” at my pledge sister’s wedding this past summer, and most of her bridesmaids were Kappas. It was SUCH a special night! Plus one of the bridesmaids was able to reuse her dress from the wedding for Pref day AND Formal.
I got married less than a month ago and all of the Kappas at my wedding sang pat. The wedding guests were all pretty amused by it because my girls were LOUD and proud. Fun memories
We got married two years ago this May. I had my key pinned into my dress and my bouquet had Irises.
As an alum of Delta Pi chapter, “spirit circles” are a big deal for us, so after all the Kappas in my wedding party and in attendance at our wedding encircled me to sing “On the Heart of Each Sister,” they busted out in a very rowdy spirit circle, complete with all the motions. (For those of you who aren’t familiar, a spirit circle is a sequential performance of several chants, with lots of clapping and other motions). Our guests loved it and it’s one of my favorite memories from our wedding!
My kappa friends all lent me their pins which i wore under my dress – something borowed. We’ve continued the traditional at each one of their weddings!
I got married over five years ago, and since I was an active member, Kappa was a big part of my wedding. I have photos of my bridesmaids (all KKGs) and I making K’s with our hands. I also had my badge pinned inside my gown. In fact, when I couldn’t find it for a Founders’ Day celebration a few years ago, a friend said, “Well, have you checked your wedding dress?” Sure enough, it was still there.
Because I could only have so many Kappas in my wedding party, I made sure their tables at the reception had iris centerpieces instead of roses. And of course, they sang “Oh Pat.” It was one of my favorite parts of the night.
I love Kappa weddings. They’re a blast.
In other news, are other Kappas just so TOTALLY envious of Kate’s engagement ring? I mean, sapphires are OUR thing!
I loved incorpating Kappa touches into my wedding! My Maid of Honor (a Kappa) had irises in her bouquet and my guest book attendant and scripture reader (also Kappa’s) had corsages of irises. For the place cards, I embossed a silver fleur-de-lis on each one and all of my Kappa sisters sang “Oh Pat” to me. It was amazing!
I was married last May and having my Delta Pi sisters sing “On the Heart of Each Sister” in a circle around me was a touching moment that I’ll never forget! Two of my pledge sisters were bridesmaids, and Christen (commenting above) was one of several Kappas who came! Every placeholder at my reception was a fleur-de-lis, and even though my wedding was in May there was definitely a lot of blue! Wearing my key and having four generations of key sisters there… it was such an amazing night!
Some photos:
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I was married back in 1987 and am coming up on our 25th anniversary. I had as many Beta Kappa family (Idaho) as I had regular family at my wedding and Kappa sisters were my bridesmaids. I was only bridezilla when the florist added too much lavender to my Kappa dark blue light blue! My favorite reception memory is when they sang Oh Pat!
Kappa was certainly a part of my wedding, almost 26 years ago. From the candle passing in the Gamma Omicron dining room to the color of my bridesmaids dresses (blue). Two of my Kappa sisters sang during the service, one helped with the reception and one stood by my side with my biological sisters and sister in law. I wish I’d thought about wearing my key — but that never crossed my mind back then. One of my favorite moments was gathering in a cirlce with over 20 Kappa sisters to sing Oh Pat! All our guests loved this moment!
I was married in 1993 and I pinned my light blue and dark blue pledge ribbons inside my gown as my “Something Blue”. My Kappa Sisters surprised me with a very special candlelight ceremony during the reception. It meant the world to me.
This is just so messed up to me. I get the whole sisterhood thing. But this is not sorority party night. This is a wedding. A start of a MARRIAGE. You are not marrying your sisters, you’re marrying your husband. This is not the day of extra bonding time with your sisters…and this just screams that your priorities are screwed up. I’m sure you can explain it all away or get upset or both. But it seriously concerns me this is being labeled a “Kappa wedding.” Just who the heck do you think is more important? Your sisters or your husband? And if you put your sisters first, you should NOT be getting married. Wow. Just wow.
You obviously weren’t a Kappa.