Have you ever wondered why brides throw the bouquet? Or why the groom throws the garter? Why do we have bridesmaids and groomsmen? And what's with the wedding cake? Almost every aspect of the wedding ceremony and reception is steeped in history and lore.
The modern western wedding borrows heavily from these old traditions.
With This Ring...
Wedding rings are a symbol of never-ending love and are chosen because of their circular shape, no beginning and no end.
The finger we wear them on today was believed to have a vein that goes directly to the heart.
Originally, engagement rings were used to show that the bride-to-be had been "purchased" in the days when daughters were considered the property of their fathers.
It wasn't until Archduke Maximillian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring in 1477 that the diamond engagement ring began to be tradition.
It's a Nice Day for a...
White Wedding As with many wedding traditions, white means...
you guessed it...
purity.
But we didn't adopt this tradition until Queen Victoria wore white for her groom, Prince Albert.
In this day and age, wearing white isn't expected to only be for the "new" bride.
Many brides aren't getting married for the first time.
A bride can choose to wear white or not, based entirely on her own personal preference.
Un-Veiled! Wedding veils were also based on the appreciation of purity.
However some wedding lore says that it was also used to ward off evils spirits.
It was also used during the times of arranged marriages where the bride and groom may not have even met until the wedding ceremony! This also preempted the idea that it's bad luck to see each other before the wedding, which is still somewhat widely practiced.
This also has ties to the father "giving away" his daughter to be wed.
A young woman was considered the property of her father until he chose to give her away to another man to be his wife.
The Bridal Posse Bridesmaids and Groomsmen were believed to have been used to confuse the evil spirits that would try to disrupt the festivities.
The attendants would dress alike so that the spirits wouldn't be able to identify the couple.
Also, the groomsmen were used during the days when brides were captured from their homes for the purpose of marriage! The groomsmen would help the groom fight off the bride's family.
Garter Toss The customer of throwing the garter dates back to an old English custom called "Flinging the Stocking".
Guests would rush the couples to their chambers and try to steal the bride's stockings for good luck.
The first man to land the stocking on the groom's nose would be the next to wed.
All the Single Ladies! The throwing of the bouquet comes from a similar tradition as the garter toss.
In ancient England, it was believed that obtaining a piece of the bride's bouquet or clothing would bring good luck to the guest that received it.
These tokens became so sought after that the bride would simply toss her bouquet to those in pursuit of her and run away! The bouquet itself was used at one time to ward off those pesky evil spirits again.
Certain herbs were used because of their belief in the ability to do this.
Also, flowers are a symbol of fertility, something that was a huge part of marriage in those times.
The Icing on the Cake In ancient Rome, a loaf of bread was broken over the bride's head for good luck! The guests would scramble to grab a crumb so they could also receive the good fortune.
In medieval England, guests piled sweet rolls as high as they could for couples to kiss over.
This is how today's wedding cake came to be and why they're traditionally layered cakes.
A Side of Rice Who knew we were killing birds? Now days, we don't use rice anymore to send the happy couple off from the wedding.
More commonly bird seed is used.
But it comes from the same origin.
Rice was used as another one of those many fertility symbols.
Just be glad that's the only thing being thrown at you! At one time guests threw fruit, breads, and other foods to wish you luck! The Rules of Engagement Everyone knows the rhyme, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue...
well here's the scoop.
Something Old represents keeping tradition and links to your past.
Something New celebrates a bright new future.
Something Borrowed represents happiness, usually from a happily married relative.
And Something Blue means...
once again...
fertility and modesty.
Don't let the origins of these traditions keep you from enjoying them.
While it's interesting to know the trivia behind them, be happy that you live in a time when no one is going to grab you from your home and run off with you, your father won't sell you to a man you don't know, no one will crack a loaf of bread across your head, and no one is going to try to tear your stockings off when you walk by (at least we home not)! We've long since cultivated these rites into nothing less that of a celebration of your union with the one you love.
The modern western wedding borrows heavily from these old traditions.
With This Ring...
Wedding rings are a symbol of never-ending love and are chosen because of their circular shape, no beginning and no end.
The finger we wear them on today was believed to have a vein that goes directly to the heart.
Originally, engagement rings were used to show that the bride-to-be had been "purchased" in the days when daughters were considered the property of their fathers.
It wasn't until Archduke Maximillian of Austria presented Mary of Burgundy with a diamond ring in 1477 that the diamond engagement ring began to be tradition.
It's a Nice Day for a...
White Wedding As with many wedding traditions, white means...
you guessed it...
purity.
But we didn't adopt this tradition until Queen Victoria wore white for her groom, Prince Albert.
In this day and age, wearing white isn't expected to only be for the "new" bride.
Many brides aren't getting married for the first time.
A bride can choose to wear white or not, based entirely on her own personal preference.
Un-Veiled! Wedding veils were also based on the appreciation of purity.
However some wedding lore says that it was also used to ward off evils spirits.
It was also used during the times of arranged marriages where the bride and groom may not have even met until the wedding ceremony! This also preempted the idea that it's bad luck to see each other before the wedding, which is still somewhat widely practiced.
This also has ties to the father "giving away" his daughter to be wed.
A young woman was considered the property of her father until he chose to give her away to another man to be his wife.
The Bridal Posse Bridesmaids and Groomsmen were believed to have been used to confuse the evil spirits that would try to disrupt the festivities.
The attendants would dress alike so that the spirits wouldn't be able to identify the couple.
Also, the groomsmen were used during the days when brides were captured from their homes for the purpose of marriage! The groomsmen would help the groom fight off the bride's family.
Garter Toss The customer of throwing the garter dates back to an old English custom called "Flinging the Stocking".
Guests would rush the couples to their chambers and try to steal the bride's stockings for good luck.
The first man to land the stocking on the groom's nose would be the next to wed.
All the Single Ladies! The throwing of the bouquet comes from a similar tradition as the garter toss.
In ancient England, it was believed that obtaining a piece of the bride's bouquet or clothing would bring good luck to the guest that received it.
These tokens became so sought after that the bride would simply toss her bouquet to those in pursuit of her and run away! The bouquet itself was used at one time to ward off those pesky evil spirits again.
Certain herbs were used because of their belief in the ability to do this.
Also, flowers are a symbol of fertility, something that was a huge part of marriage in those times.
The Icing on the Cake In ancient Rome, a loaf of bread was broken over the bride's head for good luck! The guests would scramble to grab a crumb so they could also receive the good fortune.
In medieval England, guests piled sweet rolls as high as they could for couples to kiss over.
This is how today's wedding cake came to be and why they're traditionally layered cakes.
A Side of Rice Who knew we were killing birds? Now days, we don't use rice anymore to send the happy couple off from the wedding.
More commonly bird seed is used.
But it comes from the same origin.
Rice was used as another one of those many fertility symbols.
Just be glad that's the only thing being thrown at you! At one time guests threw fruit, breads, and other foods to wish you luck! The Rules of Engagement Everyone knows the rhyme, Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue...
well here's the scoop.
Something Old represents keeping tradition and links to your past.
Something New celebrates a bright new future.
Something Borrowed represents happiness, usually from a happily married relative.
And Something Blue means...
once again...
fertility and modesty.
Don't let the origins of these traditions keep you from enjoying them.
While it's interesting to know the trivia behind them, be happy that you live in a time when no one is going to grab you from your home and run off with you, your father won't sell you to a man you don't know, no one will crack a loaf of bread across your head, and no one is going to try to tear your stockings off when you walk by (at least we home not)! We've long since cultivated these rites into nothing less that of a celebration of your union with the one you love.
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