| The
Engagement Ring... |
| The engagement ring
symbolizes the promise of a future together. This promise is
sealed with the giving and accepting of a ring. |
| Giving and receiving
of the engagement ring was a Roman 15th century tradition where a man
gave his beloved something valuable as a sign of his desire to marry
her. If she accepted his gift, it signified their pledge to be
married and was a legally binding transaction. She wore his ring -
signifying she was no longer available. |
| The custom of
proposing on one knee goes back to the days of knighthood and chivalry
when it was customary for a knight to dip his knee in a show of
servitude to his mistress. |
| In medieval times,
the groom usually had to "pay" the family for the bride's had in
marriage. Precious stones were often included in this "payment" as
a symbol of his intent to marry her. |
| In 860 the Roman
Catholic pope (Nicholas I) declared that an engagement ring was required
of all those who intended to marry. If either the man or woman
later violated the vow to marry, he/she was excommunicated to a nunnery. |
|
Diamonds are classic and
beautiful. The diamond has emerged as the sign of betrothal
because of its clarity and brilliance. Diamonds were once believed
to have protective properties - the light reflected from the bright
stones was thought to ward off evil spirits jealous of the couple's
happiness. A Diamond's brightness is a symbol of purity,
sincerity, and fidelity, and as one of the hardest substances in the
world. |
 |
| The
Bridal Shower... |
| The first bridal
shower was given to a poor couple in Holland. They were denied the
bridal dowry because of the groom's lowly miller status. The
bride's father disapproved of the young man. The miller's friends
showered the bride with gifts to help them set up housekeeping. |
| Today, bridal
showers are for fun, to strengthen friendships with the bride, give
moral support and prepare the bride for her new home. |
|
|
|
The
Wedding Band... |
| The wedding band
dates back to 17th century BC Egypt where wedding rings had a
supernatural significance, a never-ending band signified eternal love.
The never-ending circle of a wedding band symbolizes eternal love by its
lack of a beginning and an end. This tradition grew out of an
ancient tribal custom of using circlets of grass to decorate a bride's
wrist and ankles. |
| Wear your engagement
ring in front of your wedding band (the engagement ring is toward the
fingernail and the wedding band is toward the knuckle). Your
engagement ring is the "protector" of your wedding band. This is
based on a medieval Italian tradition of the diamond is created from the
eternal flames of love. |
| The significance of
wearing the ring on the third finger of the left hand is the early
belief that a vein from that finger leads directly to the heart. A
ring on this finger expresses true love. Another possible
explanation why we wear our wedding rings on this finger is: during the
17th century in a Christian wedding, the Priest arrived at the forth
finger (counting the thumb) after touching the three fingers on the left
hand '...in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost'. |
| Victorian wedding
rings were in the shape of a pansies or forget-me-nots, made of
turquoise and diamonds. Russian wedding rings (still popular
today) are a combination of three linked rings, each of a different
color gold and believed to represent the Holy Trinity.
Elizabethans wore a version of this called the Gimmal Ring. |
| Since the 16th
century, the Irish Claddagh ring is used as a friendship ring, an
engagement ring, or a wedding ring. A heart (love) is surrounded
by clasped hands for friendship and a crown symbolizes eternity.
Other antique styles of rings include French love knots, clinging ivy,
scrolls, or Celtic knots. |
| There is still a
sense of superstition bound to the wedding ring - it is a symbol of
unity, signifying that wherever you go alone - you will come back to
each other again. |
Blessing the wedding rings...the blessing honors the cycle of life and
the completeness of marriage - from sickness to health, want to plenty,
despair to joy, failure to possibility, and loneliness to love. |
|
Carrying the wedding rings on a cushion (the ring bearer pillow) is a
long-time Egyptian (as well as Roman) method of carrying precious
stones, silver and gold. Pillows are also used in the carrying of
the coronation crown to royalty. This tradition has evolved as a
symbolic way to prominently present the most precious of gifts. |
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|
|
"Something Old,
Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a sixpence in
your shoe" |
|
This well known little rhyme originated during Victorian times and is
still commonly practiced for good luck. Traditionally, the "old"
would have been the garter of a happily married woman, with the thought
being that her good fortune would be passed down along with it.
