Wedding TraditionsWedding Traditions are common elements in weddings, thus the traditional part! The following are some of the most common: * GROOM NOT SEEING BRIDE BEFORE WEDDING: The reason behind this one is a mystery, but potential reasons: preventing cold feet or a reversion to the primitive seclusion of the betrothed. Basically, the rule goes that the groom should say goodbye to his bride by midnight the night before the wedding and not see her until she walks down the aisle to marry him. Another tradition along the same lines, is the groom not seeing the wedding dress before the wedding. * SOMETHING OLD, NEW, BORROWED, AND BLUE: The rhyme - "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" has been around for a long time - about items the bride should wear on the wedding day. It symbolizes the following things: Something Old, is the tie the bride has to her family and her old way of life. Something New, is a symbol of the couple's new life together. Something Borrowed, is supposed to be an imparting of happiness to the bride from someone else. Something Blue, represents fidelity and commitment. * WHITE WEDDING DRESS: This dates back to Victorian times, when Queen Victoria chose to wear white. Before this, brides just wore their best dress. The color is also a symbol of the purity of the bride. Some also say that the wedding veil is the actual symbol of the bride's purity. Another tradition with the dress, as mentioned above is the groom not seeing the dress before the wedding. * THROWING RICE: This symbolizes the guests bestowing fertility and children on the newly married couple. Most churches forbid this custom now, but there are other safe alternatives, such as: bread crumbs or bubbles. * NOW YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE: The kiss is an act of sealing the couple's agreement to a life long commitment, as well as a joining of the souls. * THE WEDDING RING: The ring itself represents never-ending love. * THROWING THE GARTER: This dates back to when women wore garters to hold up their stockings. It is thought that it brings good fortune to the men. The one who catches the garter, as tradition goes, will be the next to marry. * TOSSING THE BOUQUET: This has its root in England and is thought that by throwing the bouquet, the bride is passing along her good fortune. Tradition says, that the single woman who catches the bouquet, will marry next. * OLD SHOES: Tying old shoes to the back of the newlywed's car comes from Tudor times, when guests would throw shoes at the newlywed's. If they hit them or their carriage, it meant they'd have good luck. CARRYING THE BRIDE ACROSS THE THRESHOLD: There's a couple of reasons given for this wedding tradition. One is that it is supposed to protect the bride from any evil spirits hiding in the threshold. The second, is that it is bad luck if a bride stumbles on the threshold of her new home, so the groom carries her over, to prevent that. These are only a few of the many, many wedding traditions. There are numerous ethnic traditions too, depending on your nationality. Follow these traditions or start new ones! Just have a very happy wedding day! Return from Wedding Traditions to Bachelorette Wedding Ideas Home Page |
