Wedding Traditions and Their Meanings

Through my business, The Perfect Day Miramichi, I spend a lot of time browsing wedding decor sites and other websites and books dedicated to Wedding Decoration and Ideas. I have come across a lot of information regarding what brides and grooms do as part of their wedding celebrations.


I browsed several sites for information on wedding traditions and superstitions and found a lot of ones that I knew about and a few that were a surprise to me. Many ceremonial acts that we perform are based on religious traditions or on superstitions which have survived through the years. Today's bridal couples carry on these practices in their wedding ceremonies and celebrations, often without knowing where they came from or what they are based on.

Credits: The following web sites were used for some of my research on this subject. Check them out for lots of wedding information and ideas!

www.yourwedding101.com

www.frugalbride.com

www.suite101.com

www.bridallinks.com




WHITE WEDDING GOWN
- First worn by Anne of Brittany, wife of King Louis XII,in the late 15th century but more recently popularized by Queen Victoria in 1840.
-Thought to represent purity and innocence.
-stands for celebration


WEDDING RINGS
- the never ending circle symbolizing the never ending marriage.
- It is worn on the third finger of the left hand, because the ancient Greeks and Romans believed the vein in that finger went directly to the heart.
- The ancient Egyptians believed the circle of the ring stood for eternity and never ending love.
-During a 17th century wedding ceremony the groom would slide the wedding ring part way up the bride's thumb, index finger and middle finger as the priest said "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit". As the ring finger was the first free finger, the ring was placed there.

WEDDING CAKE
- symbol of fertility.
- pieces of cake are served to guests to share the luck
- sending a piece of the grooms cake home is good luck for the homes it goes to
-sleeping with the grooms cake under your pillow will make you dream of your future husband



WEDDING VEIL - modesty of the bride, Ancient Greeks and Romans felt the veil protected the bride from evil spirits. Veils were denser and could not be seen through, so it prevented another man from seeing who the bride was and kidnapping her if he loved her too.

SOMETHING OLD
 - from the bride's past with her family to bridge to the new life she is beginning as a wife.
- represents past traditions


SOMETHING NEW
- represents the hope of good fortune and a prosperous future.
- Brings you luck in the future.


SOMETHING BORROWED
-borrowing acknowledges the need for family and friend support in a marriage.


SOMETHING BLUE
- stands for faithfulness, loyalty and purity (true blue)
- symbol of fertility and modesty
-heather from Scotland is thought to be good luck for a bride, both because it is a blue flower and because it is an ancient symbol of fertility


THROWING RICE or CONFETTI
-symbolizes fertility. Birdseed was also popular for a time, and was considered a wish for fertility and also a green way to carry on a tradition without hurting the environment.
-represents wishes for a full pantry
-showering the newlyweds with the good things in life
- today, at most wedding venues, throwing rice or confetti is no longer encouraged due to the cleanup needed, and good luck is wished by blowing  bubbles at the happy couple as they exit the church or wedding venue.


ENGAGEMENT RING
-originally a symbol that the bride-to-be "belongs" to the groom to be. Stems back to the times when a bride was purchased or bartered for.
- During the 16th century the french began using the engagement or "gimmel" ring as a symbol of love. The rings were intertwineable but were worn separately by the engaged couple until the wedding day when they were joined together to form the wedding ring for the bride.
- the Italians started using diamonds in engagement rings because they felt the diamonds were created from the fires of love.
-the ring is a promise of marriage, and the diamond being more valuable, means a stronger promise being made by the proposing groom.
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WEDDING SHOWER
-originally held for brides who had no dowry, either because their father disapproved of their prospective bridegroom, or could not afford to give his daughter one. All the family members, friends and neighbours would gather and shower the bride with gifts to help her start her married life.
-In more recent times, it was a chance for all the women in the bride's life to gather and give her gifts to start her household and to offer her advice and good wishes for her upcoming marriage.
-Today it is sometimes supplemented by a stagette, where the younger friends and family of the bride get together to celebrate her last party as a single woman, and give her gifts to use on her wedding night or honeymoon.

WEDDING ATTENDANTS
Ancient Romans believed jealous evil demons were out to get the bride and groom and do them harm, so bridesmaids and groomsmen are there to protect the bride and groom. They are dressed in fancy attire similar to the bridal couple to confuse the evil spirits so they won't know which ones were getting married.
-it is also believed that groomsmen were selected to help the groom "capture" a bride and protect her until the groom could get her to the alter to be married. Bridesmaids were also chosen to help the bride with the tasks she needed to do before the wedding.

CARRYING OVER THE THRESHOLD
To prevent the bride from being tripped by jealous demons who wanted to spoil her day.


The noise of the cans is meant to scare away evil spirits.
The shoes symbolize the bride moving from the care of her father to the responsibility of her husband
blowing the horn is thought to ward off evil spirits
ringing of church bells serves dual purpose,  it is a sound of celebration and also the noise wards off evil spirits.

BRIDAL HANDKERCHIEF
-The tears of the bride are good luck and must be caught.
-it is believed if a bride cries on her wedding day she will have less reason to cry in her marriage.


WEDDING MUSIC
-Queen Victoria's daughter, in 1858, selected Wagners "Bridal Chorus" (Here Comes the Bride) as her entrance song and Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" as her exit music. The British loved the monarchy and loved to emulate them so many brides of the day followed in her footsteps, thus popularizing the songs for generations of future wedding couples. To this day both songs are recognized as associated with weddings after just a few bars.

FATHER GIVING AWAY THE BRIDE
-goes back to the time when a young girl was considered the property of her father. He "gives" her away to the groom both as an acknowledgement that she has been paid for and that he approves.
-more recently the father is saying that the groom is suited to be a husband for his daughter by officially presenting her to the bridegroom in front of his family and friends.

WEDDING GUEST BOOK
-serves as a record of those who witnessed the ceremony, which is why it is traditionally signed at the reception not at the church before the wedding.

WEDDING UNITY CEREMONIES
-3 candles, one large one representing the new couple and one smaller one for each of their families. The large candle is lit together by the parents of the bride and groom using a flame from each of the smaller candles.
-In South Africa, both sets of parents carry a fire from each of their homes and join them as one fire in the hearth of the newly married couple.



Wedding traditions can be things your family has always done, so are unique to you and your family making them even more special.  Some heirlooms, such as jewelery, vintage wedding gowns, antique cars, or special dishes and decor items are handed down through generations and passed around to all the wedding parties in a family. Preserving these traditions, especially if your wedding guests include people who also carried them out in their ceremonies, adds an element of sentimentality for all those present. One family I know, had me design and sew a christening gown from the grandmother's wedding gown, which was no longer wearable as it was, but had plenty of fabric suitable to make the new tradition to be handed down through the family. Thus a new tradition was born!











Ginette is the owner of The Perfect Day Miramichi, a wedding and event rental business in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Check out the website at www.theperfectdaymiramichi.com for further info and ideas for your wedding or special celebration. We carry decor items, chair covers, tablecloths, dishes and glassware, centerpieces, backdrops and many more wedding decor items.