Legacy

Illustration by Caroline Boudreaux

• The candle pass is the most common wedding ceremony tradition. The bride-to-be’s sisters pass a candle, covered at the base with flowers. The sisters each say something about the bride-to-be, then finally pass the candle to the engaged sister to blow out. This ceremony announces the engagement to the chapter as well as celebrates the bonds of sisterhood.

• Brides may choose to wear their membership pin or sorority crest on their slip or somewhere on their gown for good luck. If the groom was in a fraternity, the bride may choose to wear his fraternity’s pin on her garter (as long as it is not on the garter she throws after the ceremony). The groom may also choose to wear his pin on his lapel.

• It varies among sororities, but most chapters have songs to serenade the bride. A groom’s

fraternity brothers often serenade the bride with their fraternity’s sweetheart song, and the bride’s sorority sisters serenade the groom with their sweetheart song.

• Incorporating sorority colors into bridesmaid dresses and including one’s sorority flower or the groom’s fraternity flower into the bouquet is a way Greek brides have celebrated their sororities.

• A bride can take a picture with her attending sorority sisters at her wedding reception and send it to her national magazine with the wedding announcement — it probably will be printed.

• Some sororities have “something borrowed” for sisters to wear at their wedding which often bears the crest or letters of their respective sorority.

• A sorority or fraternity cheer is commonplace in Greek receptions, especially to motivate Greek alumni to get up and dance.