The "old" also signifies the couple's friends will stay with them. The
"old" also symbolizes the bride's connection to her past - a sense of
family, continuity and tradition. |
|
The "new" looks to the future for the couple - health, happiness, good
fortune and success. |
|
"Something borrowed" is usually a much valued item from the bride's
family or a dear friend. It symbolizes prosperity within the new
union. Something borrowed also reminds the bride that family and
friends will always be there for her. Just remember - it must be
returned to ensure good fortune. Borrow something from a happily
married friend or family to wish your married life will mirror the
happiness in her marriage. |
|
"Something blue" comes from an ancient Israeli tradition in which the
bride wears a blue ribbon in her hair as a symbol of her fidelity.
Blue represents faithfulness, fidelity and constancy. |
| Take a look at our
Something
Blue Pearl Anklet to wear on your wedding day. |
| A silver sixpence in
the bride's shoe is to ensure wealth in the couple's life. It
symbolizes the promise of a lifetime of joy, a lifetime of good health,
happiness, wealth, fortune, and wedded bliss the newlywed couple.
The sixpence first became known as a lucky coin when introduced by king
Edward VI of England in 1551. It later became part of bridal
wedding traditions in the Victorian era. In 17th century England,
the sixpence was part of the bride's dowry gift to the groom. A
sixpence is a symbol of good luck. The sixpence coin is no longer
being minted nor in circulation - the last sixpence was minted under
Queen Elizabeth in 1967. |
Today, a good luck penny is
often substituted for the sixpence. |
|
|
The Wedding Gown... |
| It is bad luck for
the groom to see the gown before the wedding day. |
| It is bad luck for a
bride to make her own wedding gown. She should never try on her
entire outfit before the ceremony (leave something out - maybe even the
very last stitch). |
"Married in White,
you have chosen right
Married in Grey, you will go far away,
Married in Black, you will wish yourself back,
Married in Red, you will wish yourself dead,
Married in Green, ashamed to be seen,
Married in Blue, you will always be true,
Married in Pearl, you will live in a whirl,
Married in Yellow, ashamed of your fellow,
Married in Brown, you will live in the town,
Married in Pink, you spirit will sink." |
| The tradition for
the bride to wear white began in the beginning of the 16th century as a
symbol of the bride's purity and worthiness of her groom. In 1499,
Anne of Brittany wore a white wedding gown to marry Louis XII of France.
Prior to this, most bride wore yellow or red. |
| Since the early
Romans, white has symbolized a joyful celebration. A white gown
also symbolizes purity. The tradition of the white wedding gown
became solidified during the time of Queen
Victoria who rebelled against the royal tradition for royal
brides to wear silver. She preferred the symbolism expressed by
wearing white. |
| In biblical times, a
blue dress symbolized purity. |
| A green dress is
thought to be unlucky unless the bride is Irish. The old
expression that a woman has a "green gown" was used to imply
promiscuity, the green meant she had been rolling in grassy fields with
other men. |
|
|
| The Veil... |
| One explanation is
the veil is a relic of the days when a groom would throw a blanket over
the head of the woman of his choice as he captured her and carted her
off. Another explanation is during the times of arranged
marriages, the bride's face was covered until the groom was committed to
her at the ceremony. |
| The Romans believed
jealous evil spirits would cast spells on brides on their wedding days.
