Want To Get The Most From Your Commemorative Wedding Glasses? Take A Cue From Bulgaria

The champagne toast, or the drinking of some specialized alcoholic beverage, is a common wedding tradition throughout the world. In the United States, these traditions are borrowed and built upon to create truly unique wedding memories. Since that first toast and the party celebrating your union is something you will want to remember forever, you will probably opt to get specialty champagne glasses. However, if you want to create some really spectacular moments with these glasses from a place like Crystalizeonline, consider some of these Eastern European wedding traditions, taken from Bulgaria. 

Make the Toast Part of the Ceremony 

In the United States, most wedding toasts are done at the reception. This is true in Bulgaria as well, but the first and most important toast is done during the ritual ceremony at the court house. 

In order to be legally married in Bulgaria, you must supply the justice of the peace with an unopened bottle of champagne and two ritual glasses. Before the guests are invited into the wedding hall, the best man is asked to uncork the bottle and fill the glasses. During the ceremony, the bride and groom are instructed to drink their first toast together by the officiant. They are expected to empty the entire glass as any left over champagne will turn into future tears. 

This is a great way to do your first toast because it is an intimate moment that is shared between you and your significant other but witnessed by your friends and family. At the reception it is then appropriate for the bride and groom to welcome their guests with another champagne toast. 

Tie the Glasses Together 

Once the bride and groom make it to the reception and receive flowers and cards from each of their guests, they welcome everyone with a champagne toast. However, before the reception their champagne glasses are tied together with a long, traditionally white, ribbon. After the first toast the bride and groom are expected to always have their champagne glasses in hand, unless they are dances. The ribbon ensures that they cannot stray far from their new spouse throughout the evening. 

This could be a fun, playful way for you and your spouse to experience the first, "ties of marriage." 

Drink Up, But Keep Them Filled 

As was stated earlier, during the first toast, the bride and groom should drink all of their champagne. However, after that it is the best man and maid of honor's job to make sure the couple's glasses are never emptied again. This represents the wealth of love and the support of the couple's friends. 

Often, American couples find that they are so busy greeting guests at their wedding that they do not get to eat dinner or have a drink. By assigning this duty to your close friends you can at least be sure your glass will always be full. 

Select Glasses You Will Use Often 

In Bulgaria, the ritual champagne glasses are not only used once. The couple usually displays them in their home, and they are brought out any time the family drinks champagne, which is at least every New Year's Eve. For this reason, most wedding glasses are engraved with the names of the couple and the date of the wedding, but other than that they boast general designs that can be used for every occasion. 

If you use your wedding glasses often, for anniversaries and even dinner parties, you will constantly be reminded of the joy of your special day. For this reason, think about getting something you will want to use after your wedding instead of glasses that have a specific wedding motif. 

Every couple selects which traditions they want to use in order to make their wedding reflect their values as well as to make the day memorable and fun. Even if you don't use these Bulgarian traditions, perhaps you will think of some other way to really make your glasses a part of something to remember.