Where do all the wedding traditions come from? Mostly they date back many years ago to beliefs people held regarding a multitude of superstitions and practices.
For example in ancient Rome white was thought to be a symbol of joy.
In later times the meaning was changed to purity.
In the dark ages curses and evil spirits were very real for people and the family and friends of the bride and groom would dress like the couple in order to confuse evil spirits that may mean harm to them.
In this time before events were logically explained people thought of everything that happened as an omen that bad things were to come.
Brides would carry herbs to ward off evil spirits and on her wedding day would cover her dress with them.
Later flowers were considered to have the same affect and that eventually became the bridal bouquet.
Honeymoon.
Where did that word come from? In ancient times men did not woo or date the woman of their choice.
The most likely way to get a bride was to just grab her up and carry her off.
Given courage by an ale drink made with honey, the groom was allowed to keep his bride if she didn't escape for a "moon" or a month.
He would give her the honey drink in hopes that she would remain peaceful and not try to escape.
The two words ended up combined making honeymoon.
The veil was just one article of clothing the women in ancient Greece and Rome were required to wear.
They were considered personal property and were covered from head to toe.
Only the husband was allowed to see her uncovered.
This was a symbol of male dominance and has survived today in the form of the bridal veil.
Just as today it is considered bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.
The wedding veil is worn until the vows are exchanged.
However a lot of brides today are changing the tradition and wearing rings of flowers in their hair or a short veil worn back over the hair instead of over the face.
Grains which have long been symbols of fertility are the reasoning that originally started the wedding cake.
In ancient Rome after the wedding ceremony thin loaves of bread were broken above the head of the bride.
They believed the more crumbs of bread that were broken over her head, the more children the couple would have.
Over the years the loaves of bread became bigger so that more of the wedding guests could help crumble and eventually cakes were used.
Hence the beginning of the wedding cake.
In Britain long ago there was a tradition of stocking throwing.
After the wedding the couple would retire to their bridal chamber at which point guests would enter and grab one of the bride's stockings and standing at the bottom of the bed throw it at the bride's head.
They believed the one closest to hitting the bride's nose would be the next one to marry.
Thank goodness this evolved into the throwing of the bouquet.