Did you know?

There are many customs and traditions we all follow and we often wonder what they mean, and how they become traditions. Here we will explain the most popular wedding customs and traditions together with their origins.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"

This bridal attire rhyme, dates back to the Victorian times. Something old refers to wearing something that represents a link with the bride's family and her old life. Usually, the bride wears a piece of family jewellery or maybe her mother's or grandmother's wedding dress. Something new 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. Something borrowed, 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 bridal clothing, a handkerchief or an item of jewellery. Something blue dates back to biblical times when the colour blue was considered to represent purity and fidelity. Over time this has evolved from wearing a blue clothing to wearing a blue band around the bottom of the bride's dress and to modern times where the bride wears a blue or blue-trimmed garter.

The Wedding Veil

One explanation is that it is a relic of the days when a groom would throw a blanket over the head of the woman of his choice when he captured her and carted her off. Another explanation is that during the times of arranged marriages, the bride's face was covered until the groom was committed to her at the ceremony - so it would be too late for him to run off if he didn't like the look of her! It is also thought that the veil was worn to protect the bride from evil spirits that would be floating around on her wedding day. These origins have all evolved into the tradition that the veil covers the bride's face throughout the ceremony until the minister pronounces the couple man and wife.

Carrying the Bride over the Threshold
This is when the groom carries his bride over the threshold when entering their home as a married couple for the first time. This relates to Roman times when it was believed that if the bride stumbled when entering the newlywed's home for the first time, it would bring bad luck and harm to their marriage. So carrying the bride across the threshold would prevent this from happening.

Bridal Flowers
The carrying of flowers by the bride has its roots in ancient times when it was believed that strong smelling herbs and spices would ward off and drive away evil spirits, bad luck and ill health. During Roman times, this tradition was extended, with the bride and groom wearing floral garlands signifying new life and hope for fertility. The bouquet in particular symbolised a women in bloom.

Throwing Confetti
The origin of throwing confetti over newly weds predated Christ since it originates from the ancient Pagan rite of showering the happy couple with grain to wish upon them a 'fruitful' union. Pagans believed that the fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the couple on whom they fell. The throwing of rice has the same symbolic meaning. In recent years, small pieces of coloured paper have replaced sweetmeats, grain and nuts as an inexpensive substitute but the use of the word confetti has remained.

Wedding Favours

Wedding favours or "bomboniere" as they were traditionally known are an Italian tradition. The original bomboniere were given out by the bride and groom to all their guests and consisted of five sugared almonds to represent health, wealth, happiness, long life and fertility.

Bridesmaids Curse

Thrice a bridesmaid, never a bride is an old charm that can be broken by being a bridesmaid seven times.

Dressing Matters

The tradition of bridesmaids dressing the same as each other and in similar style to the bride comes from ancient days when it was believed that evil spirits have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and putting a hex on her.