Brides' faces were covered with veils to ward off the devil and other
evil spirits. The veil also kept jealous suitors from glancing
upon a bride. |
| In America the veil
became popular when Nelly Curtis married President George Washington's
aid, Major Lawrence Lewis. Apparently he became so enamored of her
after catching sight of her through a lace curtain, she decided to wear
a veil on her wedding day. |
|
|
| Flowers... |
| The bride's bouquet
- During Victorian times, flowers took on additional significance as
lovers would send messages to each other using different flowers, each
flower having its own meaning. These associations were soon
adopted for the bride's bouquet and are still used today by many brides. |
| When
Queen Victoria wed in 1840, her wedding
dress was embroidered with the plants of her realm - the Tudor rose of
England, the leek of Wales, the shamrock of Ireland and the thistle of
Scotland. She created an "age of flowers". Men wore rosebuds
tucked in their buttonholes. Women wore flowers in their hair,
tied them to their wrists or pinned them to their collars. They carried
them neatly bunched and tied with ribbons inserted in a posy holder. |
| When the future
Queen Mary was a bride in 1873, she carried a "shower bouquet" better
known today as the cascading bouquet. By the late 1880's, loose
bunches of one or two kinds of long-stemmed flowers (better known as
presentation bouquets) were being carried. During ancient times,
brides carried strong-smelling herbs and spices to ward off evil
spirits, ill health and bad luck. |
| The groom should
wear a flower that is part of the bridal bouquet. This comes from
the Medieval tradition of a Knight wearing his Lady's colors as a
decoration of his love. |
|
Learn more about the language of flowers. |
|
The Mother's
Flowers - a lovely Belgian custom that joins the families together.
The presentation of roses by the bride and groom to their parents
symbolizes their affection and appreciation for the love which has
brought them to this, their wedding day. |
| As the bride walks
up the aisle, she stops and hands her mother a flower. During the
recessional, the bride gives her mother-in-law a second flower. As
the couple prepares to walk down the aisle as man and wife, they can
together present roses to the bride's parents and then to the groom's
parents - uniting the families in this joyous celebration. |
| Other ideas for rose
presentations: grandmothers, children, etc. |
A Flower-Strewn Path by Flowergirls - is a lovely English tradition. A bride and
her bridesmaids would walk to the church on a path strewn with flowers.
It symbolized the wish for the bride's path through life be like "a bed
of roses", a life of ease and grace with a sweet and plentiful future. |
|
|
| Day of the Week and Month... |
| Sunday used to be
the most popular wedding day because it was the one day most people were
free from work. Today, Saturday is the most popular wedding day
(in spite of the rhyme: "Monday is for health, Tuesday for wealth,
Wednesday best of all. Thursday brings crosses, Friday brings losses;
but Saturday, no luck at all."). |
| "Marry in Lent, live
to Repent." (Lent was a time for abstinence.) |
"Married when the
year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true.
When February birds do mate, you wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, joy for Maiden and for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you will go.
Those who in July do wed, must labor for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see.
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last." |
| Ancient Roams
believed May was an unlucky month to marry because this is the moth of
the "Feast of the Dead." |
| Do you know why June
has traditionally been the most popular wedding month? |
| During the 15th and
16th centuries, May was the month in which the "annual bath" occurred.
Yes, just as it sounds, back then people were only able to bathe
thoroughly once each year. As such, the over-all population was
smelling relatively fresh in June, making it a good time to hold a
special event like a wedding! Furthermore, the month of June is
named after the goddess Juno, who was the Roman counterpart to Hera, the
goddess of the hearth and home, and patron of wives. |
|
|
| The Aisle Runner... |
| In ancient times,
Chinese brides were carried to their weddings so the bride's feet would
not touch the ground and come in contact with the evil spirits that
lurked in the ground. Today, the aisle runner carries on that
tradition (the runner also helps to keep the bride's gown clean.)
The aisle runner also signifies a pure pathway into happiness. |
|
|
| Left and Right Sides... |
| During the marriage
ceremony, the bride stands on the left and the groom on the right.
