Check out seven of the all-time favorite American wedding day traditions. From the bouquet toss to the garter search, traditional wedding customs are still incredibly popular. Today we'll share a few that we see at most weddings and explain the thoughts that made them popular in the first place! To kick off, here are a few you may not have heard of before from our friends at Brides.com: "Some global wedding traditions are sweet, like how wedding guests inSwedenkiss the bride or groom anytime their new spouse leaves the room. Some are perplexing: Couples in theCongoare forbidden to smile on their wedding day. And some are seemingly strange, such as the way engaged pairs inMongoliamust kill and butcher a chicken to find a healthy liver before being allowed to wed. What binds these seemingly disparate customs from near and far is one simple thing: love. There are two theories behind this time-honored tradition of the garter belt toss. Havinga piece of the wedding dress was believed to bringgood luck, leading to wedding guests essentially attacking the bride to rip off a piece of her gown. YIKES and NO THANK YOU. Brides later began wearing a specific article of clothing to be given out as the lucky piece: the garter. PHEW! Another theory – family and friends would take the garter as proof of consummation. Here's the latest take on a garter belt toss from Reader's Digest: "These days, removing thegarteris basically the male equivalent to the bride'sbouquet toss. The bride sits on a chair so her new husband can take hergarter beltoff her leg andtossit to a crowd of bachelors. Supposedly, whoever is lucky enough to catch it will be next to getmarried. "
Hindu brides may first marry a tree, or someSouth Koreangrooms have their feet whipped by family and friends but it's all worth it in the end. When love and happiness ever after are the outcomes, it's usually a win-win forbrides and grooms."The Garter Belt Toss
Jordan Almonds
In Italian tradition, five almonds signify five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity. In Middle Eastern tradition, these cute candies are considered an aphrodisiac! In Greek tradition, these candy almonds are bagged in odd numbers and are served on a silver tray. Odd numbers are indivisible, symbolizing how the newlyweds will share everything and remain undivided.
Trivia Tip: Also, according to Greek tradition, if an unmarried woman puts almonds under her pillow, she’ll dream of her future husband.
Here's the final word on why almonds make great wedding favors from Female First:
The marriage ceremony of two individuals is seen as a lucky occasion. When the bride and groom give almonds aswedding favors- it's a way of sharing the luck of their union with their guests.
Father Giving Away The Bride
In the case of an arranged marriage of a bride and groom, the bride was consideredtheir father’s property in which he was giving her away to the groom. Over the years,this tradition has remained, along with some fantastic alternatives to accommodate the couple’s preference!
Here's the traditional take:
Giving away the bride is an antiquated tradition from the days when women were their father's property until they got married. Then they became their husband's property. The bride was given away in exchange for a bride price ordowry.
And here's a more modern take: walking down the aisle with someone about to be married is an honor and choosing a friend, loved one or family member makes sense. Asking a friend can deepen a relationship and be an extremely heartwarming as a gesture of love. Alternatively walking yourself down the aisle is incredibly affirming.
“Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A SixpenceIn Your Shoe”
There’s no doubt you have heard this before. But what does it mean? Let’s break it down!
Something old represents continuity; something new means a positive outlook on the future; something borrowed is a symbol of borrowed happiness; and something blue symbolizes fidelity, purity, and love. A sixpence in your shoe is of British influence. This timeless saying is a tradition where smallcharms are given and carried before walking down the aisle.
The Wedding Cake
there are so many myths and traditions about wedding cakes so let me share a few of my absolute favorites! In Ancient Rome, bread was broken over the bride’s head to bring good fortune to the couple. In Medieval England, cakes were stacked as high as possible for the bride and groom to kiss over.Slicing the cake is the first task for newlyweds to complete together but know your cue - at a wedding cutting the cake traditionally symbolizesthat guests can depart.
And, shouldyou have two cakes? Yes! The team at Lover.ly can help you decide:
" In the 17th century, wedding desserts were made in pairs — a bride’s cake and a groom’s cake, which was typically a small fruitcake. Instead of being served at the reception, the groom’s cake was cut up, packaged and given to guests as favors. The tradition of groom’s cakes actually died out for a while, but recently resurged in the U.S. "
The Veil
Over time the bridal veil has come to symbolize modesty and obedience. In many religions it is seen as a symbol of reverence for women to cover their heads. The veil covers the face and hair of the bride-to-be, symbolizing the reference of virginity thereafter. From The Richmond Times Dispatch:
"Superstition has it that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride prior to the wedding. A veil hiding her face also ensured that the groom would not see his soon-to-be-betrothed up until the ceremony."
TheHoneymoon
Many many moons ago, newly married couples drank fermented wine made from mead and honey for a month (the duration of a moon’s cycle) following their wedding. And some say the honeymoon is a from the days when grooms abducted their brides, How Stuff Works explains:
"Through time, those abductions became fun-filled, ritualized enactments of capturing brides. Those escapades, in Norse tradition, led to a tradition in which the bride and groom went into hiding for 30 days. During each of those days, a friend or family member would bring them a cup of honey wine, so that 30 days of consumption equaled a 'honeymoon'."
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