In ancient times, before churches and official hierarchies, weddings were a celebration town-wide. The guests would include "everyone" in the area. Frequently, the celebrations would last three days, and would occur in both the bride's village as well as the groom's. Functionally, this was to let one and all know that these persons are "no longer on the market" and will begin to cohabitate and raise a family. Yet it was in these ancient celebrations that the first child participants filled an important role in the ceremony. Typically, the youngest son of the eldest married brother on the groom's side would present the bride with a gift from all siblings. Similarly, the youngest daughter from the eldest married daughter on the bride's side would present the groom with a gift from her siblings. In the middle ages, the sibling-gifts transitioned into ring and flower presentations. Today, the tradition continues, and nobody can resist the absolutely darling, cute-as-can-be children walking down the aisle in their formal attire to celebrate in their own unique way the union of two special people.
