Fun Facts - Wedding Traditions and Superstitions

*  Why do brides wear white?  The color white has been a symbol of joy, happiness and celebration since very early in Roman times.  But brides didn't always wear white.  In the 18th century, brides simply wore their Sunday best.  Red was a favorite during the middle ages in Europe and still is in some Asian cultures.  Other colors were often worn for symbolic reasons;  blue for constancy, green for youth (not wealth?!)  and so on.  The color white also came to be a symbol wealth and stature as many people didn't have the disposable income to own such a garment that was bound to get dirty and then could never be worn again.  (guess they didn't know about bleach)  It wasn't until sometime in the early 20th century that the color white came to symbolize purity.  Now white is generally acceptable to be worn by any bride, regardless of her age or "purity".  Some brides are even opting for other colors such as Rum pink, Platinum silver, Champagne gold, etc ... though these colors have little meaning, it is just a fashion statement. 


*  Ever wonder why brides wear veils?  There is much superstition behind many of the traditions involved in weddings.  The veil holds some interesting ones ... It was once thought to hide the bride from would be kidnapers, just as the similar dress of the bridal attendants was originally intended.  Then some thought that having the face of the bride hidden, would somehow render what was "hidden" to be of greater value.  Another early interpretation was that the veil was a symbol of the bride's youth and virginity.  Others say it shows the subordination of the bride to her groom.  And the act of lifting the veil at the end of the ceremony symbolizes the husbands dominance or control over his new wife.  If the bride takes the initiative to lift it, thereby presenting herself to him, it shows that she is independent and/or his equal.  Today the veil is just part of the bridal fashion and these days many brides choose not to wear it over their face.  


* Ever wonder just what the letters RSVP actually mean?  The abbreviation RSVP actually stands for "Répondez, S'il Vous Plaît", which is a French term meaning "please respond".  So this means that the little notice "Please RSVP" that we always put in our invitations is actually saying the same thing twice; opps!


* Giving of the bride:  Back in the days of women having few privileges and even fewer personal rights, the bride was literally given away like property to the groom by her father.  Usually this was a trade of sorts, in exchange for some sort of monetary gain or social stature.  Today, it is seen as the symbolic blessing of the brides family in that they support the union.  This can also be seen as a promise of continued support, trust and affection.  Today when the question is asked by a clergy during the ceremony, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man," the father's response is usually, "Her mother and I"


* Why do we wear rings and why do we wear them on our left hand?  Did you know that the groom didn't always wear a ring?  There are many different views of where the tradition of wearing a ring comes from.  In Greek mythology, it was told that Prometheus smelted a ring from the fire of the gods out of his love for mankind.  Some say the act of giving a ring is more of a symbol of the groom's willingness to make personal and financial sacrifices in order to 'take care of' his bride.

Early wedding rings were used to seal the 'sale' and transfer ownership of the woman from her father to her new husband. Such rings were usually gold as a sign of wealth and status.  Some have said that the ring was worn on the left hand of the bride because it was the weakest finger on the weakest hand and thus the ring symbolized a husbands control over his wife.  And of course to tell other men that she was taken, which is one of the ways we use the ring today.

A more romantic tradition has the wedding rings worn on the third finger of the left hand as there was an old Egyptian belief that there is a vein in this hand that runs directly to the heart. It was known as "the vein of love"

Most look at the ring now as a symbol of love and commitment. An unending circle made of an unbreakable metal and therefore signifies an unbreakable love and an unending commitment.

There isn't much mention about the groom wearing a ring at all until the early 1900's.

* Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue ... what does this rhyme really mean?  Something Old is suppose to represent the brides family and the good luck passed on from the previous owner of the item; Something New is to represent a bright new future ahead; Something Borrowed represents the well wishes of the person the item is borrowed from ... and Something Blue is suppose to represent loyalty and constancy.  Brides use to sew a blue ribbon into the hem of the dress.  Some may have a blue ribbon tied around the bouquet ... these days it is most popular to just wear a blue or blue trimmed garter or even blue undies ;-)  There is a lesser known ending to this little rhyme is "...and a brand new penny in my shoe"  This is a symbol of good luck and a shinny new beginning.


