Weddings – There
are all sorts of great traditions for weddings The main ones remembered more
often than not today is “Something old, something new something borrowed
something blue....” however most people forget the last item on this old rhyme,
“....and a silver sixpence in her shoe”.
Whether you are
planning a grand affair or a small intimate day with only the closest of family
and friends, you will find that yourself and others will concern themselves with
making sure traditions and superstitions are followed! However do you know the
real reasons behind the having a maid of honour, bridesmaids, best men, ushers,
the white dress.....Here are some facts for you...Not all but
some...
Tying shoes to
the back of the wedding couples car comes from Tudor times where guests would
throw shoes at the bride and groom and they would be bestowed with good luck
should they or their carriage be hit! In Anglo Saxon times the groom would
symbolically strike the bride with a shoe to establish his authority. Shoes
would then be thrown to at the bridesmaids to see who would marry next. A far
cry from the pretty bouquet of flowers that they now get to catch!
The groom will
normally wear a button hole, and it traditionally should match a flower that is
in the bridal bouquet. This dates back to medieval times when a knight would
wear his lady's colours as a declaration of his love.
Sundays used to
be the most popular wedding day as it was the one day most people were free from
work. However in the 17th Century, Puritans put a stop to this believing it was
to be improper to be festive on the Sabbath. Saturday's were rarely considered!
“Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best of all, Thursday for
losses, Friday for crosses, Saturday for no luck at all”
Grooms, you
choose your best men to make a speech, give you support on the big day and look
after the rings, but years ago the best man was there and chosen in case for
whatever reason the groom couldn’t make it. The best man would then marry the
bride instead!
Bridesmaids were
dressed in pretty dresses and followed the bride or walked in front of the bride
to ward off and confuse bad spirits.
The new
traditional 3 tier wedding cake is based on the unusual shape of the spire of
Saint Brides Church in London, but originally the wedding cake was lots of
little wheat cakes that were broken over the brides head to bestow luck and
fertility.
The throwing of
confetti is an ancient fertility rite. Handfuls of grain or nuts were
traditionally thrown because they are “life-giving” seeds. In some European
countries, eggs are thrown instead.
It was thought
unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname began with the same letter as
hers. The sentiment was summarised in the following rhyme: “To change the name
and not the letter, Is to change for the worst and not for the
better”
The term
"honeymoon" originates from the times when a man captured his bride. The couple
would hide from the bride's parents before marrying. The couple would remain in
hiding for a further cycle of the moon after the wedding. During this period
they drank honey wine.
However
regardless of the traditions you choose to follow or not, you can be sure they
date back many years, and will continue to be part of weddings in the future!