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Demystifying Wedding Customs: The Traditional and
the Wacky!
Ever wonder why the bride carries a bouquet, wears
white, and why she and the groom feed each other
cake? If you think those customs are a bit on the
strange side, you’ll be interested to know which
traditions did not stand the test of time.
A bouquet of flowers symbolizes fertility and new
life. Another reason why this tradition began was
far more practical. With bathing at a minimum for
most of our history as humans, the scent of the
flowers often masked the smells of the farm and the
sweat from much hard work. It is considered good
luck for the groom to wear a flower from the bride’s
bouquet on his lapel. This custom is traced back to
medieval knights who would wear a flower from their
lady to show his undying love before going into
battle.
The white wedding gown originates with Queen
Victoria in the 19th century. She broke the custom
of silver wedding garments for the nobility because
she felt that white would represent a return to
morality and purity during her reign.
The traditional three-tier wedding cake is based on
the unusual shape of the spire at St. Bride’s Church
in London. Traditionally, the bride and groom make
the first cut, and feed one another to signify the
sharing of their new life together. The cake is then
shared with every guest to ensure the couple’s good
luck.
The traditional wedding rhyme "Something Old,
Something New" etc. is English in origin. Something
old is meant to honor relatives who have passed
away. Something new stands for the new life that the
bride and groom are starting together (usually a
gift to the bride from the groom). Something
borrowed should be lent to the bride by a happily
married friend or relative in order to share their
luck with the newlyweds. Finally, Something blue
refers to the color blue, which symbolizes
faithfulness. The bride wears it to show that she
will always be faithful to her husband.
Aside from the time-honored traditions we mentioned
above, there are a few customs that have not
survived (most for a good reason). Here is an
abridged list of wedding superstitions of old.
A week before the wedding, it is good lick for a cat
to eat out of the bridge’s left shoe.
In Anglo-Saxon times, the bride was struck with a
show by her groom to establish his authority over
her. The bride would then throw a show at her
attendants to see who would be married next.
Though most weddings today take place on Saturdays,
it was thought for hundreds of years that Saturday
was the most unlucky day (Wednesday was considered
the most lucky).
Today, guests throw birdseed, or blow bubbles as the
bride and groom exit the church. In the old days,
handfuls of grain, nuts, or eggs were thrown at the
happy couple as part of an ancient fertility rite!
Our advice: Don’t listen to the superstitions! The
most important part of any wedding day, and the
luckiest thing you can do, is to know and appreciate
your love for each other (and to have a great
caterer!)
-article by Laura Morrison
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