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Origins of the Wedding and Wedding Traditions.

Virtually every aspect of a wedding, from the engagement to the honeymoon, has a rich history. Culture, ancestry, and religion have shaped marriages and weddings for thousands of years. From the engagement ring to the bridal party, in days gone by these all had very significant meanings. Today we integrate customs and traditions into weddings because of their ritualistic and traditional qualities. It's interesting to see that many old wedding customs continue today, though in diluted or updated forms.

The Wedding Party

In the ancient "marriage by capture" era, the bride was in fact kidnapped by the groom and some respected friends or relatives which are now represented by the best man and groomsmen. It was this group that helped the groom run away with the bride and fight off retaliation from the bride's family.

Maids of honour and bridesmaids evolved more as weddings became planned events. The bridesmaids helped with the decoration of the wedding ceremony and feast area. The maid of honour would attend the bride-to-be for a week before the wedding, and the matron of honour would have the specific role of making sure the wedding wreath was made and helping the bride get dressed.

The bridesmaids wore dresses very similar to the brides and the ushers similar to the groom as a way of protecting against evil spirits that might attempt to harm the newlyweds on their wedding day. The ideas was that the evil spirit would be confused as to which were the genuine bride and groom.

The Engagement Ring

It's one tradition that is nearly universal - that of the wedding engagement ring. Dating back to the ancient Romans the roundness of the wedding ring was said to represent eternity, and so the wearing of the ring a union to last forever. It was also thought that a vein ran directly from the ring finger through the hand to the heart - where the symbolism is evident.

To 'Tie the Knot

Tying the Knot is an old world term for a ritual now being renewed in popularity in modern weddings. The term originates from the 'Handfasting' wedding ritual, where in old Great Britain couples pledged their betrothal by joining hands, his right to her right, his left to her left, so from above they looked like an infinity symbol.

The Bachelor Party

Also known as the stag party this wedding celebration stems from the fifth century in Sparta where military comrades would toast each other and feast the night before a friend's wedding. Even today this custom takes place quite close to the wedding date, and has become known as the groom's last taste of freedom. Despite the risque associations of this party, it was originally meant to help alleviate anxiety before the wedding day.

Wedding Flowers

In times gone by it was customary for the bride to carry a wedding wreath or bouquet of aromatic herbs and garlic to drive away evil spirits. However over time, these were replaced with wedding flowers, symbolizing everlasting love and fertility.

The Wedding Cake

The cake in ancient times was not eaten but in fact thrown at the bride as a fertility event at the wedding! In the same way wheat was often showered on the bride and groom, and unmarried young women attending the wedding were expected to scramble for the grains to ensure their own weddings (much as they do today for the bridal bouquet!). It was the early Roman bakers who rejected this act and began taking the wheat and creating small cakes with it, from where our present tradition of the lavish display wedding cake evolved.

Something old, Something new...

Good luck affirmations date back to Victorian times where brides would attempt to infuse their wedding attire with good luck such as: 'Something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.'

'Something old' represented the link with the bride's family and the past, and brides often chose to wear a piece of antique jewelry or a family member's wedding dress. 'Something new' represented good fortune and success in life, and the wedding gown was often chosen as the new item. 'Something borrowed' was to remind the bride that friends and family would be there for her when help is needed, and might have been an item such as a handkerchief of lace worn in the wedding ceremony. 'Something blue' was the symbol of faithfulness and loyalty, and the garter was a well - recognised way of incorporating the colour at the wedding. And a silver sixpence in the shoe was symbolic of wishing the bride future wealth.

The Wedding Veil

The preferred appearance of the bride on her wedding day was of virginal innocence and modesty, symbolized by the veil. Back in Roman times the bridal veil was head-to-tie and later used as a burial shroud! In some Middle Eastern and Asian cultures, the veil was worn to hide the bride's face completely from the groom who had never seen her. Only after the wedding would the groom be allowed to lift the veil to see his new wife's face.

Giving Away The Bride

This tradition stems from the ancient understanding that a daughter was her father's property, and the groom had to pay a price to her family before he could wed her. Today this custom's meaning in the wedding ceremony has evolved as a general outward approval of the groom by the bride's family.

Carrying The Bride Over The Threshold

The cultural expectation of lady - like modesty and virginal disposition meant a preference for the bride to appear hesitant about 'giving' herself to her husband on the wedding night. The carrying of the bride into the bridal chamber was meant as an encouraging act from the husband in light of her hesitance. However it also harks back to the 'marriage by capture' act of kidnapping the bride where she was probably dragged or carried across the threshold!

Honeymoons

In ancient times the 'Teutonic' people began the practice of the honeymoon. After the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom would drink honey wine for thirty days (one full moon cycle.)It logically then became known as the 'honey moon.' The name has certainly remained, however these days the act is generally recognized as time where the new husband and wife leave their families to do what newlyweds are meant to do after their weddings.

We hope you find these old - world wedding traditions interesting. You may wish to take elements of these customs and incorporate them into your own wedding, or create rituals entirely of your own. In their day these traditions were powerfully meaningful, just as your own rituals may be now!

In the meantime, if you're at the point where you're ready to plan for your own wedding go no further than Bride Online. You'll find all things weddings - including including local wedding services in Australia, fabulous photo galleries, information on wedding trends, unique ideas, pre-loved gowns at a bargain and more!