The origin of this goes back to the days when a groom would capture his
bride by kidnapping her. If the groom had to fight off other men
who also wanted her as their bride, he would hold his bride-to-be with
his left hand allowing his right hand to be free to use his sword. |
| The bride's family
and guests sit on the left side of the church. The groom's family
and guests sit on the right side. |
| The bride walks down
the aisle on the left arm of her father. This also has old origins
when men wore their swords on their right side - the right side need to
be free in case the men needed to draw their swords and protect those
around them. |
|
|
| The Best Man and Maid of
Honor... |
| It is the best man's
duty to protect the groom from bad luck. He must ensure that once
the groom begins his journey to the church, he does not return for any
reason. He must also arrange for the groom to carry a small good
luck charm in his pocket on the wedding day. |
| When the best man is
paying the church minister's fee, he should pay him an odd sum to bring
luck to the couple. |
| Many centuries ago
when a man decided upon a wife, he often had to forcefully take her with
him (or kidnap her) if her family did not approve of him. The
groom-to-be would sometimes face resistance from her male family members
or from competing suitors. The groom would bring along his "best
men" to help him fight for the woman. |
| While the Groom and
his best men were fighting for the bride, she was helped by a group of
women to ensure she would be "captured" by the man of her choice. |
Why does the wedding party dress alike? This tradition was started
with the hope this would confuse evil spirits. |
|
|
| The Wedding March... |
| In 1858,
Victoria, princess of Great Britain wed
Prince Frederick William of Prussia. Victoria selected the music
for her royal wedding. She was a patron of the arts and selected
Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" (from the 1848 opera Lohnegrin) for her
entrance - a majestic and moderately paced masterpiece. She
selected "Wedding March" (from Mendelssohn's 1843 rendition of
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream) - jubilant and upbeat for
the newlyweds procession. |
| Little did she know,
this was the beginning of a wedding tradition. |
|
|
| Giving Away the Bride... |
| The custom of a
bride being given away originated with the "sale" of the bride by the
father to the prospective groom. Today, the tradition is
considered a sign of the father entrusting his beloved daughter to the
care of her husband-to-be. |
|
|
| The Kiss... |
| Sealed with a kiss -
a sign of affection and a token of bonding. The bride and groom
claim each other as theirs forever. The kiss is a symbol of the
newlywed's faith, love and respect for each other. This symbol
grew from the practice of kissing a lord's ring. In early Roman
times, the kiss represented a legal bond that sealed contracts. |
|
|
| The Unity Candle... |
| The unity candle is
a fairly new tradition. The bride's parents and the groom's
parents light separate smaller candles. The flame from these
candles light a single large candle by the bride and groom. This
gesture symbolizes the individuality of the bride and groom that will
stay in tact, parallel with the union with each other during their
marriage - family unity. The bride and groom may decide to
extinguish the parent's taper candles (or they can opt to leave them
lit.) |
|
|
 Wedding
Bells... |
| The tradition of
ringing the church bells as the couple emerge from the church after the
ceremony is to ensure their good fortune. The sound of the bells
is supposed to drive away evil spirits. The sound of bells is
supposed to always remind the couple of their vows. |
|
|
| The Wedding Cake... |
| The Wedding Cake was
originally lots of little wheat cakes that were broken over the Bride's
head to bring good luck and fertility. Every guest then eats a
crumb to ensure good luck. |
The 3-tiered cake is believed to have
been inspired by the spire of Saint Bride's Church in London, England (Click
here for more information about the church). |
| Sleeping with a
piece of wedding cake (or a piece of groom's cake) under her pillow is
said to make a single woman dream of her future husband. |
| In medieval England,
guests brought small cakes and piled them on the center of a table. The
bride and groom then attempted to kiss over them. A baker from
France conceived the idea of icing all the small cakes together in one
large cake. |
| According to one
long-forgotten tradition, the bottom layer of a wedding cake represents
the couple as a family, and the top layer represents them as a couple.
Each layer in between represents a child you hope to have. |
| Cutting the wedding
cake together symbolizes the couple's unity, a shared future, and their
life together as one. The groom traditionally places his hand over
the bride's hand as a symbol of his desire to take care of her...plus,
it is good luck if the bride's hand is the first to cut the cake. |
| After cutting the
cake, the newlyweds usually share a taste by feeding cake to each other.
