Timeless Classics

Kira Doman

March 24, 2025

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There have been many wedding traditions to come and go throughout history, including the meaning of the marital act as a whole and the symbolization of the celebration, but the collection we’ve compiled for this piece have, so far, stood the test of time, and are what we at Gather have deemed the “timeless classics” of a wedding – withstanding the less than savory past and evolving to anticipate the sweetest future.

Cover Photo Credit: Riley Keck Photography

The kiss of a new lifetime

While the first wedded kiss between a couple has been a tradition for millennia, its’ precise origin can’t exactly be traced. However, many believe this tradition dates back to Ancient Rome, when weddings were seen as a transaction between a couple and their families for status and wealth, which was done by many cultures and eras in the past and is still done in some cultures today. The kiss was the symbol that the transaction had been fulfilled, and is where the phrase, “sealed with a kiss” is thought to come from.

The first wedded kiss is still a powerful symbol for the couple, but a symbol of real and true love made official in front of their loved ones. This is one of the crucial moments for photography or painting scenes during the special event that each couple looks forward to having as now it truly is a moment full of love and excitement for their new chapter together.

Photography Credit: Morgan Ashley-Lynn Photography

Toasts and well wishes from loved ones

The wedding toast: whether you wrote it down months or weeks ago, or waited until the mere hours leading up to the time you take the mic, these words of love and encouragement have been part of the special occasion for many generations.

The definition of the word “toast” in this manner is traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries, as the practice of dipping a slice of burnt or spiced browned bread into a glass of ale, malt, mead, or wine was thought to enhance the flavor of the beverage, and was then followed by a few words of recognition or celebration to the hosts. After the beverage absorbed enough of the bread’s flavor, the piece of toast was typically discarded.

Photography Credit: Maple Hope Photography

Over time, as our beverages saw improvement, the piece of toast left our glasses but the sentiment of thanks and congratulations remained to sweeten the night. With all of these additions and improvements to cocktails, wines, and spirits, couples now tend to explore the cocktail customization options in their color palette, overall theme, or something else that harkens back to a loving moment in their relationship.

“Espresso-tinis and their variations seem to be sticking around,” Taylor Braun, Gather events manager, said. “I think we've become more coffee-centric people, so obviously the espresso-tini is here to stay. The Aperol Spritz is always a big one too; it came out a while ago, but it's only recently starting to receive a ‘cult following’, specifically around the fall.”

Specialty cocktails and mocktails will always have a place in many couples’ hearts. Like Braun mentioned, over the past five years, espresso martinis and the Aperol spritz have continued to rise in popularity, however, in Wisconsin, the Old Fashioned has and will always be in style.

“Personally, I think it's an awesome offering to have,” Taylor said. “We've even seen people go one step further by naming the cocktails after pets and purchasing Swizzle sticks with pictures of their pets on them to include with each drink, it's really cool. We've seen a lot of personalization with these ways to accentuate your day and bar experience, and we love it.”

Photography Credit: Kate Wilde Photography

A gathered meal

While the table arrangements have changed based on era, culture, theme, or just simply personal preference, the concept of a collaborative meal between parties after a wedding ceremony has always been custom.

Back when weddings used to be much less extravagant affairs, marital ceremonies would sometimes be compiled together, with multiple couples wedded at the same ceremony as this act was a matter of status and wealth between family names and bloodlines, hardly ever focused on the love aspect of it all. Couples and their families would meet for a meal or tea service after the adjoined ceremony to bring the occasion back to a personal level.

Photography Credit: Alyssa Sachs Photography

The commonality of multiple weddings within the same ceremony has significantly dropped with the modernization of time, and the meals have become a bit grander in scale, some thematic, even, with the overall sense of love expressed as this is typically when toasts are conducted.

Meals together as a family and with friends have been a longstanding sign of unification and a desire to be close with one another. Celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and overall good news always leave the exciting opportunity to elevate the meal with one another, and offer space to share a story through your meal with the chosen menu.

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First wedded dance

The first dance of a wedded couple didn’t actually begin at a wedding at all, but was a tradition seen in 17th-century balls of the wealthy, where the hosts would typically start the evening with a dance, welcoming their guests. It’s thought that this moved into the wedding traditions somewhere in the late 19th century, where couples would take to the floor with a rehearsed dance displaying their partnership to their guests.

The tradition of the first dance hasn’t changed in meaning over these years, still being used by our hosts and guests of honor to welcome their loved ones to their celebration, and open up the dance floor to the rest of their friends and family, kicking off the start to a fun and memorable night!
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Photography Credit: Riley Keck Photography

While a slow waltz, rumba, or the generic slow dance are most common between couples throughout the history of the first dance, some use this opportunity to display a fun element of their relationship to their guests. This has been seen in ways such as a coordinated and collaborated dance, a dance that is “interrupted” in the middle with tied-in a reference to the relationship, or even a famous dance from some piece of media the two share a love for!
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Guest games and interactivity

After the ceremony has concluded, people have finished their meals, had a few sweet bites, and celebrated on the dance floor with a few songs, many guests have come to expect a fun variety of wedding games to keep them entertained throughout the event. The classic games that may come to mind include the tradition of bouquet tossing or “the shoe game”, however, games have become a bit more involved for the guests lately, as requested by the couples!

Mackenzie Liedtkey, events manager for Gather on Broadway, explained how she has noticed a rising trend in including bigger aspects or experiences in weddings for guests to be involved in, such as a variation on a build-your-own bar, interactive centerpieces, themed games, or even experience-based souvenirs such as tattoos or permanent jewelry!

Photography Credit: Courtney Breider Photography

“I think having some sort of experience for your guests, either something a bit trendier or something more traditionally done, incorporating personality into the wedding itself in these various ways will never go out of style,” Liedtky smiled. “Whether that's through a party favor, games, or from showcasing photos or themed decor throughout the space – that longing for creative customization won't ever go away.”

Overall, Mackenzie has noticed this desire by couples for their guests to be involved in an elevated level at these celebrations of love, annunciating the personality of the couple they’re celebrating in a way all of their loved ones can understand and be involved in as well. Such as the way the tossing of the bouquet has evolved from its origin, rooted in desperation to be the next one to secure a match to provide for the family line, to now, as an act of love and celebration, involving those who were able to be present in their celebration of love and unification.