Frequently Asked Wedding Questions
WHY
... Does The Bride Wear White?
The color white has
been a symbol of joyous celebration since early Roman times. At
the beginning to the twentieth century, white stood for purity as well.
Today, it holds its original meaning of happiness and joy.
WHY ... Are
Wedding Rings Worn On The "Ring Finger" Of The Left Hand?
In ancient times, it
was believed there was a vein in the third finger of the left hand
that ran directly to the heart. Thus, the ring being placed on that
finger, denoted the strong connection of a heartfelt love and commitment
to one another. Although during times of modern autopsy,
this long held belief was found not to be so, the tradition
continues to this day.
Medieval bridegrooms
place the ring on three of the bride's fingers, in turn, to symbolize,
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The ring then
remained on the third finger and has become the customary ring finger
for English-speaking cultures. In some European countries, the
ring is worn on the left hand before marriage, and is moved to the right
hand during the ceremony. However, in most European countries the
ring is still worn on the brides left hand. A Greek Orthodox bride
wears her ring on her left hand before marriage, and moves it to her
right hand after the ceremony.
WHY ... Does A
Bride Wear A Veil?
The bride's veil and
bouquet are of greater antiquity than her white gown. Her veil,
which was yellow in ancient Greece and red in ancient Rome, usually
shrouded her from head to foot, and has since the earliest of times,
denoted the subordination of a woman to man. The thicker the veil,
the more traditional the implication of wearing it.
According to
tradition, it is considered bad luck for the bride to be seen by the
groom before the ceremony. As a matter of fact, in the old days of
marriage by purchase, the couple rarely saw each other at all, with
courtship being of more recent historical emergence.
The lifting of the
veil at the end of the ceremony symbolizes male dominance. If the
bride takes the initiative in lifting it, thereby presenting herself to
him, she is showing more independence.
Veils came into vogue
in the United States when Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her wedding to
George Washington's aid, Major Lawrence Lewis. Major Lewis saw his
bride to be standing behind a filmy curtain and commented to her how
beautiful she appeared. She then decided to veil herself for their
ceremony. View WeddingCram's wedding
veils.
WHY ... Is It
Said That The Bride Is Given Away?
In times when women
were granted few privileges and even fewer personal rights, the bride
was literally given away to the groom by the father, usually in exchange
for monetary gain. Today, it is seen as symbolic of the blessings
and support of her union as a promise of continued trust and
affection. Often when the question is asked by a clergy during the
ceremony, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man,"
the father's response is, "Her mother and I."
WHY ...
Something Blue?
Brides of ancient
Israel wore blue ribbons on the border of their wedding cloths to
denote, love, modesty and fidelity. These are ideals still
associated today with that color. Blue also denotes the purity of
the Virgin Mary and is the most popular of all colors. View
WeddingCram's "Something
Blue" Swarovski Australian crystal heart.
WHY ... Does
The Groom Carry The Bride Over The Threshold?
During the days of
"Marriage by Capture," the bride was certainly not going to go
peacefully into the bridegroom's abode, thus, she was dragged or carried
across the threshold. In even earlier times, it was believed that
family demons followed the woman and to keep her family demons from
going into the groom's home, she was carried across the threshold upon
her entering for the first time. After that, the demons could not
enter as she would come in and go out of the home.
WHY ... Do The
Bride And Groom Go On A Honeymoon?
In ancient times,
many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice.
When early man felt it was time to take a bride, he would often carry
off an unwilling woman to a secret place where her relatives wouldn't
find them. While the moon went through all its phases, (about 30
days) they hid from the searchers and drank a brew made from honey.
Hence, we get the word, honeymoon.
WHY ... Does A
Bride Carry Flowers On Her Wedding Day?
For centuries,
flowers have stood for a variety of emotions and values. Roses for
love, lilies for virtue and so on. In ancient marriages, the brides
carried herbs beneath their veils to symbolize fidelity. Greek
brides carried ivy as a symbol of never-ending love. Orange
blossoms, (the world renowned wedding flower) were chosen by the
Spaniards to represent happiness and fulfillment, because the orange
tree flowers and bears fruit at the same time. During even earlier
times of "primitive marriage," when the fear of demons was
most prevalent, the brides carried stinking garlands of herbs and spices
for the purpose of frightening off evil spirits.
Today, brides carry
flowers in the color scheme of their wedding, bringing beauty and
elegance as well as old world customs to their special day. Have
you considered spelling out the name of your groom in the flowers of
your bouquets? Be sure to visit our section on "Your Wedding
Flowers" (coming soon).
WHY ... Does
The Bridal Party Dress Alike?
Who hasn't noticed
that the maids, ushers, and entire bridal party dress very much like the
bride and groom? It was once common for the bride, her groom and
all their friends to walk together to the church on the morning of the
wedding. Afraid that someone, maybe a rejected suitor, would spot the
happy couple and put a curse on them. The groom's friends wore clothes
almost identical to his, and the women costumed themselves like the
bride. These disguises tricked evil wishers into letting the real
bride and groom live happily ever after. Of course,
today we dress our attendants alike for the beauty and pageantry of the
event.
Are there any traditions you've been curious about? Email
us info@weddingcram.com
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