The ancient Romans believed the joint partaking of the cake created a
magical bond. The sweetness symbolized the future happiness of the
couple and the grain held the promise of a fruitful union. |
| The top layer of the
wedding cake is customarily taken home and frozen by the bride and
groom. They share it in celebration of their first anniversary.
It is believed that a cake that lasts a year is the guarantee of a long
marriage. |
| The Groom's Cake -
Traditionally, the Groom's Cake was a fruitcake that is said to bring
fertility to the newlyweds. It was a gift from the bride to the
groom. |
| Today, there are
different ways to incorporate the Groom's Cake into the festivities.
Some couples have as the main dessert Groom's Cake at the rehearsal
dinner. Some couples have the Groom's Cake More displayed next to
the wedding cake and cut up and put into small pieces for the guests to
take home. |
|
|
| Toasting the Newlyweds... |
| In China, two
goblets of honey and wine are joined with a red ribbon - the centuries
old color of love and joy - and the couple enjoy a drink of unity.
Lithuanian parents serve the wedding couple symbols of married life -
wine for joy, salt for tears and bread for work. |
| Today, French bridal
couples drink a reception toast from an engraved silver two-handled cup,
called a "coupe de mariage." This cup is passed from generation to
generation. |
| In Italy, couples
still follow ancient Roman wedding tradition by walking through their
village passing out cakes and sweets. |
| Even the word
"bridal" comes from a British toasting tradition where newlyweds-to-be
drank a marriage mead known as "bride-ale" for thirty days prior to
their wedding day as part of the festivities. |
|
|
| The Bouquet and Garter
Toss... |
| Tossing the bridal
bouquet is a custom which has it's roots in England. It was
believed the bride could pass along her good fortune to others. In
order to obtain this fortune, overzealous guests and spectators would
try to tear away pieces of the bride's clothing and flowers. In an
attempt to get away, the bride would toss her bouquet into the crowd.
Tradition says single women who catch the bouquet will marry next. |
| In the 14th century,
Europeans would gather around the bride and try to remove her garter for
good luck. Today, the groom has the honor of removing the bride's
garter and tossing it to single men. |
|
|
| Throwing Rice... |
| Throwing rice (rice,
as well as nuts and grains, are considered to be life-giving seeds) at
the newlywed couple symbolizes fertility. Pieces of cake are
thrown in some cultures. |
| There is a myth that
rice is harmful to birds. This is not true according to Cornell
Lab of Ornithology. (Click
Here for more information.) If you want to avoid tossing rice,
opt for bird seed, confetti, rose petals, etc. Never fear, the
symbolism remains the same! |
| The word confetti
has the same root as the word confectionery in Italian and was used to
describe "sweetmeats" (sugar-coated grain and nuts). |
|
|
| Decorating the Car and
Playing Pranks... |
| Noisy items were
tied to the back of the couple's carriage to scare away evil spirits.
Loyal friends of the couple would play pranks on the newlyweds in the
hope evil spirits would leave the couple alone since the couple had
already been picked on. Honking horns (more loud noise) was also
believed to keep the evil spirits away. |
 Use
old shoes... |
| Down through
history, shoes have symbolized power and authority. Egyptians
would exchange sandals when they exchanged goods, so when the father of
the bride gave his daughter to the groom, he would also give the bride’s
sandals to show that she now belonged to the groom. |
| In Anglo-Saxon
times, the groom would tap the heel of the bride’s shoe to show his
authority over her. (I prefer to think of it as the shoes
representing the creation of a new family unit.) |
| During the Tudor
period in England, people would throw shoes at the couple in their
carriage. It was considered good luck if the shoes hit.
