It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. Origin: When marriages were arranged between two families, the couple were not allowed to see each other before the wedding at all. The wedding symbolized a business deal between two families and a father would have been pleased for his daughter to marry a man from a rich, land-owning family. But also feared that if the groom met the bride before the wedding and thought she wasn’t attractive, he’d call off the wedding, casting shame onto the bride and her family. It afterwards became tradition that the bride and groom were only allowed to only meet at the wedding ceremony so that the groom could not change his mind. Today: It is still tradition that with most brides they still don’t want their groom to see them all done up before the wedding. Many believe it adds more excitement to the day and makes the wedding more memorable. Some couples today, meet each other before the Ceremony, claiming it’s soothing and calming! It’s a bonus to take formal photos pre-ceremony when everyone is freshly done-up. It’s entirely up to the bride and groom.
The bride must wear something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue Origin: This is a Victorian rhyme and supposed to bring the bride good luck. Wearing “something old” expressed the newlywed couple’s desire to remain close with family once they marry. One tradition suggests that the bride’s “something old” be an old garter given to the bride by a happily married woman so that the new bride would also enjoy a happy marriage. Wearing “something new” conveys that the couple is creating a new union that will endure forever in health, happiness and success. “Something borrowed” is an opportunity for the bride’s friends or family to lend something special as a token of their love. And finally, “something blue” is a symbol of fidelity and constancy. This custom began in ancient Israel, where brides wore a blue ribbon in their hair to symbolize the promise to their new husbands. The rhyme actually ends with “…and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” Story says that a penny is placed in the bride’s shoe to fill her life with good fortune. Today: Many modern brides find it fun to keep with tradition by wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Think of creative ways to incorporate all four items into your wedding-day ensemble.
The person who catches the bride’s bouquet or garter when she tosses it over her head will be the next to get married. Origin: In medieval times, it was considered lucky to get a piece of the bride’s clothing, so guests would follow the newlywed couple into their wedding chamber after the ceremony and stand around the bed, trying to rip pieces of the bride’s gown right off her body. Over time, since dresses were often torn apart, brides searched for alternatives and began throwing their bouquets to distract guests while they made their getaway. When the bride and groom made it safely into their wedding chamber, the groom would then crack open the door and toss the bride’s garter to the guests waiting outside as a way of saying that he was about to “seal the deal.” Today: At many modern weddings, today the groom removes and tosses the bride’s garter to the groomsmen right after the bride tosses her bouquet to the bridesmaids. Traditionally, the unmarried man who catches the garter must place it on the leg of the unmarried woman who catches the bouquet, and it is said that they will be the next to marry (not necessarily to each other). It’s a fun ritual in your wedding.
The bride and groom must save the top layer of their wedding cake to eat on their first anniversary. Origin: Remember a familiar schoolyard rhyme: “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!” It was thought that once a wedding took place, a baby was going to come shortly after, so both the wedding and christening ceremonies were linked. In the same way, the respective cakes that were baked for each occasion were also linked. With fancy, elaborate, multi-tiered wedding cakes becoming a major trend in the 19th century, the christening cake began to loose it’s seat to the wedding cake. Since the top tier of the wedding cake was almost always left over, couples began to see the christening as the perfect opportunity to finish the cake — the bottom cake for the wedding reception, the middle for distributing, and the top cake for the christening! Today: Weddings and christenings don’t happen during such a short time from each other and therefore the two events became disassociated. Hence, the reason for saving the top tier has changed. Now, couples enjoy saving the top layer of their wedding cake to eat on their first anniversary as a pleasant reminder of their special day.
The groom must carry his new wife across the threshold of their new home to prevent bad luck. Origin: This tradition has a few origins. In Medieval Europe, it was scandalous for women to show enthusiasm about losing virginity. When the groom carried the bride over to the threshold, she avoided looking too eager about consummating the marriage. Western Europeans, believed that a bride who tripped over the threshold of her new home would bring bad luck to her home and marriage. Therefore, the groom carrying the bride into the home was a good way to avoid such a mishap! In ancient cultures, the threshold of the home was considered to be a hotbed of lurking and unattached evil spirits, since a new bride was vulnerable to spirit intrusion, especially through the soles of her feet, the groom ensured that his wife would not bring any bad spirits into the house by carrying her inside. Today: The groom carries his bride across the threshold not in fear of spirits, but as a romantic welcome into his life.
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