Wedding traditions explained

When planning a wedding, most brides-to-be will have a check-list to work their way through, from choosing the date, the venue and the dress, to the veil, shoes (ooh, the shoes!), flowers and cake...

But do you know why these details are so important and how they became part of your wedding day?! There is a wealth of information regarding wedding traditions and their origins; some make sense, some don’t and others hark back to - let’s just say - less PC times!

So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, let me guide you through just a few of my faves...

The Proposal
Back in the days of yore, when the marriage proposal was a more formal affair, the prospective groom would send his friends or family to meet the bride and 'represent his interests'; a bit like a more grown up version of 'my mate fancies you!'. However they had to be pretty careful on the journey; if they saw a blind man, monk or pregnant woman en route it was said that the marriage would be doomed. If they saw nanny goats, pigeons or wolves then these would bring good fortune! A possible explanation as to why doves are often included in modern day wedding ceremonies.

Setting the date
There are some amazingly detailed rhymes when it comes to days of the week and months of the year, some are quite surprising; in the past Saturday was thought to be incredibly unlucky, though these days more than 70% of weddings are held at the end of the week.

'Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses and Saturday for no luck at all!'

The Romans believed that June was the best month to marry as it is named after Juno, the Queen of the Gods and the Goddess of women, who was known as the protector of married life. May was deemed unlucky due to the Feast of the Dead and the festival of the goddess of chastity, which both occurred in the same month.

Something old, something new...
If you’re anything like me, you’ll have been pondering your 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’ for some time! It’s a delightful Victorian rhyme which is also where the ‘silver sixpence in your shoe' tradition heralded from. Back then it referred less to material items and more to the loved one gathered around you on your big day.

Something old - refers to the friends of the couple who should remain close through the marriage.
Something new - refers to the newlyweds’ happy future.
Something borrowed - refers to an item of value loaned by the bride’s family, that must be returned to ensure good luck.
Something blue - this custom originated in ancient times and refers to a blue ribbon worn to represent fidelity.
Silver sixpence - by placing the sixpence in the bride’s shoe, you were rumoured to ensure wealth through the marriage (certainly a good one to note!).

The wedding dress
We all know that the groom shouldn't see the bride in her dress before the ceremony as it's bad luck. But tradition has it that the bride musn't wear her full outfit before the big day either for fear of an inauspicious marriage!

The veil
The veil was introduced to protect the bride from evil spirits; to disguise her and outwit evil. Later the veil became associated with chastity. There are other theories that are less PC; some think it harks back to a time when the groom would throw a sheet or blanket over the head of the woman of his choice when capturing her (nice)!

Bridesmaids
It is thought that bridesmaids dress in a similar style as the bride to act as decoys and to confuse those pesky evil spirits that may be loitering around!

Flowers
In a further bid to ward off evil spirits, the custom of the time soon decreed that by carrying a bouquet of strong smelling flowers you would be able to discourage those that weren't fooled by the veil, or the bridesmaids!

The buttonhole however, came about during a time when a Knight would wear his Lady's colours to display his love for her (much nicer than those men capturing women in blankets!). There are different meanings for most flowers - some people think lilies represent majesty, others associate them with death. But tradition has it that most couples would choose roses as they represent love.

The honeymoon
Much like the theories relating to a bride’s veil, the term 'Honeymoon' harks back to a time when the groom 'captured' his bride. It is said that the couple used to hide from the bride’s parents (why, I really don’t know!) before marrying and then for a full cycle of the moon after the ceremony; whilst in hiding, they would drink honey wine. If only most of us could get a full month off for our honeymoons (although Mrs R somehow managed it!)!

Maybe we get off lightly nowadays?! Wouldn’t it be amazing to head into the future and look back to find traditions that originate from our time - let’s try to create a few! Are there any that you are particularly fond of? Why not drop me a line at littlemissluxe@letrousseau.co.uk

Love, as always

Little Miss Luxe x

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