Later, the shoes were tied to the carriage....thus, shoes tied to a car. |
| Shoes also symbolize
fertility to some (Mother Goose lived in a shoe). |
| It is also
supposed to be lucky if you get married in an old pair of shoes. |
|
|
| The Guest Book... |
| In ancient times,
the guest book was a necessity and everyone who attended a wedding was
considered a witness. They were required to sign the marriage
document. Today for the wedding couple, the guest book is a
wonderful remembrance of those who attended their wedding. |
|
|
| The Threshold... |
| There are two
explanations for the tradition of the groom carrying his bride over the
threshold when entering the home as a married couple for the first time.
The first is to protect the bride from evil spirits that were thought to
be lying in wait under the threshold. The second explanation dates
back to Roman times. Tradition dictated the new wife must enter
her home through the main door; and to avoid bad luck, she must never
trip or fall - hence the custom a bride should be carried over the
threshold. |
|
|
| The Honeymoon... |
| In ancient times,
the Teutonic people (German order of knights) began the practice of the
honeymoon. Teutonic weddings were only held under the full moon.
After the wedding, the couple would drink honey wine for thirty days
(while the moon went through all its phases). Therefore, the
period immediately following the wedding became known as the honeymoon.
While the name has survived, the purpose of the honeymoon changed (now
we throw in a romantic get-a-way). |
| During the
Renaissance, the newlywed couple were supposed to drink Honeymead (wine
mixed with honey, cardamom, and cloves) each night for the period of
"one moon". |
|
|
|
Wedding Day superstitions and Symbols For Good Luck... |
 It is a best of luck omen for the bride to
find a spider in her gown
on her wedding day. |
 It is good luck for the bride to encounter a
lamb on her way to the
church to get married. |
 It is good luck for the bride to encounter a
dove on her way to the
church to get married. Doves mate for live. A dove
symbolizes Love, Peace, Fidelity, Prosperity and Good Luck. If a
dove is seen on your wedding day, a happy home is assured. |
 It is good luck for the bride to encounter a
frog on her way to the
church to get married. |
 It is good luck for the bride to cross paths
with a black cat on her
way to the church to get married. |
| It is good fortune
for the bride to see a policeman, clergyman, doctor or blind man on her
way to the church. |
 If the bride sees a
rainbow on her way to the
ceremony, it is a sign of good luck for the couple. |
 Sunshine on the way to the church is good luck. |
| Tears from the bride
or a child during the wedding service is considered lucky. |
| It is bad luck for
the bride to meet up with a lizard, funeral procession or a pig on her
way to the church. |
| The groom should
give a coin to the first person he sees on his way to the church for
good luck. |
It is bad luck for a
young man to encounter a blind person, pregnant woman or a monk (or nun)
on his way to propose to his lady. His marriage will be filled
with good fortune if he happens upon a pigeon,
 wolf or
 goat. |
 Snow
on your wedding day is a sign of fertility and prosperity. |
 If you marry during the
full moon, you will
have good luck and good fortune. |
| "Tie the Knot" comes
from the Roman times when the bride wore a girdle that was tied in
knots, which the groom had the fun of untying. |
 A
horseshoe is a lucky symbol. The "U" shape will hold good luck
inside forever. This tradition may stem from the 10th century
Saint Dunstan. He trapped the devil using a horseshoe and from
that point on the devil would never enter a Christian home adorned with
a horseshoe over the door. A horseshoe symbolizes good luck, power
of evil, good fortune and fertility. |
A
chimney sweep (yes,
even today you can hire chimney sweeps for your wedding ceremony) is a
sign of good luck, wealth and happiness. There are two legends why
a chimney sweep (especially a kiss from a chimney sweep) is lucky for a
bride on her wedding day. One legend is King George II was in his
carriage when his horses started running. The only person who
attempted to stop the un-manned carriage was a small soot-covered
chimney sweep. Another story is of a chimney sweep who lost his
footing, fell from the roof and was hanging from the gutter. A
young lady reached through a window and rescued him. They fell in
love and married. |
 An open
umbrella (in Chinese
culture, the umbrella is red) over the bride will protect her from evil. |
| Go to
Sterling Silver Wedding Day Good Luck
Charms |
|
|
Wedding
Traditions, Customs, Superstitions and Symbols