Trivia, Traditions And Your Wedding

Weddings are beautiful events that dreams are made of. When you get busy planning your wedding, you will undoubtedly include ancient traditions and myths that could be hundreds of years old. You might be surprised to find out why certain simple, modern wedding customs are the result of ancient beliefs and superstitions.

There are several myths surrounding bridesmaids that have trickled down from ancient days. An old belief, though not believed today by modern women, is “Thrice a bridesmaid, never a bride.” According to ancient myth, that curse can be broken if a girl is a bridesmaid seven times.

In most weddings today the bridesmaids wear identical dresses in a style that resembles or complements the bride’s dress. You might think that current custom is just a style or colour-coordinating consideration, but it actually came from an ancient belief that evil spirits would be confused about which woman was the bride if they were dressed alike, and therefore would be unable to put a hex on her.

The bridal veil has a history straight out of ancient Rome. Brides would wear the “flammeum,” a flame-coloured veil that protected them from evil spirits. Additionally, the ancient Roman bride was supposed to weave her white dress herself to prove that she would be a good wife. Long-established beliefs indicate that many Roman brides refused to weave their own gowns. Some things never change.

The diamond engagement ring has a very long history, though it probably didn’t look like the elegant engagement rings of today.

Over 500 years ago, the first engagement ring was given to Mary of Burgundy by the Roman Emperor Maximilian I. He gave her a diamond engagement ring and started an expensive custom that creates dents in many a suitor’s bank account everyday. Ancient Egyptians thought the “vein of love” ran from the 4th finger of the left hand directly to the heart, so, engagement rings and wedding bands are still worn on that finger.

The diamond engagement ring tradition was made popular in the 15th century by the Venetians, who believed that the diamond, nature’s hardest substance, would ensure a marriage that would last forever.

Pope Nicholas, in 860 A.D., declared that the engagement ring was a required declaration of a couple’s intention to wed. He was adamant that the engagement ring be made of gold. He believed that the golden ring should be a true financial sacrifice on the future husband. It still is today.

At the end of most marriage ceremonies the bride and groom kiss to seal their union. That tradition actually is a leftover from the earliest weddings and symbolises the ritual of the new couple making love for the first time while most of the village watched. Be glad that one didn’t stay intact through the centuries.

The best man has always been a groom’s best friend. In Northern Europe in 200 A.D., the German Goths normally married women from their own villages. If women were scarce in the village, the bridegroom, with his “best man,” would raid a neighbouring village and steal a woman for his wife.

While most of those ancient traditions have transformed into what you are used to today, it wouldn’t hurt to take some precautions on the way to your wedding. Don’t look at open graves, pigs or lizards on the way to your ceremony or you will be accepting an omen of bad luck. If crows hang out on the trees near your house, close your windows and turn up the stereo. Hearing a crow on the morning of your wedding is thought to be bad luck. It’s probably not a good idea to risk it.

For more wedding tips and advice, as well as a full directory of wedding suppliers in Surrey, visit Surrey Weddings