Four Wedding Traditions: Investigated
Today’s blog post is a little bit of a history lesson, and a little bit on the fun side! Weddings can be deeply rooted in tradition, whether they’re ye old or modern & personal. We decided to collect a list of common traditions and get to the root of their beginnings!
Bridesmaids and their matching dresses
Ever wonder why tradition says that Bridesmaids should wear matching dresses? No, it’s not to avoid upstaging the bride- it’s actually to confuse evil spirits! The theory was: spirits wouldn’t know which woman was getting married. Back in the day, the bridesmaids would wear a similar dress to the bride, in order to out maneuver any ill wishes.
Photo: Christina Janel Photography
The duties of a bridesmaid have significantly changed as well! The bridal party originated as bodyguards. The group of women, now bridesmaids, would protect the bride on her journey to the groom by getting in the way of those wishing to do harm and/or steal the bride’s dowry. Raise your hand if you’re thankful that you only have to carry a bouquet these days!
(this bit came from: https://www.rd.com/culture/history-of-bridesmaids-weddings/)
“Something old, new, borrowed, and blue”
This Victorian-era tradition stems from a collection of items brought together to bring good fortune to the bride. Each item would connect the bride to her: past, new family, a happily married couple, and loyalty/friendship. Fun fact, the entire rhyme goes as follows: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe!” Notably left off the rhyme is the sixpence bit, which relates to the bride tucking a coin in her shoe for some added luck!
“Here comes the Bride, all dressed in white!”
Did you know that, before the 1800’s, brides wore colorful wedding dresses such as, red? White wedding dresses were certainly around, but became the norm when Queen Victoria said I-do to Prince Albert. Ahead of her time, Victoria wore a white, lace dress that opted for a sense of royalty, as opposed to purity. The world, which was obsessed with all things Victoria, turned to her fashion sense and the “white wedding dress” tradition was born!
(this bit came from: http://time.com/3698249/white-weddings/)
Photo: Tabitha Photography
Wedding Cake
Today’s “wedding cake” is a sweeter version of a ye old tradition where the groom would take a bite of bread and sprinkle the crumbs over the bride’s head for luck and prosperity. Later, when bread evolved into cake, guests would take a slice and place it under their pillows in hopes that lady luck would smile upon them as well.
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