【美国】美国人的婚礼

WeddingsinTheUnitedStates

WeddingsintheUnitedStatesvaryasmuchasthepeopledo.Therearechurchweddingswithagreatdealoffanfare;thereareweddingsonmountain-topswithguestsbarefooted;andtherehavebeenweddingsontheoceanfloorwithoxygentanksfortheguests.Butmanyweddings,nomatterwhereorhowtheyareperformed,includecertaintraditionalcustoms.

Beforeacoupleismarried,theybecomeengaged.Andtheninvitationsaresenttothosewholivenearby,theirclosefriendsandtheirrelativeswholivefaraway.Wheneverythingisready,thencomesthemostexcitingmoment.

Theweddingitselfusuallylastsbetween20and40minutes.Theweddingpartyentersthechurchwhiletheweddingmarch[1]isplayed.Thebridecarryingabouquetenterslastwithherfatherwhowill"giveheraway[2]".Thegroomentersthechurchfromasidedoor.Whentheweddingpartyisgatheredbythealtar,thebrideandgroomexchangevows.Itistraditionaltousethewords"Tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward,forbetter,forworse,forricher,forpoorer,insicknessandinhealth,toloveandtocherish,tilldeathdouspart[3]".Followingthevows,thecoupleexchangerings.Wearingtheweddingringonthefourthfingerofthelefthandisanoldcustom.

Aftertheceremonythereisoftenaparty,calleda"reception"whichgivestheweddingguestsanopportunitytocongratulatethenewlyweds.

Thecarinwhichthecoupleleavesthechurchisdecoratedwithballoons,streamersandshavingcream.Thewords"JustMarried"arepaintedonthetrunkorbackwindow.Thebrideandgroomruntothecarunderashowerofrice[4]thrownbytheweddingguests.Whenthecoupledrivesawayfromthechurch,friendsoftenchasethemincars,honkinganddrawingattentiontothem.Andthenthecouplegoontheirhoneymoon.

美国的国土上居住着各种各样的人，他们的婚礼也千差万别。有热闹庄重的教堂婚礼；有在山顶上举行的婚礼，客人们光着脚陪伴登高；也有在海底举行的婚礼，客人们戴着氧气罐跟着入水。但婚礼无论在哪儿举行或怎样举行，总有某些传统的风俗。

在举行婚礼前先要先订婚，然后发放请贴给住在附近的人和好朋友以及远方的亲戚。当一切准备就绪，就该到最激动人心的时刻了。

婚礼本身通常进行20至40分钟。婚礼一行人伴着结婚进行曲进入教堂。新娘手持一束鲜花和她的父亲最后进来，父亲要把她交给新郎。而新郎则要从侧门进入教堂。当婚礼一行人聚集到教堂的祭坛前时，新娘和新郎互相表达誓言。常用的结婚誓言是：“而今而后，不论境遇好坏，家境贫富，生病与否，誓言相亲相爱，至死不分离。”宣誓过后，二人交换戒指。通常把戒指戴在左手无名指上，这是一个古老的风俗。

礼仪过后，通常会有宴会，叫“喜宴”。宴会给参加婚礼的人一个向新婚夫妇祝贺的机会。

新郎新娘乘坐汽车离开教堂，汽车上装饰有气球，彩色纸带、刮须膏之类的东西。“新婚燕尔”几个字常写在汽车后的行李箱上或后玻璃窗上。新娘新郎从婚礼客人撒下的雨点般的生大米中跑向汽车。小两口儿开车离开教堂时，朋友们常常开车追赶他们，不停地按喇叭，引他们注意。然后小两口儿就接着去度蜜月了。