|
Wedding TraditionsSomething Old, something new…… This saying dates back to Victorian time and the full version is 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in her shoe. Something Old represents the link with the bride's family and the past. A common solution many brides choose is to wear a piece of family jewellery or their mother's or grandmother's wedding dress. Something New represents good fortune and success in the bride's new life. The wedding dress is often chosen as the new item. Something Borrowed is to remind the bride that friends and family will be there for her when help is needed. The borrowed object might be something such as a lace handkerchief or an item of jewellery. Something Blue symbolises of faithfulness and loyalty and dates back to biblical times when blue represented purity. Frequently the brides garter is the blue item. A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe is to wish the bride wealth both financial and happiness. Veil The wedding veil hides the brides beauty and wards off evil spirits. Another explanation is that during the times of arranged marriages the brides face would be covered until the groom had commited to the marriage. Throwing of the bouquet & garter The throwing of the wedding bouquet and the brides garter was introduced from America and it is said that who ever catches the bouquet or garter will be next to be married. Confetti Confetti has replaced rice or grain in modern times, the rice was thrown at the bride and groom to encourage fertility. Standing The bride stands on the left of the groom during the marriage ceremony to allow his sword arm to be free ready to fight off other men who may want her as their bride. Carrying over the threshold Carrying the bride over the threshold protects her from any evil spirits that may be lurking in the new home. Bomboniere The tradition of giving guests something to remember the day by in the form of favours or bomboniere has been around for hundreds of years. Almonds The tradition of giving each guest five sugar coated almonds was to symbolise health, wealth, fertility, happiness and long-life. The Wedding Dress It is good luck for the groom not to see the dress before the wedding day. Wedding Fowers The carrying of flowers by the bride has its roots in ancient times when it was believed that strong smelling herbs and spices would ward off and drive away evil spirits, bad luck and ill health. During Victorian times, flowers took on an additional significance as lovers would send messages to each other using different flowers, with each flower having its own meaning. These associations were soon adopted for the bride's bouquet and are still used today by many brides. The most popular flowers with their traditional meanings are:
|
|||
