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Whether you’ve attended countless weddings or have only seen ceremonies in films, you know there is a white dress and a bouquet toss – but do you know why? Why is the ring finger, the ring finger? What’s the purpose of a veil? Is it just us, or does the groom and his groomsmen always tend to stand to the right side?
Find out where these wedding traditions come from – hint, a whole lot of superstition.
- English speakers borrowed the term fiancé (“to trust” in Latin) from the French in mid-19th century. But did you know the word fiancé is masculine and fiancée is feminine – pronounced exactly the same! So while we tend to use fiancé across the board, where technicalities are concerned, your future Mrs. is actually your fiancée.
- The “ring finger” dates back to Roman times, as they believed the vein in that finger ran directly to the heart.
- Several wedding traditions involve warding off evil spirits! For example – In Roman times, bridesmaids were required to dress exactly like the bride to confuse the evil spirits that would attend the wedding specifically to curse the bride and groom. A bride’s veil was also considered protection from evil spirits and the reason the groom would carry the bride across the threshold? You guessed it, to protect her from the evil spirits lurking below.
- The white wedding dress is a nod to Queen Victoria (1840)! Before her white gown made its debut, brides would simply wear the nicest dress they own. In fact, blue was a popular choice because it represented purity, as now the white dress does for modern brides.
- Today’s bridal bouquet has come a long way since the first of its kind. Now, brides can choose any flower in the book but initially bouquets were made up of bunches of garlic, herbs and spices. The reasoning is a bit blurred, some say it was to disguise body odor others say it was to ward off those pesky spirits again.
- Speaking of the bouquet, the tossing of it wasn’t always a wedding staple. In 14th century England, it was considered good luck to tear off a piece of the bride’s dress – and since the dress wasn’t fancy, this was no problem. Today’s bridal dresses are worth a bit more than that and since we bet you wouldn’t want guests chasing you town to tear about your dress, the bouquet toss seemed to be a better choice.
- To the left, to the left – brides stand next to your groom, to the left! You know the time during the ceremony when the officiant asks for any objections? This was once quiet common. Back to the days of arranged marriages, objections came from family members or other suitors of the bride. The groom would stand to the right of the bride so that his sword hand (usually his right hand) was free. Should anyone approach, he would be able to push the bride away and draw his sword.
For even more fun, wedding facts, check out this Babble article.
If you’re looking for the perfect wedding gown or bridesmaid dress to live up to the above traditions, look no further. Our bridal shops are sure to have the dress of your dreams. Between our sister companies and our transportation services, Dynasty Limousine truly is your one stop shop for your upcoming nuptials. Visit us online to learn more!
