(Serving the Amicalola Falls area in the North Georgia Mountains)
This part of the wedding vow isentirely optional. Traditionally, the father of the bride is the one who ischarged with this task.
If this part is included, he walksthe bride down the aisle with her on his left arm, so that he is standingbetween the bride and the groom, as a metaphorical barrier.
When asked “Who gives this woman tobe married to this man?”, he commonly will answer, “I do.” The more modern wayof answering is to say, “Her mother and I do.”
After that, if the bride is wearinga veil, the father will turn it back and then leave to go back to his seat,usually next to the bride’s mother on the front row. Sometimes, he gives hisdaughter a kiss before retiring to his chair.
Some brides prefer in this part ofthe wedding vow to have the minister ask, “Who presents this woman to bemarried to this man?” instead. The more traditional “Who gives?” dates back tothe times when women literally belonged to their fathers and were married offin exchange for a dowry.
Many women do not feel comfortableusing the old way and prefer the “Who presents?”, as this puts them on a moreequal basis. Sometimes a bride will adamantly prefer one over the other andeither is fine to use.
If a woman’s father is no longerliving or available, another person may be designated to have the honor of this wedding vow. Abrother, favorite uncle, grandfather, or any other member of the family may dothis part of the ceremony. I have even done weddings where the single mother ofthe bride “gave her away.”
No matter which version is used inthe ceremony, it needs to be placed fairly close to the beginning so that theone presenting the bride will not have to remain standing up at the alter for verylong. I did one ceremony where the couple did their own vows and put that partway down at the end.
The honoree was handicapped and standing on crutches, and he finally sat down before I could get to it because it was painful for him to stand. When planning wedding, one should take into consideration the needs of all participants in the ceremony.
You may go to my Facebook page to see examples of weddings I've done at various venues.
Alternative weddings by Rev. Roberts is available in Dawsonville,Ellijay, Jasper, Dahlonega, Cumming, Gainesville and any of the othersurrounding north Georgia areas within a 30 mile radius of Amicalola Falls, GA. ALL couples welcome, including LGBT.
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