The wedding dress and the veil
The color of the bride’s dress is perhaps one of the best known wedding traditions. Since the 16th century, the color white has been associated with purity and virginity. Many also credit the tradition of wearing white to Queen Victoria who decided to do without the usual silver color. Before that, women simply married in their best dress in a color of their choice.
One of the main uses of the bridal veil is said to date back to the days of arranged marriages. The bride’s family may have been afraid that her potential husband would run away if she did not live up to their expectations. The bride then wore a veil until her father hands her over to her groom.
Originally worn by ancient Roman brides, the veil also served to protect them from evil spirits by acting as a disguise.
Something old…
The Victorian era gave us this popular wedding rhyme:
something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
Silver sixpence in your shoe
“Something old” refers to hopes that old friends will remain closed during the marriage. Usually the bride was given an old garter to be worn by a woman who had been happily married for a long time. “Something new” is used to symbolize the couple’s new and hopefully prosperous future together.
“Something borrowed” is usually a valuable item lent to the bride by her family. Returning the item ensures that you will have good luck. The custom of “something blue” is said to have started many years ago in Israel when brides wore blue ribbons in their hair to represent fertility.
“Silver Sixpence in Thy Shoe” was used to ensure that the newlyweds had a lot of wealth in their married lives. Although nowadays most brides opt for a penny in the shoe as silver sixpence is not as common as it used to be.
the bridesmaids
A superstitious tradition dating back centuries, wedding attendants, known as bridesmaids, were actually necessary to protect the bride from evil spirits. They would dress similarly so that any lurking malevolent beings would be confused and unable to cast their spells on the bride. Today, of course, bridesmaids are more useful in helping to plan the wedding and serving the bride on the big day.
the wedding cake
Tradition says that the bride should be the first to cut the cake, lest the couple be cursed with a childless marriage. It is also believed that it will be unlucky for the new couple if all the guests present do not eat at least a small part of the wedding cake.
The bride must also keep a piece of the cake to ensure that her new husband remains faithful.
The toss of the bouquet and the league
Tradition says that the woman who picks up the bridal bouquet will be the next to enter married life. Similarly, the bride’s garter is thrown over the groom’s shoulder to unmarried male guests who are also hoping to be married next.
The honeymoon
The honeymoon is believed to date back to the days when the groom captured his bride, hiding them both from their parents until they became pregnant. Honey wine was drunk in the hope of increasing fertility as the phases of the moon passed, leading to the name honeymoon.