Long Listening · Section 5

Weddings

I think that this is a fun topic because there are so many customs

Level: A2 · 67 sentences

Transcript

1. I think that this is a fun topic
2. because there are so many customs
3. and traditions when it comes to weddings. And it's also interesting
4. because different countries' weddings could be considered a reflection of those countries.
5. So let's talk about some of the most important traditions involved in American weddings.
6. First, you have to understand that traditionally,
7. weddings are a big deal in the US.
8. Little girls often dream about their future wedding day
9. and about wearing their beautiful wedding dress.
10. The wedding dress is one of the most important parts of the American wedding,
11. so women spend a lot of time trying to find the perfect gown.
12. The bride attracts most of the attention at weddings,
13. so of course she wants to look as stunning as possible.
14. The groom doesn't get quite as much attention as the bride,
15. and so the groom's suit isn't quite as important as the bride's dress.
16. If you've watched American movies that include wedding scenes,
17. you've probably noticed that both the bride
18. and the groom have people standing next to them at the ceremony.
19. These people are called the bridesmaids and the groomsmen.
20. The most important bridesmaid is called the maid of honor,
21. and the most important groomsman is called the best man.
22. In the US, it's a big honor
23. to be asked to be the best man
24. or the maid of honor at a wedding.
25. Usually, both of these people give a speech during the reception.
26. The reception is the word we use for the party
27. that comes after the ceremony. In the US, both the ceremony
28. and the reception are important, but the ceremony is especially important.
29. In other countries, like Mexico, the ceremony is not important.
30. Many people skip the ceremony and just show up for the reception.
31. In the US, nobody would do that.
32. Everyone wants to see the ceremony.
33. There are several important elements to the ceremony in American weddings.
34. For example, there's usually a flower girl or a ring bearer.
35. A flower girl is a young girl
36. that walks down the aisle tossing flowers on the ground.
37. And a ring bearer is a young boy
38. that carries the rings down the aisle.
39. Then there's the minister who officiates the wedding
40. and does most of the talking.
41. And one other important element is the wedding vows.
42. The vows are the promises that the bride
43. and groom make to each other in front of everyone.
44. It's often an emotional experience when the bride and groom read their vows.
45. And then after the ceremony, everyone goes
46. to the reception hall for the party.
47. Sometimes the reception hall is at the same location as the ceremony,
48. but other times it's not.
49. And so people have to drive there after the ceremony.
50. During the reception, there's a big catered meal.
51. When I say that the meal is catered,
52. this means that it's provided by some outside company.
53. Then after the meal, there are some speeches and, of course, dancing.
54. Later on at some point, everyone stops
55. to eat some wedding cake and to watch the bouquet toss.
56. The bouquet toss is the custom
57. where the bride throws her bouquet of flowers over her head
58. and then all of the single girls
59. who are at the wedding try to catch the bouquet.
60. It's thought that the girl
61. who catches the bouquet will be the next person to get married.
62. It's a fun tradition. Lastly, let me just mention the gifts.
63. In many American weddings, the bride and groom register their wedding
64. at a store like Walmart, Target, or even Amazon.
65. Then the guests can choose a present from that store's items
66. that the bride and groom put on their wish list.
67. This way, the couple knows that they'll get the presents that they really want.