The shell is also a symbol of beauty and power. The bride may dress in red silk and may wear cardboard wings with feathers on her head. Small coins may be thrown at her. Brides may crown their veils with myrtle, which is the flower of life. The bride may still embroider her name on her handkerchief, carry it on the wedding day, then frame it and keep it until the next family bride marries.
Islanders top their tiered wedding cakes with a tiny sapling.
The newlyweds plant the tree at their home, where they can watch it grow, as their marriage grows. The bride gives the groom a shirt sewn with gold thread blended with colored silks and a wedding ring. Before the ceremony, the groomsman wraps the groom in the bride's cloak to keep evil spirits from creeping in and dividing their two hearts. A rich black cake baked with dried fruits and rum is especially popular on the islands of Barbados, Grenada and St. Lucia. The recipe, handed down from mother to daughter, is embellished by each.