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Wedding Traditions
Wedding - In earliest times and up until several hundred years ago, the bride was often exchanged for land, political alliance, social status or currency. Indeed, the Anglo-Saxon word "wedd" meant the groom would vow to marry the woman, and the bartered goods or currency would go directly to the bride's father. (Side note: the very word "wedding" comes from the root term meaning "gamble" or "wager".) In short, a wedding seemed little more than the purchase of a bride for breeding purposes. This of course was not a particularly liberated point of view.
Bride's Bouquet - Originally, the bride carried a bouquet of herbs designed to ward off evil spirits and encourage good ones. Later, flowers that were said to each have a different significance were added to the bride's bouquet.
Rings - Its beginnings lie in the lands along the Nile River in the area we know as Egypt. From the sedges, rushes and reeds growing along the banks of the Nile, were twisted and braided into rings for fingers and bracelets for wrists.
The ring has a lot of built in symbolism. The circle was the symbol of eternity for the Egyptians, as well as, many other ancient cultures. It had no beginning and no end, like time. It returned to itself, like life; and the shape was worshipped in the form of the Sun and the Moon. The hole in the center of the ring is not just space. It is important in its own right, as the symbol of the gateway, or door leading to events both known and unknown.
The ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand, because the ancient peoples believed the vein of that finger traveled directly to the heart.
Veil - The veil began as a sign of modesty and continues today due to its romantic because of its romantic charm.
Groom's Boutonniere - The groom often chooses a flower for his buttonhole, which also occurs in the bride's bouquet. This is a symbolism held from the age when a Knight would wear his Lady's colors to display his love.
Attendants - For a time it was considered unbecoming for a woman to go willingly into a marriage. During this period, the groom would enlist his best friends to help "capture" the bride from her overprotective brothers and relatives.
Garter - In 14th century France, guests would try to remove the bride's garter, believing it would bring good luck. To avoid the assault by drunken guests, brides began taking the garters off and tossing them to the eager crowd.
Bridal Shower - Legend has it that a Dutch father opposed his daughter's marriage and refused to pay her dowry. Her friends "showered" her with gifts and money to ease her into marriage.
Wedding Cake - Beginning in Rome, a thin loaf of bread was broken over the bride's head to insure a life of plenty and the guests ate the crumbs for good luck. Over time it became tradition to stack cakes on top of each other, as tall as possible. The bride and groom were charged to kiss over the top of the tower of cakes, without knocking it down. If they were successful, they looked forward to a lifetime of good fortune together.
Honeymoon - This tradition started in ancient times where couples married during a full moon and drank "honey wine" for 30 days.
The White Wedding Dress - White has been the symbol of celebration since Roman times, but the tradition of the bride's gown being white, as opposed to other colors, did not gain popularity until Queen Victoria decided to be married in a white gown. In at least some Asian cultures, red--not white--is considered to be the color of celebration; white is the color of mourning.
The Couple's First Kiss - Since Roman times, a kiss has been used to bind a legal agreement or to seal a betrothal. In Christian ceremonies, the tradition was transformed to mark the union of man and woman in marriage.
In Medieval times, It was also believed that when two people kissed, a part of their souls were left inside the other during the exchange of breath, and this came to represent the union of two people. Occurring at the end of a ceremony, the kiss also serves as a public announcement of the newly married status of the couple and their commitment to each other.
The Unity Candle - When the wedding couple lights the Unity Candle, it symbolizes the merger of two lives into one. When the Unity Candle is lit by a member of the couple's families (in many cases the mothers of the Bride and Groom, it symbolizes the joining of two families as well as the unity of the couple in marriage. Regardless of who lights the candle, It is also considered a transfer of commitment from the families of the couple to a new commitment of the couple to establish a new family.
A nice and symbolic idea is to place a wreath of the flowers used in the ceremony around the candle, which the wreath is symbolic of the circle or the ring. Once the wedding ceremony is finished have someone responsible to take the wreath and candle to the reception to be used on the wedding table. The candle can be lit again and it carries the symbolic union of the two which were just married over into their new life together at the reception.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe. This good luck saying dates back to Victorian times and many brides try to arrange their wedding attire accordingly. Something Old to tie the bride's family and the past to her new life. Many brides choose to wear a piece of jewelry or a wedding gown from a family member. Something New to bring good fortune and success in the bride's new life. The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item. Something Borrowed is to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her when help is needed. The borrowed object might be something such as a lace handkerchief. Something Blue is the symbol of faithfulness and loyalty. Often the blue item is the garter. The Silver Sixpence is to bring the bride wealth.
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