Wedding Tradition & Meaning

Bachelor Party Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

This was the last chance before the wedding and his new wife took over the finances for the groom to gather money by gambling for his own future use. Ancient spartan soldiers were the first to hold stag parties. The groom would feast with his male friends on the night before the wedding. There he would say goodbye to his carefree days of bachelorhood and swear continued allegiance to his comrades even after the wedding.

 

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Best Man Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

During ancient times when women were in short supply, the groom captured his bride-to-be from a neighboring village before the wedding. The future bridegroom, accompanied by a male companion seized any young girl who had strayed from the safety of her parental home. Our tradition of a "best man" is the relic of that two man, strong armed tactic; for such an important task, only the best man would do. A best man around AD 200 carried more than a ring. Since there remained the real threat of the bride's family attempting to forcibly gain her return, during the wedding, the best man stayed by the groom's side throughout the wedding ceremony, alert and armed. He might also serve as a sentry outside the newlyweds' home after the wedding.

 

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Bridal Shower Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

This tradition came about when a father disapproved of his daughter's wedding and refused to provide a dowry to the wedding couple. The wedding shower became the alternative to the dowry. Supportive villagers would assemble and provide the bride a variety of household items for her new home. Bridal showers were also meant to strengthen the friendships between the bride and her friends, give her moral support and help prepare her for her wedding and marriage. The idea to give gifts is fairly new, dating from the 1890's. At one wedding shower, the bride's friend placed small gifts inside a Japanese parasol, and then opened it over the bride's head so all of the wedding presents would "shower" over her. When word of this hit the fashion pages, people were so charmed, they decided to do the same at their wedding showers.

 

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Child Attendant Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

Children were originally included in the wedding ceremony to add innocence.

 

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Colors - Wedding Meaning

• Married in white, you have it right

• Married in blue, your love is true

• Married in pink, your fortune will stink

• Married in green, you'll never be seen

• Married in red, you'll wish you were dead

• Married in yellow, ashamed of your fellow

• Married in brown, you'll live out of town

• Married in gray, you'll live far away

• Married in black, you'll wish you were back

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Days of the Week - Wedding Meaning

• Monday - Health

• Tuesday - Wealth

• Wednesday - The Best Day

• Thursday - Brings Crosses

• Friday - Losses

• Saturday - No Luck at All

• Sunday - Just not done

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Decorating the Vehicle Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

The noise from the can dragging on the ground is meant to chase away evil spirits. Tying shoes to the car come from an Irish tradition. Way back when, the bride would give the groom one of her slippers. This symbolizes the fact that he would take care of her after the wedding and not her father.

 

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Engagement Ring Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

The original purpose for the engagement and wedding ring was a sign that a woman was purchased and belonged to the groom-to-be. The first people to use engagement and wedding rings in a romantic way were the French. In the sixteenth century they used gimmal rings. These rings are intertwined, but had a little slit in the gold so that during the engagement each person wore one of the rings. On the wedding day the groom would take his ring off and give it to his bride and the two rings together was her wedding band.

 

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Father Giving the Bride Away Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

This tradition originally had it's roots in arranged weddings where the bride was considered property. This tradition persists as a symbol with two meanings, first it is an endorsements by the father to all witnessing the wedding ceremony that the groom is the best choice for his daughter, and it is an offering to the groom: "I am presenting to you my daughter."

 

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First Kiss Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

Dating back from early Roman times, the wedding kiss represented a legal bond that sealed all contracts.

 

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Flowers - Wedding Meaning

• Apple Blossom - Better things to come

• Jasmine - Amicability

• Camelia - Gratitude

• Lemon Blossom - Fidelity in love

• Carnation - Fascination and love

• Lilac (white) - Youthful innocence

• Chrysanthemum (red) - I love you

• Lily - Majesty

• Chrysanthemum (white) - Truth

• Lily of the Valley - Return of happiness

• Daffodil - Regard

• Magnolia - Perseverance

• Daisy - Innocence

• Mimosa - Sensitivity

• Fern - Fascination and sincerity

• Orange Blossom - Purity and virginity

• Flowering Almond - Hope

• Peach Blossom - Captive

• Forget-me-not - True love and rememberbrance

• Rose (red) - Love

• Heliotrope - Devotion and faithfulness

• Rose (white) - Worthiness

• Honeysuckle - Generosity

• Rose (other colors) - Love and beauty

• Hyancinth - Loveliness

• Rosemary - Rememberance

• Hydrangea - Boastfulness

• Snowdrop - Hope

• Iris - Warmth of affection

• Sweet Pea - Delicate treasures

• Ivy - Eternal fidelity

• Tulip - Love

• Japonica - Loveliness

• Violet - Faithfulness

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Garter Tossing Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

This an old British tradition called "flinging the stocking". After the ceremony the wedding guests would rush into the couple's bedroom and take their stocking, and the first guest to throw the stocking and hit either the bride or groom on the nose was the next to have a wedding.

