Seal it with the perfect wedding kiss ...

THE wedding day kiss. Straight forward I hear you say? Well, think again as the ‘wedding day kiss’ is making its way up there as the number 1 most rehearsed wedding ritual of our time.

The kiss is now most definitely the new kid on the block. But ‘the kiss’ is far from a modern day wedding ritual as its origins form one of the most ancient and sacred acts in history, prose and poetry. After all, it was poet, Percy Bysshe Shelly who wrote “… and the sunlight clasps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea: what are all these kissings worth, if thou kiss not me.”

In Roman times the signing of laws and documents were sealed with a kiss that symbolised a human contract of trust. Likewise, the western concept of the wedding kiss is the Christian embodiment of the coming together of souls; signifying the formal and spiritual commitment of two people.

The wedding kiss is a special moment and while the ceremony might be the lawful consummation of a marriage, the kiss signifies the human connection of marriage – and the bit everyone is joyously waiting to see, of course. But is there a wrong or right way to present the perfect wedding kiss before family and friends? Well, apparently so and here’s a few “do’s and don’ts” currently doing the rounds. • Take your time and don’t be shy! Make sure the moment is one to savour. Remember you’ve both done well to get to this point. Also, make sure the photographer has time to get the perfect snap. • Keeping eyes closed is another requirement. • Intimacy over intensity? Now this is entirely your call, but the sound advice is to choose the former - apparently for reasons of formality and old-style chivalry. But you’ve got your whole lives to practice that so if intensity bits, go with it as intensity is produced by special moments and nothing is more special than the first kiss of a newlywed couple.