Have you ever wondered how some wedding traditions got started? Why do brides wear something old, borrowed, blue and new? Are we supposed to wear a veil? There are so many questions we can ask about wedding customs. We decided to research a few of the most common traditions and think you’ll find these facts as interesting and surprising as we did.
Something old symbolizes continuity, and something new shows the sign of prosperity and optimism. Something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness until their own, and something blue signifies love, fidelity, and purity in the new relationship.
The veil protects the bride from sad spirits, and the groom carrying the bride over the threshold is a symbol of protection from the evil spirits.
During the Ancient Roman times the bridesmaids would wear the same style dress as the bride to act as a decoy. It was believed that evil spirits would haunt the couple on their wedding day, so the bridesmaids would stand at the altar with nearly indistinguishable ladies, to confuse the spirits.
Juno was the Goddess of marriage and childbirth. She was the deity and protector of legally married women. June is meant to bring blessings and happiness to marriages.
Honeymoons weren’t always a vacation! During the 5th century, couples would elope hiding from their families and drink a cup of honey wine, filled with aphrodisiacs, daily for a month or a moon cycle for good luck. In 19th century Britain honeymoons were a bridal tour, in which the couple would visit friends and family who couldn't attend the wedding.
Most wear their wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand signifying the vein that leads straight to the heart. However, the first example of rings were found in Ancient Egypt on papyrus scrolls holding evidence of braided rings of hemp or reeds between spouses. Wedding rings were traditionally only worn by wives but by the 20th century both spouses were wearing them.