Five Wedding Traditions and their peculiar origin
Have you ever wondered where all of the classic wedding traditions come from? I know I have! Some are so long-established that we don’t even question their origins. After reading this, you might question why we are still doing all of these things on our wedding days. Just remember that some wedding traditions are nice, but don’t be afraid to come up with your own.
Engagement rings have an interesting history. Nowadays, these rings symbolize love, but it wasn’t always like this. Romans viewed this ring as a down-payment to the bride. Actually up until the 1930s, a wife could sue the groom for breaking off an engagement. Strange, right? Up until the 1930s, diamonds weren’t found in an engagement ring. In 1938, diamond mining bloomed. De Beers was a manager for a diamond mine in South Africa. He hired people to convince men that diamond rings (and only diamond rings) were acceptable to propose with. They sent lecturers to high schools so they could teach girls that “Diamonds were forever.” You can thank De Beers for your diamond engagement ring. Diamonds really are a girl’s best friend!
We have all heard that it is bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. This tradition actually comes from the time when arranged marriages were normal. The groom couldn’t see the bride because they wanted to make sure he wouldn’t call off the wedding. That leads me into the next tradition… the veil. The purpose of the veil is so that the groom doesn’t see the bride until the last possible moment.
Many people see a white wedding dress as the most important and classic part of a wedding. You might think this tradition comes from ancient times, but in actuality it is more modern. Originally wedding dresses weren’t a special gown you wore only once, but the nicest thing in your closet. Wedding dresses were commonly black. They were then worn again for funerals or other occasions. White dresses were almost never worn, because they easily got dirty and you could see imperfections clearer. Although this is true, there is evidence of royalty wearing white since the middle ages. White dresses became popular in 1840, when Queen Elizabeth wore white during her wedding. White dresses didn’t become popular for the middle class for another 100 years. It is amazing how fast a tradition can grow.
Have you questioned why the happy couple saves the top tier of their wedding cake for their 1st anniversary? If you have than listen to the peculiar origin of this one. We have all giggled to the childhood rhyme, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage. It was assumed that once there was a wedding, a christening would follow. Instead of baking two cakes, they just baked one big one. They then waited to enjoy the top tier until the baby arrived. Although we don’t still eat the cake when the baby arrives, we do save it until the 1st anniversary.
Just remember take traditions from the past or make new ones but stay true to you when you plan your big day! Happy Planning!
~ Gabriella Gates
