Reverend Dave's Traditions & Folklore

Reverend David Beronio is a licensed wedding officiant in California and Nevada for the past 25 years. Here, he offers some historical perspectives on your favorite wedding traditions:

Money Dance - According to one custom, when arranged marriages were common, the Groom collected a dowry only after his marriage was consummated. The money dance insured that the couple would have some money before they left their wedding reception. According to another wedding tradition, the people of the village gave gifts of pottery, livestock, and garden plants to the newlyweds because the Bride and Groom had no money to acquire these items until they had children, after which a dowry was exchanged.