 

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Handkerchief Wearing Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

The tears of a bride on her wedding day are good luck and must be caught. Farmers used to think that if a bride cried on her wedding day, there would be rain to water the crops. Also it is said that if you cry on your wedding day, you'll never have a reason to cry in your marriage.  

 

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Honeymoon Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

Brides used to be captured and help hostage after the wedding until her family called off the search. A friend of the groom had the job of fending off and stalling the bride's family until their escape, (again, the best man). The term "honeymoon" come from the time that followed the capture and wedding. The bride and groom would hide for 30 days (one full moon) and drink mead (fermented honey and water). It was said to help produce male heirs.

 

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Location of Wedding Ring on Hand Wedding Meaning

 

Meaning:

Although there is no precise evidence to explain the origin of this tradition, there are two strongly held beliefs. 

The first, dating back to the 17th century, is that during a Christian wedding the priest arrived at the forth finger (counting the thumb) after touching the three fingers on the left hand '...in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost'. 


The second belief refers to an Egyptian belief that the ring finger follows the vena amoris, that is, the vein of love that runs directly to the heart.

 

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Red Slipper Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

When a red slipper is placed on the roof of a house after the wedding, it means that a honeymoon is taking place, so stay away!

 

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Rice Throwing Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

Your wedding guests throw rice at you because rice symbolizes fertility. Whatever your wedding guests choose to throw on you can represent that they are showering you with the good things in life. In Asia throwing rice after the wedding symbolized a "full pantry".

 

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Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue Wedding Meaning

 

Meaning:

Something old refers to wearing something at your wedding that represents a link with the bride's family and her old life. Usually, the bride wears a piece of family jewelry or maybe her mother's or grandmother's wedding dress.

Wearing something new at your wedding represents good fortune and success in the bride's new life. The bride's wedding dress is usually chosen, if purchased new, but it can be any other new item of the bride's wedding attire.

Wearing something borrowed at your wedding, which has already been worn by a happy bride at her wedding, is meant to bring good luck to the marriage. Something borrowed could be an item of wedding clothing, a handkerchief or an item of jewelry.

Wearing something blue at your wedding dates back to biblical times when the color blue was considered to represent purity and fidelity. Over time this has evolved from wearing blue clothing at the wedding, to wearing a blue band around the bottom of the bride's wedding dress and to modern times where the bride wears a blue or blue trimmed garter under her wedding dress.

 

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Stepping on the Glass Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

We have heard many different meanings to this one. Here's the origin of why a Jewish groom steps on a wine glass wrapped in cloth at his wedding. This tradition symbolizes the destruction of The Holy Temple in Jerusalem and that even during a festive wedding ceremony a Jew can never forget all the hardships his ancestors had to bare.

 

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Threshold Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

The Romans carried the bride over the threshold after the wedding so that the demons couldn't trip her up and spoil her wedding day.

 

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Tie the Knot Expression Wedding Meaning

 

Meaning:

The expression "tie the knot" comes from Roman times when the bride wore a girdle to her wedding that was tied in knots which the groom had the fun of untying after the wedding.

 

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Tossing of the Bouquet Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

It was believed that the bride could pass along good fortune to others. In order to obtain this fortune, spectators would try to tear away pieces of the bride's wedding clothing and wedding flowers. In an attempt to get away, the bride would toss her wedding bouquet into the crowd. Tradition says that the single woman who catches the wedding bouquet is the one who receives the bride's fortune and will have the next wedding.

 

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 Veil Wedding Meaning

 

Meaning:

Wedding veils were not always made of tulle. They used to be made of a heavier cloth so that if any other man was in love with her he wouldn't try to kidnap her on her wedding day, because no one could see who was under the veil.

 

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Wedding Cake Tradition

 

Meaning:

The wedding cake is a symbol of fertility. In ancient Roman times, a small loaf of wheat or barley bread was broken over the bride's head after the wedding to ensure that there would be many children to come. In Native American culture, the guests would each bring a small molasses cake with them which would be stacked along with the other guests' cakes using apple butter, or another seasonal fruit preserve, in between the layers. This created the wedding cake. Of course, the higher the final wedding cake, the more popular the couple was.  

 

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Wedding Party Tradition

 

Meaning:

Ancient Romans believed that jealous demons were out to get the wedding couple. That's why we have bridesmaids and groomsmen, for protection. The wedding party would all dress similar to the wedding couple so that the demons couldn't tell for whom the wedding was meant.

 

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White Wedding Meaning

 

Meaning:

Yes, you're right, it means purity, but the color also symbolizes celebration.

 

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Why the Bride Stands on the Left Wedding Tradition

 

Meaning:

The origin of this tradition goes back to the days when a groom would capture his bride by kidnapping her. If the groom had to fight off other men during the wedding who also wanted her as their bride, he would hold his bride to be with his left hand allowing his right hand to be free to use his sword.

 

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