*  What about the tradition of the wedding cake?   It seems to have all started in Ancient Roman times where the groom, would crumble wheat cakes over the brides’ head to symbolize fertility and abundance.  Often guests at the wedding would pick up the fallen pieces off the floor in a hope to catch such a blessing for themselves.  However, the tiered wedding cake comes from a medieval tradition where the wedding guests would all bring small cakes as gifts and they would be piled up on a table.  Then at the end of dinner the bride and groom would try to kiss over the mountain of cakes without toppling them over.  If they were successful, it was said to bring good luck and a long and prosperous marriage.  Eventually, a clever young baker decided to put all the small cakes together and cover them with frosting, thus the traditional tiered wedding cake was born.  The bride and groom make the first cut in the cake together and share the first piece to signify sharing in their new life together.  To most today the wedding cake means little more than desert.  However, some do still see it as a symbol of good fortune on some level, but instead of crumbling the cake over the brides’ head, we symbolically gain the good fortune by eating it.  Good fortune never tasted so good ;-)   


* Ok, now what about the grooms cake?  This comes from an old southern tradition and once was actually referred to as the wedding cake and the fancier cake was called the brides cake.  The grooms cake was usually a fruit cake and was cut into slices and passed out as favors to the guests and taken home.  One superstition was if an unmarried young girl would put the cake under her pillow, she would dream of her future husband.  Nowadays the grooms cake is usually chocolate though it can be anything the groom likes as it's main purpose now is to give the groom a special part of the wedding.  Many brides order the grooms cake as a secret and have it shaped and/or decorated to reflect the grooms' personality, interests or hobbies. You could also have him pick it out himself.  It is usually served at the reception but some brides have been known to serve the grooms cake at the rehearsal dinner.  This works especially well for those with a smaller guest list.


*  So why is the summer wedding so popular?  This is believed to have started in the late 1500's ... most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and they still smelled pretty good by June.  So why didn't they just get married in May?  I thought the same thing myself, but May was actually seen as a bad time to marry.  June was seen as a better time for many reasons; one being that June was known as the "month of roses" and roses were, and still are, considered a symbol of love.  The warm weather of the time has a lot to do with it too; good weather often meant that the 'gods' were smiling on you.  Another reason June is so popular has to do with who the month was named after; "Juno", the Roman 'goddess' of marriage.  So it makes sense that a month named for such a 'goddess' would be deemed best for a prosperous marriage.
 

*  Ever wonder why the bride stands on the left during the ceremony?  This tradition is believed to have come from Medieval times when women were often forced to marry for wealth and stature rather than for love.  The bride usually fell in love with someone else, often some sort of an outlaw  (we all love those "bad boys")  So her beloved would have to "rescue" her from this fate and a sword fight would ensue.  Being that most of us are right handed; the would-be groom could take his bride to his left and still have his right hand free to defend himself.  Kind of like how Robin Hood rescued maid Maryann from marring the nasty sheriff ;-) 


*  Where does the old " ... speak now or forever hold your peace" come from?  This may have come from several places ... there is a Catholic practice from centuries ago where the church would send out announcements of the upcoming marriage, to keep people from marring without the consent or knowledge of their parents, and to be sure that the couple was not related.  Similar practices are still part of some Catholic churches today.

There are also ties to this from times of arranged marriages.  Such marriages were sort of a contract between the bride's father and the groom.  So if they had not come to a suitable agreement, this was a perfect moment to speak up before it was too late.

This may also be a reference to the bride's virginity, as there once was a time when virginity was required of the bride for the marriage to be legal.  (the groom was not held to the same requirement!?)

In Jewish weddings, couples sign a "marriage contract", called a "Ketubah" where they pledge their love and support of each other.  I believe that this "contract" states something similar to the old "Speak now . . ." statement.
 

* The aisle runner and scattering rose petals in the aisle:  This comes from a belief that a young woman was very susceptible to evil sprits, such as the "ground monster"  But another interpretation came later, in that the bride is treated as royalty on her wedding day and so would not be expected to walk on the same ground as the rest of the "commoners" such as guests and wedding party.  So now it is just another way to add a dramatic effect to the brides grand entrance.



