Wedding Customs, Beliefs and Traditions

! Something Old ~ Wearing “something old” symbolizes the transition from the bride’s previous life into the life of marriage, not forgetting her previous life and loved ones.

! Something New ~ Wearing “something new” represents the future bringing good fortune and success in the bride’s new life.

! Something Borrowed ~ Wearing “something borrowed” reminds the bride that her family and friends will be there when she needs them. It also signifies good luck and joy to the bride.

! Something Blue ~ Wearing “something blue” was a symbol of loyalty, faithfulness, and purity during biblical times.

! A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe ~ A “silver sixpence” is to wish the bride financial wealth, and the wealth of joy and happiness throughout her married life.

! Bands of Gold ~ Wearing the wedding rings on the third finger of the left hand started with the Egyptians who believed that the vein in the third finger of the left hand connected directly to the heart, the center of all love. The Romans wore it there to represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In the Jewish faith, the band must be continuous and have no indentations.

! Bridal Shower ~ The early 1900's saw the advent of Bridal showers in America and rural parts of Europe. Family and friends gathered together to give the newlyweds gifts to help them with their new home. When this tradition dwindled, the bride’s friends would then start the tradition of “showering” her with gifts.

! Bridal Gown ~ Wearing white originated with Queen Victoria who went against tradition and had a white dress made for her ceremony. Up to that point, royalty wore silver and commoners wore blue. Blue was worn in ancient times because it was the symbol of purity. The Spanish tradition was to wear black silk dresses to symbolize devotion until death.

! Bridal Veil ~ Wearing a veil is thought to have originated long before the gown. Romans, very fond of pre-arranged marriages, covered the bride’s face with a veil so that the groom could not see her face. This was to keep the groom from backing out of the marriage if he did not like what he saw.  It is also thought that the veil signified protection from evil spirits that might be around on the wedding day.

! Bridesmaids ~ Ancient Egyptians believed that when a couple was to marry, evil spirits would come and ruin the atmosphere and joviality of the day with black magic and trickery. The Bridesmaids were very important to the Bride’s well being. Their function was to be clothed in similarly extravagant attire to confuse the evil spirits. Since the evil spirits couldn’t distinguish the bride from the maids they didn’t know whom to “pick on,” and would leave them alone.

! Bridal Flowers ~ If having Bridesmaids were not enough to ward off the evil spirits, the bride would carry pungent flowers and herbs to drive the evil spirits away. This tradition was expanded during Roman times by having the bride and groom wear garlands of flowers to signify their new life and the hope of a fertile union.

! Breaking Glass ~ Breaking the wineglass by stomping on it is a tradition, which reminds the Jews of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem among other meanings. Other beliefs include that the marriage will last until the glass is put together again, or last forever, or that the number of pieces it breaks into is a sign of haw many years the two will live together, or how many children they will have.

! Throwing the Garter ~ This practice began in France when the Bridal attire was considered lucky. Therefore, anyone who caught a piece of the Bride’s clothing could expect good fortune. In the USA, the groom removes the bride’s garter and throws it to unmarried men. The one who catches it is then thought to be the next to get married. This garter is placed on the bride’s right leg, just above the knee. Many brides will wear two garters, one to throw and one to keep.

! Tossing the Bouquet ~ This is a “spin-off” of throwing the garter that is practiced today. The single woman who catches the bouquet is thought to be the next to get married.

! Throwing Rice or Confetti ~ This practice began with the Pagans many centuries ago. It was believed that the throwing of rice or confetti on the Bride and Groom encouraged fertility and easier childbirth for the bride.

! The Wedding Cake ~ The wedding cake was originally a cake of wheat or barley, a custom that started with the Egyptians, who broke the cake over the bride’s head to invoke fertility.

! To the Left of the Groom ~ The bride standing to the left of the groom dates back to the days when the groom would capture his bride by “kidnapping” her. Should a battle with other men ensue, the groom would hold his soon-to-be wife with his left hand so his right hand would be free to use his sword, in order to defend himself and his bride.

! Tying Shoes to the Back of the Car ~ This custom dates back to the Egyptians (again!). They would often exchange or trade their sandals when the possession was passed on to another. Therefore, when the father “gave” his daughter to the groom, he would also give him his sandals. Later the Romans would shower the happy couple with shoes as they left the ceremony. Thank goodness for cars, because today the custom is tying shoes to the back of a car as a symbol of good luck.

! Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold ~ Romans believed that if a bride stumbled when she entered her new home, it would be a sign that bad luck and a doomed marriage were inevitable. Carrying the bride over the threshold would prevent this from happening.

! The Weather ~ Some say that when it rains on your wedding day it will bring unhappiness, bad luck and tears. Other beliefs are that rain brings good wishes and will wash away all the couple’s troubles and woes.

! Marry on Monday ~ Some couples even believe that certain days of the week bring more luck than others and they will even consult an astrologer for advice on the best day to marry. This custom dates back to ancient China.

! Proposals on February 29 (Leap Year) ~ This dates back hundreds of years to Medieval England. According to English law, February 29 was not recognized as a real day and therefore it was “leapt over” or ignored. Since it was not a real day, it was assumed that traditions had no real status. Therefore, women who worried about never marrying took advantage of this “loophole” and did the proposing.

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