Wedding Dresses and Other Rituals
White gowns are synonymous with brides. But in days of yore, brides did wear colored gowns. Some legends say that it was Anne of Brittany who first wore a white wedding dress in 1499. Others swear that Queen Victoria started the trend. To the Romans, white was a symbol of joyful celebration. It is the Christian church which has added the ‘purity’ tag to white. Brides must feel free to wear a color that gives them joy and confidence.
A popular phrase says the bride must wear ‘Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, And a Silver Sixpence In Your Shoe’. ‘Old’ could be something that represents a link with the bride’s family. ‘Something New’ stands for food fortune. Usually the bride’s dress is new. The bride must also borrow something that another happy bride has already worn, say a strand of pearls or brooch. ‘Something Blue’ must be worn to represent fidelity. It could be a blue ribbon or even lingerie. Some brides carry blue flowers. Tradition demands that the bride wear a silver sixpence in her left shoe as a symbol of wealth.
Folk lore says that the length of the bride’s train is an indication of her rank or social status. The veil protects the bride from evil spirits floating around on her wedding day. Some cultures believe it is meant to hide the brides face from the groom who has never seen her before. Many claim it is a sign of the wife’s submission to her husband but this may not hold true today. A popular wedding favor for guests were gloves.
Indian brides wear red. Korean brides wear red with yellow. In Holland cross-dressing is seen, perhaps to confuse the spirits. Present day brides will accept rings of nothing less than gold or diamonds. Earlier rings were made of grass or hemp.
A legend states that, earlier the bride and groom would walk to church together. To trick the evil wishers, the groom’s friends and the bridesmaids would wear clothes similar to those that the couple wore. The disguise would trick the evil wishers as they could not identify the real bride and groom.. These days the attendants dress alike to add to the charm and pageantry.
In yesteryears, in Rome, it was the bridal kiss that legally completed the wedding formality. When a couple wed in ancient Ireland, a drink was made from fermented honey, which the couple had to drink until one cycle of the moon. This would beget them a son within a year. That is why we have ‘honeymoons’ today.
In ancient days, if the bride was forced to marry, she had to be carried over the threshold against her wish. Yet another lore states that carrying her over the threshold protects her from the evil spirits waiting to harm her in her new home.
‘Tying the knot’ could have reference to the Hindu and Egyptian custom of tying the brides and grooms hand together to signify a bond or commitment. Also, in ancient Rome the bride wore a garter secured by a knot which the groom would untie after the wedding. It signifies that their lives are tied together
To bestow fertility on the wedded couple, we shower rice or confetti on them. Even the cake is a symbol of fertility. Its distribution means sharing happiness. Couples in Holland plant a tree outside the home to signify fertility.
You can incorporate many of these traditions into your wedding and have the old fashioned touch in a modern setting.