10   I can talk about weddings and funerals

A    A typical British wedding

 

When two people are planning to get married, they can choose to have a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony. On the wedding day, the groom¹ is helped by a best man² who brings the rings to the wedding ceremony. The bride³ may have one or more bridesmaids⁴. Afterwards, there is a reception for the couple and the wedding guests⁵. It’s traditional for the best man and the groom to make speeches, and then everyone drinks a toast to the couple, and wishes them a long and happy marriage. After the reception, they usually go on their honeymoon. On the same day every year after that, the couple celebrate their wedding anniversary.

 

Glossary

choose sth PT chose PP chosen  decide which thing you want. choice N.

ceremony  a formal public event.

religious  A religious ceremony takes place in a church, mosque, temple, etc. religion N.

civil  A civil ceremony is a non-religious one.

wedding  a time when a man and woman get married.

rings 

wedding reception   a meal and/or party after a wedding.

traditional  A traditional thing is sth that people have done for a long time.

make a speech  give a formal talk to a lot of people at a special event.

drink a toast to sb  raise a glass of wine, etc. to wish sb success or happiness.

wish sb sth  say that you hope good things will happen to sb.

honeymoon  a holiday for a couple who have just got married.

celebrate sth  have a special meal, party, etc. to show you are happy about sth.

anniversary  the date on which sth happened the previous year or in the past.

 

spotlight  wedding and marriage; bride and groom

A wedding is the ceremony for a couple (two people who are getting married). Marriage is the relationship between a husband and wife.

We went to my sister’s wedding on Saturday.

Jack and Dana’s marriage lasted 40 years.

On the wedding day, the couple are called the bride and groom. After they are married, they become husband and wife. 

3     Complete the phrases using words below.

►   groom  ceremony  a speech  man  a toast  ceremony✓  reception   your honeymoon  anniversary  a happy marriage

►   wedding ceremony

1     go on ____

2     drink ____

3     wish someone ____

4     make ____

5     bride and ____

6     celebrate your ____

7     a religious ____

8     the best  ____

9     a wedding ____

1     go on your honeymoon 

2     drink a toast 

3     wish someone a happy marriage 

4     make a speech 

5     bride and groom

6     celebrate your anniversary

7     a religious ceremony

8     the best man 

9     a wedding reception

5     ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY  Answer the questions in Exercise 4, or ask another student.

Answers from a Norwegian person

1     Yes, you can choose either.

2     Yes, he does, and the bride has a best woman.

3     Sometimes younger family members act as bridesmaids.

4     Yes, they do.

5     Yes. The wedding traditionally takes place in the late afternoon, and there’s often a sit-down meal after that.

6     It could be any number.

7     Yes, very much so. The best man, best woman, bridegroom, bride’s father, and sometimes the bride all make speeches. After that, anyone else who wants to speak can do so, and some guests write a song which is performed by all the guests for the couple.

8     Yes, they do.

9     Yes, normally the day after.

10   Yes, they do.  

            

6     Test yourself. Look at the picture and cover the text. Can you remember the words for the people?

B    The end of a life

1 graves  2 gravestone  3 mourners; the family are in mourning  4 coffin

 

Word    Example      Meaning

die (die of an illness) death N, dead ADJ   

He died of old age.

His death was very sad.

stop living.

widow  Mark’s widow never remarried.    

a woman whose husband has died.

widower He’s been a widower for years. 

a man whose wife has died.

funeral  The funeral was at the church.    

a ceremony after sb dies.

bury sb, burial N  He was buried this morning.     

put a dead body in the ground.

cremate sb  cremation N  My grandmother wasn’t buried; she was cremated.    

burn the body of a dead person as part of a funeral.

cemetery He’s buried in that cemetery.    

a place where dead people are buried.

will N  He left his sister €10,000 in his will.     

a document that says who will have your money or things when you die.

inherit sth  inheritance N  I inherited €1,000 from my uncle.   

receive money or things from sb when they die.

10   Test yourself. Cover the words and examples and look at the meanings. Can you remember the words?