Traditional wedding practices are still upheld today and some couples even think of their own marriage customs. Marriages are special event since two people are being united in matrimony for a lifetime. How did marriage and its customs evolve into what we know today? Most of us perhaps presume it has always been about love but marriages originally were not about love. It was intend as an institution of the secure raising of children and transferral of assets. Now, it is more about love and less about property.
Across time, several superstitions and wedding traditions surfaced. One is the bridal dress itself. Though white is the main color wore today to stand for purity an maidenhood, the dresses before the 16th century could be any color. Different colors symbolized different meanings. For example, yellow means you are ashamed of your fellow. If you marry in brown, you will live in a town. Green dresses symbolized promiscuity which lead to the old adage “The woman has a green gown.”.
The oldest wedding tradition are the wedding rings. These can be traced back to ancient Egypt over four thousand years ago. They made rings from twisted plant pieces. It stood for a love with no end. Romans an Egyptians placed it on the fourth finger of the bride’s hand so it connected right to the heart or “vena amoris. After Christianity became the main faith in Europe, a holy seal replaced it.
Then, there is the the traditional wedding custom of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Something old symbolizes the couple’s friends with hope they will stay friends. Eventually, a garter replaced this tradition which was given to the bride elect from a married woman to ensure happiness was passed on. Something borrowed is given by the bride’s family and something new which she must give back for good luck. Something new stands for prosperity and something blue is an Israelite tradition. The bride wore blue ribbon to symbolize fidelity.
Modern weddings seem to have parted from other traditional wedding customs like not seeing the bride before the wedding. Brides have gotten more bold and daring with their dresses which would make a Victorian lady blush. Many Western brides no longer wear the traditional white. While no one is required to follow standard, it is fun to do so.