celebrating the peak season for wedding proposals at holme … · would be passed on to the new...

HolmePierrepontHallHolmePierrepont,NottinghamshireNG122LD

01159332371|www.holmepierreponthall.com|@holmepierreponthall

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

CelebratingthePeakSeasonforWeddingProposals

atHolmePierrepontHall

TheBrackenburyfamilyofHolmePierrepontHallarepreparingfortheforthcomingpeakseasonforweddingproposalsbysharingtheheritageofsomeoldEnglishweddingtraditions.ContrarytopopularopinionthatValentine’sDayisthepeaktimeofyearforweddingproposals,internettrafficevidencesuggeststhatChristmasisactuallythefavouredtimefor‘poppingthequestion’,withasurgeinonlinesearchesforweddingvenuesbeingseenfromtea-timeonChristmasDay.

Beingattheheartofbothweddingceremoniesandreceptionssince1997,HolmePierrepontHallhascelebratedweddingsofalltastesandstylesbuttheTudorheritageofthemanorhousehasweddingtalestotellwhichdatebackcenturies.RobertBrackenbury,19thgenerationownerofHolmePierrepontHallsays:“We’reallfamiliarwithmanypopularweddingtraditionssuchasthrowingconfettiandcuttingthecakebutmanylongheldcustomshavebeenforgottenthroughthegenerationsorareonlydiscoveredwhencouplesstartdoingtheirresearchwhentheyfirstgetengaged.”Forexample,therearelotsoftraditionsandsuperstitionsassociatedwithweddingdressesandhowtheyaremadeandit’sfascinatingtoseehowtheoriginsofmanyofthesetraditionalcustomsareshapingnewtrendstoday.”HolmePierrepontHallisaGradeIlistedTudorManorHousedatingbacktocirca1500setina30acresecludedestate,justafewminutesawayfromTrentBridge.WithsomeoftheoldestbrickworkinthecountyandaGradeIIlistedcourtyardgardenandgrounds,HolmePierrepontHallisnowanexclusive-useweddingvenuebutopensthehouseandgardenstothepublicforselectedeventsthroughout2018.Tofindoutmorevisitwww.holmepierreponthall.comoremailRobertBrackenburydirectatweddings@holmepierreponthall.co.uk

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NOTESFOREDITORS:SourceforseasonalpeakinonlinesearchtrafficGoogleTrendsdata2004–2017availableatwww.google.com/trendsWeddingTraditionsandSuperstitionsfromtheHolmePierrepontHallArchives:

§ SewingtheDressUpuntilrecenttimes,womenworeamoreelaborateeverydaydressratherthanaspecialweddingdressbecauseevenfortherichwealthy,theideaofwearingadressforonedaywasunimaginable.Whenweddingdressesweremade,inEnglishtraditionasmallcoinwasoftensewnintothehemofthegowntobringgoodluckandprosperity.Itwasbelievedthatasmalldetailshouldalwaysbeleftunfinishedonthedressuntilthedayofthewedding,asover-confidencecouldbringdisaster!Absolutelynobodyworkingonaweddingdress,inacommercialworkroomorathomewouldhavedreamedof‘whistlingwhiletheywork’becausewhistling(indaysgoneby)wasbelievedtosummonthedevil.Blackordarkthreadwasalsonevertobeusedonaweddingdress-evenfortacking,asthiswasdeemedtobringbadluck.

§ VeilsandChastityInthepast,brideswereoftenguardedcarefullyuntiltheceremony,toprotecttheirchastityandthebridewouldwearherhairdownandhaveherfacecoveredasasignofthischastity.Traditionally,thebridewouldbeeasilydistinguishableinanagewhenallotherwomenkepttheirhairup.Themodernweddingveilsymbolisesthistoday.Historicalsuperstitionssuggestedthattheveilwasnottobewornortriedonpriortotheweddingday–soasnottoencouragebadluck.Thebridalveilisasymbolofyouth,modesty,andvirginityandwasusedtowardoffevil.

