Weddings are steeped in tradition and superstition Many of these traditions have links to Victorian, Roman and Anglo origins. Considering the couple is making a lifetime commitment, they don’t want to start off on the wrong path! Even the least superstitious people will likely follow many of these time honored traditions.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe.

‘Something old’ suggests that the couple’s friends will stay with them through life. A common item given to the bride by another woman is her garter. This is later tossed to the single men in the reception and the lucky recipient is said to marry next.

‘Something new’ promotes the future for health, happiness and accomplishment. Often this is represented by the bridal gown. ‘Something borrowed’ is the chance for the bride’s family to give her a symbol of their love but she must return the item to guarantee good luck.

‘Something Blue’ is considered to be lucky as blue symbolizes faithfulness and devotion. A sixpence in the bride’s shoe was thought to bring the couple wealth in their wedded union. Today, brides still put pennies in their shoes.

The Wedding Dress

Folklore suggests it is unlucky for the bride to wear her entire wedding ensemble before the wedding day and even more so if she gazes upon herself in the mirror. To prevent this bad luck, the bride is to wait until the last minute before dressing and peering into the looking glass.

The color of the gown also had special significance. Women used to just wear their best dress to get married but in the early 1900’s a special gown was selected.

Green was completely unthinkable as it implied the woman had loose morals since her dress would be grass-stained from a romp in the fields! It was Queen Victoria who broke the royal tradition of wearing silver by having a white gown. From this point forward, white gowns represented the bride’s purity and wealth since they would only be worn once. White also has the added benefit of warding off evil spirits.

The Veil

Two schools of thought surround the custom of covering the bride’s face. Primarily it was done to ward off evil spirits destined to spoil the day. However, in Roman times where marriages were arranged, the bride’s face would remain covered until the vows were spoken and the marriage complete. This would prevent the groom from avoiding the arrangement if he found his bride to be unpleasing to the eye!

In addition, it was thought to be bad luck for the groom see his bride before the ceremony. One way to prevent this was to keep her face veiled. At the end of the ceremony the groom exhibits his dominance by lifting her veil. If instead, she lifts her veil and presents herself to her husband, she demonstrates her independence.

Bouquets and Boutonnieres

Flowers represent fertility and eternal love. In medieval times, very fragrant flowers, garlic and herbs were carried to ward off evil spirits (and mask the stench of unwashed attendants). The groom was to wear his bride’s colors, declaring his love for her. This is in the form of one of the bouquet’s flowers worn on his lapel.

Flowers also have special meaning. Roses and red chrysanthemums represent true love; orange blossoms are for purity and chastity while ivy indicates faithfulness.

Taking something from the bride and groom was thought to be lucky. In order to prevent guests from taking pieces of the bridal gown, the bride would toss her bouquet to the guests. Similar to the tossing of the garter, the single woman catching the bouquet is said to be the next to marry.

The Wedding Cake

During the reign of the Roman Empire, cakes were made of wheat or barley. These cakes were to be broken over the bride’s head to symbolize her fertility. Guests capturing remnants of the cake would bring them home for luck. Single women placing a remnant under her pillow was to dream of her future husband. The tradition changed to have the bride and groom stack as many of these small cakes upon each other and kiss over the top without knocking them over. Later, icing was added establishing the current style of cake.

Bridesmaids

In an effort to ward off evil spirits, the bride would have her best friends dress in similar fashion. This would confuse the spirits and prevent them from spoiling the day. Bridesmaids also had to role of warding off any unfavorable suitors, leaving the bride to her betrothed. Additionally, the bridal party would dress in like fashion to the bride and groom in an effort to prevent any evil wishers from casting a curse on the couple.

The Wedding Ring

The circular shape of the wedding ring represents unending love. It was the Egyptians who came up with the phrase, without beginning, without end when expressing the significant of an endless circle. The ring is worn on the 4th finger of the left hand since it was believed to have a direct connection to the heart.

The First Kiss

No ceremony is complete without a kiss! In Roman times, a kiss symbolized a legal bond that confirmed all contracts. But for a wedding, a kiss denotes several things; affection between the bride and groom, sharing each other and providing a part of their souls to one another. And finally, a symbol to mark the commencement of the commitment.

Carrying the Bride over the Threshold

Several thoughts surround the tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold. Romans started this practice in an effort to prevent the bride from tripping as she entered her new home. Having the bride trip was bad luck and would lead to a bad marriage.

By carrying the bride into her home, there is a layer of protection between the evil spirits on the ground and in the protective arms of her husband. The groom would complete the commencement of the marriage by carrying his new bride around the hearth to formally bring her into the family.

In historic times, the bride was to appear to be hesitant to give herself to her husband, whether or not she was. So in order to encourage her into the bedchamber, the groom would carry her over the threshold.

No matter how superstitious one may be, the traditions of weddings seem to carry on from generation to generation.