Check out these wedding traditions, then tell us about yours!

Let’s face it, we all love weddings. Who doesn’t love to go and get lost in all the hype and excitement? You might not realize but during the wedding you are taking part in some traditions that have been passed along for generations. Before jumping off into the next wedding craze, check out the history of the marriage celebrations.
Let’s See the Ring
Picture this, your partner gets down on one-knee opens up a box and asks you to forever be theirs. One problem, the box is empty and there’s no ring! There’s nothing in the box to symbolize the everlasting love flowing between a husband and wife. It’s easy to see that the ring is one of the most important steps in the wedding rituals. The ring has been a symbol of marriage dating back to early Egyptian times. The circle is a representation of eternity in Egyptian hieroglyphics.  Thus bringing together the husband and wife in endless love and happiness.

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…” is an old rhyme brides throughout the decades treasure. It is said that the bride should wear “something old” to keep in mind her family and life throughout the start of her new journey. “Something new” is symbolized as optimism for the future. The bride should receive “something borrowed” from a happily married woman to signify borrowed happiness.  “Something blue” stems from an old tradition in Israel. It was custom for brides to wear blue ribbons bordering their robes to signify modest, fidelity, and love. Therefore, “something blue” is said to be the symbol of fidelity and consistency.

Bad luck glimpse

Today it is still considered bad luck for the groom to see his beautiful bride before the ceremony. This came from the idea that the ceremony signified the break between the bride and groom’s old and new life. It was thought if the groom saw the bride before the new life ceremony, she would not be the pure and new bride as expected resulting in bad fortune.

A tradition that has been long forgotten however, was the idea that it was bad luck for even the bride to see herself in a mirror before the wedding. It was thought if she happened to see herself in a mirror, she would leave some of herself behind in the reflection. Can you imagine a bride today getting ready without one?

Throwing Rice

Rice being thrown at weddings has had many different meanings. Some cultures say it means the couple will never go with out food representing the phrase “May you always have a full pantry.” Other cultures view rice as a symbol of fertility and prosperity since it is known to be the “life giving” seed.  In Italy it is custom to throw objects such as coins, dried fruit, and candy to signify good luck. It is still common to see rice thrown at weddings today, but it is not unusual to also see rose petals, confetti, potpourri, and various seeds replacing the rice.

The Wedding Cake

Early Roman wedding ceremonies involved priests that would break a small wheat cake over the bride’s head as a form of good luck and fruitfulness. The guests would share the crumbs in tradition to bring some of that good luck their way. Sounding familiar? Today’s ceremonies involve a grand cake that is cut and shared with all the guests. It’s believed that eating the wedding cake together creates a special bond between the couple. The wedding cake that is so well known today stemmed from Elizabethan couples who attempted to kiss over a small stack of cakes with out causing them to fall over. A French baker iced the small stacks of cakes and there you have it, the modern wedding cake tradition was started.