“I do.” To Americans those two words can carry great meaning. They can even change your life. Especially if you say them at your own wedding. Making wedding vows is like signing a contract. Americans don’t really think marriage is a business deal. But marriage is serious business.
     It all begins with engagement. Traditionally, a young man asks the father of his sweetheart for permission to marry her. If the father agrees the man later proposes（求婚）to her. Often he tries to surprise her by “popping the question” in a romantic way. Sometimes the couple just decide together that the time is right to get married. The man usually gives his fiancée a diamond ring as a symbol of their engagement. They may be engaged for weeks, months or even years. As the big day approaches, bridal showers and bachelor’s parties provide many useful gifts¹. Today many couples also receive counseling during engagement. This prepares them for the challenges of married life.
     At last it’s time for the wedding. Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there’s still room for American individualism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while sky-diving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own colors, decorations and music during the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful, long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”. The groom wears a formal suit or tuxedo（礼服）. Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor².
     As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride’s attendants, followed by the beautiful bride and her father, who then sits by her mother as he officially “gives the bride away”. Nervously, the young couple repeat their vows. Traditionally, they promise to love each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health”. But sometimes the couple have composed their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment: “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!”
     At the wedding reception³, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. For humor they would put frosting on each other’s noses. Guests mingle while enjoying cake, punch（五味酒）and other treats. Later the bride throws her bouquet of flowers to a group of single girls. Tradition says that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry. During the reception, playful friends “decorate” the couple’s car with tissue papers, tin cans and a “Just Married” sign. When the reception is over, the newlyweds（新婚夫妇）run to their “decorated” car and speed off⁴. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two- week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage.
     Almost every culture has rituals to signal a change in one’s life. Marriage is one of the most basic life changes for people of all cultures. So it’s no surprise to find many traditions about getting married... even in America. Yet each couple may follow the traditions in a way that is uniquely their own.

(557 words)