*  What about the first kiss a bride and groom share at the end of the marriage ceremony?  It was once thought that a newly married couple exchanged spirits with their breath as they kissed and that a part of their souls were exchanged as well.  This is another way of symbolizing the whole "Two become one" thing.  Now it is just an act to define the new married status and "seal it with a kiss" 

 

* Jumping the broom - "Contrary to popular belief "Jumping the broom" was not invented by "slaves" because their "masters" refused to allow them to marry.  It is a West African tradition dating back to before the first Europeans visited there, and it is more of an affirmation of cultural heritage.  The broom is filled with both symbolic and spiritual importance in African culture.  This practice can be preformed by any who wish to honor and respect African and African American ancestry and heritage."
 

*  So what is the deal with favors?  We give favors today as a little token of thanks for all our guests that come out to share our day.  (and give gifts) The tradition of guest favors comes from the idea that the happy couple have been blessed with good fortune and are "lucky in love".  Therefore the favors are a way to not only thank guests for coming but also to symbolically pass on the "good luck"    


 

*  Why do we throw the bouquet?  We all know that the single lady who catches the tossed bouquet is said to be the next lucky bride ... but not many know where this tradition comes from.  It is actually derived from an old custom where single ladies would tear a piece of fabric from the brides dress (blue ribbons were once loosely sewn into the dress for this purpose) to bring them good luck in the hopes that they too would soon catch themselves a man to marry.  So the modern day "bouquet toss" is a much more civilized alternative to this practice and lets the bride keep her dress in one piece!  
 

* Ok, so what about the garter?  Just like the bouquet toss, there is a not so civilized root to this tradition as well.  Ages ago the couple would walk to and from the church followed by the wedding party; after the wedding was over, the single members of this processional would often follow the couple to the bedroom and 'playfully' steal their stockings.  The men would toss the stockings at the couple while the ladies cheered them on.  Apparently the couple went along with this!  The first one to hit the bride or groom would be the next to marry.  Could you imagine if we still did this?!
 

*  Why do we throw rice and such at the newlyweds as they leave?  This tradition has roots in ancient Chinese culture where rice was once thought to be a symbol of fruitfulness, prosperity and fertility (and still is in some areas).  Tossing it after the wedding was thought to bestow these blessings on the happy couple.  These days this tradition has been replaced with the more eco-friendly birdseed, or rose petals.  Rice has been found to be dangerous to the birds and some animals that may eat it off the ground after the event is over.  Bubbles are also quite popular these days. 


*  What about carrying the bride over the threshold?  There are many ideas about where this tradition stems from, here are a few ... there was an old belief that says a newly married young woman was very susceptible to evil sprits such as the "ground monster" (same as the aisle runner and scattering rose petals in the aisle)  carrying the bride would protect her from such things.  Some have said that this tradition is taken from back when a man would "steal" his bride, often by force, and have to carry her kicking and screaming into what would be her new home.  And finally, there is an old Roman belief that says it would bring bad luck to the couple if the bride stumbled when entering their new home for the first time.  This act is not very widely practiced today, those that do it prefer to see it as a symbol of being "swept off your feet" 


*  The honeymoon is another interesting one ... There seems to be 2 concepts here ... centuries ago it was the norm for the bride's father to supply his new son-in-law with all the "mead" he could drink for a period of a month after the wedding.  "Mead" is honey beer, and was believed to be the drink of a "real man" so if he could handle it, he would gain the Father's approval.  This period was called "Honey-month"  The calendar was based on the moon cycle then, which is where we get what is now known as the "Honeymoon"  Another idea was that both the bride and groom would drink this "honey beer" or "honey wine" for a moon cycle (a month) in order to guarantee fertility in their marriage.  Today, the honeymoon is pretty much just an excuse for a vacation and a time for the newlyweds to be alone together; which could have the same "fertile" result *wink*  However, unless your lucky, the honeymoon usually doesn't last a month.
 

* Information for these "Fun Facts" have been taken from various
sources and is to be used for entertainment purposes only *