Wedding traditions
have evolved over the years and seem to have become rules of etiquette
today. Here is some information on just a few traditions and folklore ...
AGE: In ancient
Greece, it was the custom to compute the bride's age from the day of her
marriage; not from the date of birth!.
BRIDAL GOWNS:
The white gown has become the traditional color because the Greeks believed
white embodied purity, innocence and joyfulness. The white gown also implied
the bride was a virgin. Today, the white gown is a symbol of the wedding
and the celebration.
BRIDAL VEIL:
Veils were first used so the groom could not see his bride and back out
of an arranged marriage. The veil symbolizes privacy, modesty, youth and
maidenhood. Second-time brides usually skip the veil.
CAKE: In ancient
Rome, the cake was broken over the bride's head and the guests gathered
up all the crumbs that fell to the ground as good-luck tokens. In later
times, the popularity of a bride was determined by the size of her cake.
Guests brought layers of cake to the reception, which were then filled
with fruit sauces and stacked. The cutting of the cake by both the bride
and the groom originated from the Greeks, when the couple shared in the
task to ensure they would have a fruitful marriage. The Greeks preferred
a sesame seed cake, while the Pilgrim's brought the tradition of a fruitcake
with them from England. Later, when white cake was available, the fruitcake
became known as the "Groom's cake," a symbol of fertility and abundance.
If a bride keeps a piece of her wedding cake, she will have a loving and
faithful husband. The piece most commonly saved is the top tier, which
is eaten on the couple's first anniversary.
GIFTS: Giving
your guests momentos at the reception dates back to a 16th century French
custom. There the tradition was reserved for royalty, with the gifts being
of great value. Later on, affordable gifts were substituted.
FLOWERS: In
medieval Germany, brides wore rosemary to guard against pregnancy!
GARTER: This
custom originates from at least two cultures. In olden times the garter
represented the virginal girdle. The groom's removal of the garter represented
the bride's relinquishment of that status. An Old English custom involved
the wedding guests sneaking into the bridal chamber, picking up discarded
stockings, and throwing them at the couple.
KISSING THE BRIDE:
The kiss is a symbol of the couple's faith and love and respect of each
other's beliefs.
MAKE-UP: A
1775 law stated that a wedding was not legal if the bride wore any make-up
to the ceremony. Make-up was considered a snare and so the groom was protected
from being trapped by the illusion of cosmetics.
POEM: The familiar
saying, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,
and a lucky sixpence in your shoe." The "something borrowed" originated
from the idea that if a bride borrows an item from a happily married woman,
the giver's happiness is passed on to the bride. The "something blue" symbolizes
constancy in a relationship. The sixpence became a tradition in England
during the 17th century as a part of the dowry gift. The sixpence has become
a symbol of good luck; it is traditionally worn in the bride's left shoe.
TO THE LEFT:
A bride stands to the left of her groom because long ago the groom needed
to keep his right (and sword) hand free to defend his bride and himself
from attack and capture by jealous rivals.
WEDDING BANDS:
The never ending circle of a wedding band symbolizes eternal love by its
lack of a beginning and an end. In an ancient tribal custom, circlets of
grass were used to decorate the bride's wrist and ankles. Around 2800 BC
in Egypt is the earliest evidence of wedding rings. In 860 Pope Nicholas
I declared that an engagement ring was required of all those who intended
to marry; if either party later declined to marry, he or she was banished.
At other times, women were thought of as property and the band was a symbol
of ownership. The Romans and Egyptians used gold and silver for wedding
bands because they loved precious metals and stones. The rings are worn
on the third finger of the left hand because it was believed that finger
has a vein running straight to the heart.
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Event Director Dave Gonzales at 305-587-4282
email
us