§ TheColouroftheDressIntheearliesttimes,thecolourofthedresswasnotimportant,theninmedievaltimesredwaspopular,andblueandyellowfollowedinpopularity.WebelieveitwasHenryV’sdaughterin1406whoisfirstrecordedaswearingwhite,whereclothofsilverwasthetraditionalmaterialforroyalbrides.Whitecaughtonafterthis,initiallyacolourdenotingpower,iteventuallybecameasymbolforpurity.Bythemid1700s,nobilitywasshapingroyaltywithopulentweddingdressesandtrend-settingdesigns.Atraditionalweddingpoemaboutweddingdresscolourssays,“MarriedinWhite,youhavechosenright,MarriedinBlue,yourlovewillalwaysbetrue,MarriedinPearl,youwillliveinawhirl,MarriedinBrown,youwillliveintown,MarriedinRed,youwillwishyourselfdead,MarriedinYellow,ashamedofyourfellow,MarriedinGreen,ashamedtobeseen,MarriedinPink,yourspiritwillsink,MarriedinGrey,youwillgofaraway,MarriedinBlack,youwillwishyourselfback.”Theparticularlynegativereferenceto‘Sheworeagreendress’wasasayingthatsuggestedtheladyhadloosemorals!

§ Flowersand‘TossingtheBouquet’Thewreathofflowerscarriedbythebridesymbolisedthevictoryofpurityovertemptation.Traditionallybrideshadwornrosesintheirhair,butQueenVictoria’sadoptionoftheGermantraditionfororangeblossomentwinedaroundherveilstartedacrazefororangeblossomwhichlastedformanydecades.Flowerseachhaveasymbolicmeaning.Orangeblossomsignifiespurityandchastity.Rosessymboliseloveandsnowdropsrepresenthope.ThegroomoftenchoosesthesameflowerforhisbuttonholeasavestigeofthetimewhenaKnightwouldwearhisLady'scolourstodisplayhislove.Themodernthrowingofthebouquetfollowsonfromthealarmingancienttraditionoftheweddingpartyparticipatinginpreparingthebrideandgroomforbed.Thebrideandgroom’sstockingswereremovedandthrowntothecrowd,bringinggoodlucktothoselucky

enoughtocatchthem.Thenthecouplewerefinallyleftinpeace!

§ WeddingCakesCakeshavebeenassociatedwithweddingsthroughouthistory.TheRomanssharedacakeduringtheweddingceremonyitself.InAnglo-Saxontimesguestswouldbringsmallcakestotheweddingandstackthemontopofeachother.Laterthecakeswereicedandthetieredcakewasborn.Thetoptierofthecakeisoftenkeptbycouplesforthechristeningoftheirfirstchildtoday.Cuttingtheweddingcakeisnowpartoftheritualcelebrationsatthereception.Thecouplemakethefirstcuttogethertosymbolisetheirsharedfuture.‘TheRibbonPull’AVictorianritualwastohaveasterlingsilvercharmmadeforeachbridesmaid.EachcharmwasattachedtoaribbonandplacedbetweenthelayersoftheWeddingCakebythebaker.BeforetheBrideandBridegroomsharedthefirstsliceofcake,theBridesmaidsassembledaroundittoeachpullonaribbontoextracttheircharmwhichwouldbringthemgoodluckforthefuture.Inlessopulenttimesofwartimewhensugarandfruitwerehardtocomeby,thriftyBrideshidalowlyspongeinsideacovermadeofcardboardandplaster.

§ WeddingRingsTheWeddingRinghasbeenwornonthethirdfingerofthelefthandsinceRomantimes.Theybelievedthattheveininthatfingerrunsdirectlytotheheart.

§ LuckyHorseshoesInthepast,itwascustomaryforthebridetobegivenahorseshoe,whichshecarriedonherwrist.Thesedaysthehorseshoesarelightweightpaperorhandcraftedversions,givenforgoodluck.

§ ‘Somethingold,somethingnew…’TherhymeoriginatedinVictoriantimes,basedonmucholdercustoms.The"somethingold"wasanoldgartergivenbyahappilymarriedwomaninthehopethatherhappinessinmarriagewouldbepassedontothenewbride."Somethingnew"isoftentheBride’sdress."Somethingborrowed"isoftenlentbythebride'sfamilyandmustbereturnedtoensuregoodluck."somethingblue"originatedinancientIsraelwherethebrideworeablueribboninherhairtorepresentfidelity.Asilversixpenceinthebride'sshoewastoensurewealthinthecouplesmarriedlife.Todaysomebridessubstituteapennyintheirshoe.

§ ConfettiConfettiisItalianforsweetswhichinItalyarethrownoverthecoupleastheyemergefromtheChurch.InBritain,beforetheuseofpaperconfettithemarriedcouplewereshoweredwithflowers,petals,riceorgrains,tobestowprosperityandfertility.

Snowdrops2018:HolmePierrepontwillopenitsSnowdropGardenstothepublicinFebruary2018.Seewww.holmepierreponthall.comfordetailsofopeningdates.

PRESSENQUIRIES:RobertandCharlotteBrackenburyHolmePierrepontHallholmepierrepont@aol.com01159332371www.holmepierreponthall.com