Traditions: Why do we do that?

Have you ever wondered: Why do we do that?        The Rings: The wedding ring has been worn on the third finger of the left hand since Roman times. The Romans believed that the vein in that finger runs directly to the heart. The wedding ring is a never-ending circle, which symbolizes everlasting love.

The Veil: The bridal veil has long been a symbol of youth, modesty, and virginity as well as its ability to ward off evil.

The Tiered Cake: The origin of the tiered wedding cake also lies in Anglo-Saxon times. Guests would bring small cakes to the wedding and stack them on top of each other. Later, a French baker created a cake in the shape of the small cakes and covered it in frosting. It is now known as the tiered cake.

The Giving Away of the Bride: The tradition of the father giving away his daughter has its roots in the days of arranged marriages. Daughters in those times were considered their father's property. It was the father's right to give his child to the groom, usually for a price. Today a father giving away his daughter is a symbol of his blessing of the marriage.

Why is the bride on the left? Simple, grooms in Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides, the bride would stand to the left of her groom so that his sword arm was free. No guys this does not mean you can bring a sword!

The Maids: The bridal party is a tradition that has been established for many centuries. For a long time the purpose of the bridal party was to fool evil spirits. The bride's friends dressed similarly to her in order to confuse any evil presences that might be lurking about. Today bridesmaids are there to support the bride in the stressful times during the wedding.

The Best Man:  In ancient times, men sometimes captured women to make them their brides. A man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to help him fight resistance from the woman's family. This friend, therefore, was considered the best man among his friends. In Anglo-Saxon England, the best man accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride.

The Bouquet Toss: Tossing the bouquet is a tradition that stems from England. Women used to try to rip pieces of the bride's dress and flowers in order to obtain some of her good luck. To escape from the crowd the bride would toss her bouquet and run away. Today the bouquet is tossed to single women with the belief that whoever catches it will be the next to marry.

Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue:

Old- represents the bride's link to her family and continuity with the past.

New- represents hope for good fortune and success in the future.
Borrowed- usually comes from a happily married woman and is thought to lend some of her good fortune and joy to the new bride.
Blue- is a symbol of love, fidelity, and purity of the bride.

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Above Pics provided by: Photographs of You, Photography by Sabrina, Rosewood Photography, Watson Studios, Arlin Yeager Photography, Hope Photography, Tom Nancy Photography.