While weddings have changed a lot in the past couple of years, modern brides are still including some age old traditions into their special days. From bouquet and garter tosses to having the bride’s family pay for most of the wedding, here are some of the traditions that have stuck around — and the surprising origins that go with them.
Wearing White
Wearing white was — and in many cases is — still seen as a symbol of purity and the beginning of a new life. Some say the trend of the white wedding dress was furthered after Queen Victoria donned a white dress for her wedding day. Who knows!
Throwing Rice/ The Grand Exit
The grand exit of throwing rice or other good luck charms at the couple as they leave has no pinpointed origin, however it has consistently remained as a symbol of sending the couple off with good luck in their marriage and life.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
This one is a more well known wedding tradition. Each item symbolizes something to the bride and groom. Something old is a nod to their past, something new is an excited look towards their future, something borrowed is to ensure good luck from someone typically already married, and something blue is said to come from a color of love and fidelity.
Veil/ Matching bridesmaid dresses/ a lot of other traditions
These all stem from wanting to ward off evil spirits in some way. The veil blocks the bride from evil spirits and having the bridesmaids dress similar was intended to confuse the evil spirits. Brides would carry an assortment of herbs instead of a bouquet to ward of evil, wedding bells were said to ward off evil spirits, and the tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding stemmed from a fear of bad luck and — you guessed it — evil spirits.
The Ring Finger
This one is probably the only tradition that has nothing to do with evil spirits! The ring finger was chosen because it was said to be the finger that had a vein leading directly to the heart!
Ring Bearer and Flower Girl
The ring bearer and flower girl are usually children because they were said to be a universal symbol of innocence and new beginnings.
Know of any more wedding traditions we left out? Let us know on our social media channels!
