His parents are both Czech immigrants (father from Morava-Slovacko near Uherske Hradiste; mother from eastern Bohemia near Hradec Kralove).

I read several books on international wedding customs in an effort to have our wedding reflect our cultural backgrounds (I was raised in the southern United States).

I found a small blurb in a wedding traditions book published in England that described the weaving of a rosemary wreath for Czech, especially Moravian, brides. The custom is also practiced by the Rusyns of eastern Slovakia.

According to the book, whose title I have now forgotten, a bride wove her wreath of rosemary the night before her wedding. I cheated a little bit and bought a rosemary plant and had my florist make the wreath for me.

When my father-in-law saw the wreath, he knew immediately what it was. He said he remembered his parents talking of this old custom.

Best wishes to anyone who tries this, but be warned...the rosemary sheds during the reception afterward!

Ramona Murphy Bartos
Guyton, GA

You can reach Ramona at rbartos@technautics.com.

The Rosemary plant is called Maryanka in Czech. There are many poems written about Maryanka. Many of the the poems are associated with weddings.

The Rosemary Company offers unique gifts of remembrance - The Rosemary company presents a selection of unique scented herbal gifts for wedding, shower, anniversary, and memorial tributes. Rosemary has a special place in the Eastern European Wedding Tradition.