Wedding Traditions

 

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and a Sixpence in Your Shoe

"Something old" represents the bride's link to her family and the past. The bride may choose to wear a piece of family jewelry or her mother or grandmother's wedding gown.

"Something new" represents hope for good fortune and success in the future. The bride often chooses the wedding gown to represent the new item.

"Something borrowed" usually comes from a happily married woman and is thought to lend some of her good fortune and joy to the new bride.

"A Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe" is varyingly said to wish the bride a wealth of happiness and joy, or to have originally been a love token from the groom. Today, it is often the Father-of-the-Bride who places a coin into her left shoe, before they leave for the ceremony. In the American adaptation, this line is frequently dropped or "a silver sixpence" is replaced by "a shiny new penny."

Bride On Groom's Left
Since grooms in early Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides during the wedding ceremony, the lady would stand to the left of her future husband so that his sword arm would be free. It was also customary for the groom to hold onto his bride with the left hand. Thus, by association, the bride's family and guests sit on the left side of the church.

 

Bridesmaids
The tradition of a bridal party has been an established custom for many centuries. For many years, the purpose of a bridal party was to fool evil spirits. The bride's friends, richly dressed in a similar fashion to the bride, were thought to cause confusion among any malignant presences that might be lurking. During Saxon times in England, the chief bridesmaid was particularly responsible for the making of the bridal wreath, the decorations for the bridal feast and for dressing the bride. Today, the major function of bridesmaids is to support and assist the bride during any stressful times during the course of the wedding.

Confetti
The throwing of confetti over newlywed couples originates from the ancient Pagan rite of showering the bride and groom with grain in order to ensure a fruitful union. Pagans believed that the fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the couple upon whom they fell. (The throwing of rice and bird seed share a similar symbolic meaning.) In Italian, the world "confetti" has the same root as the word "confectionery" and was once used to describe "sweetmeats" (i.e., grain and nuts coated in sugar) which were thrown over newlyweds for the same symbolic reasoning as is associated with the Pagan custom. In modern times, small pieces of colored paper have replaced "sweetmeats" as an inexpensive substitute. However, the word "confetti" still remains. In some European countries, the throwing of eggs is substituted for the throwing of confetti.

Garter Toss
This is one of the oldest surviving wedding traditions. Originally, a man would present his beloved with a garter and her acceptance denoted a guaranteed faithfulness. In the Fourteenth Century, it was customary for the bride to toss her garter to the men in the bridal party. However, it was not unsual for the men (who had often consumed more alcohol than was good for them) to become impatient and attempt to take the garter from the bride ahead of time. This is believed to be one of the reasons behind today's tossing of the bouquet...since it was less trouble for the bride to throw her flowers rather than her garter. The garter toss was originally known as "flinging the stocking," an ancient and bawdy ritual, particularly popular in Britain, during which guests would invade the bridal chamber. The ushers, seated at the foot of the bed, would seize the stockings of the bride, the bridesmaids and the groom, taking turns to "fling" the stockings over the heads of the couple.

Horseshoes
Horseshoes have long been regarded as a symbol of good luck. The Romans believed that the "U" shape afforded protection from evil. Some sources also state that the shape is representative of the Moon and is a fertility symbol. Its silver color was also once believed to keep away witches. The luckiest horseshoe to give to a bride comes from the near hind foot of a grey mare. To be most effective, it is said that the horseshoe should be hung by ribbons which are attached to the shoulders. A horsehoe should never be turned upside down or all the good luck of the marriage is likely to fall out.

Wearing White
White has been a symbol of celebration since the Roman era...in other words, for approximately 2,000 years. In Nineteenth Century Victorian times, white was considered a sign of affluence, it being assumed that a woman would only be able to wear a white dress one time...twice at most...before it became soiled. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, white became synonymous with purity. Today, white once again is more representative of celebration and joy on the wedding day rather than purity and it is socially acceptable for women who are remarrying to wear any shade...from bright white to ecru to champagne.