Weddings, in general, are very traditional. Even the brides who have "non-traditional" weddings incorporate traditions that they might not even be aware of! While planning your wedding have you ever thought, "Why am I wearing this?" or "What does this ring really mean?" Well, here are some fun facts about wedding traditions and why they were incorporated into weddings.
Why are wedding dresses white?
In traditions past, wedding dresses were not white at all! People often believe that wedding dresses have always traditionally been white. Wrong. Blue was often the color of the traditional wedding dress. It's color signified purity.
It wasn't until 1840 when Queen Victoria wed Albert of Saxe clad in a white dress that the color white became popular. If you could afford a white dress that you would only wear once, then you were considered wealthy. That also goes for the amount of material on the dress. The more material, the wealthier you were.
What do wedding rings signify?
As we know, wedding rings are an outward sign of being "taken". The tradition originated in Europe when only the wives wore one. During the 20th century, men started wearing them too.
- The circular shape signifies never-ending love with no beginning and no end.
- It was also a sign of "sale" of the bride from the father to groom.
- Wedding bands are worn on the ring finger because the Romans claimed that there is a vein in the finger that is connected directly to the heart.
Why does the wedding party dress in matching clothes?
In past traditions the wedding party would dress identical to the bride and groom to keep any evil spirits confused at who was the bride and groom.
What does Something Old, Something New signify?
This saying derives from an old English poem. Each piece signifies something special. The old represents the bride's past. The new stands for the bride's future with her husband. The borrowed represents the bond between the bride and her family. While, the blue symbolizes the loved shared between the bride and groom.
Why can't the groom see the bride before the wedding?
This custom comes from when marriages were arranged. Often, the brides were sold to the groom. The wedding would be their first meeting and it was known as bad luck to see each other before the wedding. The bride wasn't even supposed to see herself in the mirror on her wedding day because she might leave part of herself behind.
Why do we toss the bouquet and garter?
The tossing of the garter stemmed from the royal family. To make it official, they wanted to see the garter or stocking from the bride. When others got word of this tradition, they followed and actually got violent. They would steal the garter or stocking from the bride with force. That is when the groom started taking the garter off to protect her.
Tossing of the wedding bouquet follows similar to the garter. The bride tossed the wedding bouquet into a crowd of wedding guests.
The tradition has been that the groomsman that catches the garter will marry next, making him a very lucky man. And the same with bridesmaid who catches the wedding bouquet, she too, would marry next.
Why are flowers incorporated in the wedding?
Traditional wedding bouquets were carried by the bride only. They contained garlic, herbs, grain and fruit blossoms to ward off evil spirits and symbolize prosperity. This custom was replaced with flowers as a sign of fertility, love and happiness.
Although these traditions stem from strange customs…They are still fun to blend into your wedding. It's just interesting to know where they came from!
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Non-religious couples may use the basic civil commitment vows, or write their own. When couples decide which vows they wish to speak on their wedding day, they are embracing their culture, their upbringing and their take on marriage.

