Wedding Traditions

The traditions which are ordinary of 21^st century weddings often have interesting, historical roots, often from different countries. Whilst some traditions are based on ancient superstitions, others have been developed in recent centuries, and many have been based off the characteristics of royal weddings. Many traditions are based off religious rituals but if you are having a secular ceremony, the sky is the limit!

 

Wedding attire

 

Traditions of bridal attire have evolved over time. Although we have seen various takes on the tradition of the white wedding dress in previous marriages at Furtho, its dominance certainly prevails in the majority of Western weddings today. The white wedding dress was popularised by Queen Victoria in her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, however, it originated w/ Anne of Brittany with her marriage to Louis XII of France in 1499. White was supposed to symbolise purity, and ward off evil spirits. It was thought that those who wore white had chosen right. Although white wedding dresses had been worn prior to Queen Victoria’s, her cream silk-satin non-traditional dress and flower crown have had lasting impacts in the tendency for modern brides to wear white dresses. The queen’s wearing of such a colour allowed the colour to gain a new symbolism of wealth. The aspiration which many people had to emulate the queen’s prosperity through their dress was increasingly feasible in the aftermath of the second world war, and thus the single-use white dress, and the lavish party, replaced the traditional wedding which saw women simply wearing their nicest dress on their wedding day. This was cemented through the portrayal of weddings in Hollywood and was more easily spread around the world with the introduction of globalised media.

 

The tradition of wearing a veil originated in Rome. The bride would wear a veil down the aisle to cloak herself from evil spirits who might attempt to steal her happiness. This tradition, like many of those mentioned, also stemmed from the days of ‘marriage by capture’, in which grooms would abduct a woman and force her to be his bride. Therefore, there was an imminent danger of members of the bride’s family charging down the aisle to recapture the woman. The veil was therefore necessary to disguise the bride.

 

A similar notion was used as the basis for the tradition in which bridesmaids all wear the same colour. Before the popularisation of the white wedding dress, the bride and her bridal party would all wear the same colour. This was in efforts to confuse both evil spirits who may wish harm upon the bride. In medieval times, the bridal party may have had to travel very long distances to reach their groom’s town, making them susceptible to attack from potential rival suitors or bandits. Therefore, bridesmaids were dressed alike in efforts to dissuade these efforts. This has been reciprocated in modern weddings in bridesmaids wearing the same exact dress or same colour of bridesmaid dress.

 

 

Common Wedding Traditions

 

The tradition of having something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue on your wedding day can be traced back to 19^th century English folklore. ‘Something old’ references a representation of the bride’s past, compared with the ‘something new’ which references the couple’s happy future. The bride should have ‘something borrowed’ from someone who is happily married, in efforts that this person’s good fortunes are reciprocated in her marriage. Finally, the ‘something blue’ indicates good luck with the symbols of fidelity and love.

 

Another tradition from the 19^th century is saving a tier of your wedding cake to have at their first child’s christening. This was believed to be an omen of good luck. For many, this has been adapted so that the top tier may be preserved to be eaten on the couple’s first wedding anniversary.

 

In traditional Christian ceremonies, the bride's side of the guest list sits to the left and the groom's side sits on the right of the church (if you're looking at the altar from the back of the church). For Jewish services, it's the opposite. Similarly to many of these traditions, this began long ago, linked to the tradition of ‘marriage by capture’. The idea is that the groom’s right arm must be kept free to draw his sword if the bride’s family were to charge down the aisle towards the groom. Therefore, it was necessary that the man be positioned on the right so that his right arm was free.

 

The concept of the groom having a best man also stems from the tradition of ‘marriage by capture’, so that the groom had a backup for the potential brawl which may ensue.

 

The name of the wedding breakfast is also an unusual tradition which stems from the past. The word breakfast literally means to break a fast, suggesting that a wedding breakfast was originally the first meal of a day. Although modern wedding meals variate from a more formal sit-down affair of various courses to more trendy buffets or food trucks, the term wedding breakfast dates back to the 17^th century.  In the past, weddings were a part of a Eucharistic mass and thus the couples and attendees of the ceremony would have been fasting prior to the service, breaking their fast with the first meal they would eat as a couple. There are also alternative potential reasons which may contribute to the naming of the wedding breakfast. Couples would traditionally get married slightly earlier in the morning than may be typical in the modern day, thus having breakfast as their meal after marrying. Also, it has been suggested that in this period, that ordinary people solely ate breakfast and dinner and thus the first meal of the day would be called breakfast, irrespective of the time which it took place.

 

The origins of the first dance tradition dates back to the 17^th century. Given the frequency of formal balls in the period, it was a custom to involve a dance at all formal events. However, this was before the popularity of ballroom dancing and thus these dances evolved through time, with the resolve of the couple as a determining factor in the nature of this dance too. This first dance would traditionally be led by the person of the highest social standing in attendance. From the 1920s, this was adjusted to feature the newlyweds as the first to dance, often choosing a song specifically for that purpose. Traditional etiquette then sees the father of the bride dance with the bride, subsequently. The groom may also dance w/ the mother of the bride. Next the bride’s mother and father dance together. The groom dances with his mother, and then the groom's parents dance together. This is then followed by bridesmaids and groomsmen before the remainder of the guests join the dance floor.

 

The belief that it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride on the morning of the wedding, dates back to the period of arranged marriages whereby it was believed that if the couple were to see each other before they were married, they would have a chance to change their mind. Although, this is rarely the motivation behind the modern manifestations of this superstition, it continues to be practiced by couples around the world. However, equally, nowadays, many couples choose to have a “first look” before they meet at the altar.

 

Strange wedding traditions

 

Having a chimney sweep at your wedding has long been associated with good luck. Since Pagan times, the images of fire and coal have been associated with good luck, traditionally associated with fertility. Coal has been carried by soldiers before going into battle and sailors when going out to sea, in efforts to wish them good luck. The chimney sweep supposedly carried this good omen with them on people’s wedding days, due to their blackened face, and thus this tradition has existed for about 200 years. Whilst this tradition is rarely practiced nowadays, it has certainly been practiced in relatively recent times, one particularly famous example being Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947.

 

According to ancient folklore, receiving a knife as a gift is indicative of a broken relationship. Therefore, if knives are on your wedding registry, it is encouraged that you give the gift giver a penny, in order to make it a purchase, rather than a gift.

 

Wedding traditions in different countries

 

In Italy, newlywed couples often break a vase or a glass at their wedding. The superstitious believe that the number of pieces which the glass breaks into symbolises how many years the couple will be together.

 

In Germany, there is a tradition known as Baumstamm Sägen. This tradition expects the couple to saw a log into two pieces and thus the couple are equipped with chainsaws. This tradition aims to symbolise the couple’s strength when they inevitably face challenges in their marriage.

 

In Korea, the goose is an important symbol in the gifting process for a marriage, given that geese are monogamous animals, which live in permanent pairs throughout the year. The bride and groom exchange wooden geese and ducks on their wedding days as a sign of their commitment to one another. Historically, grooms also give their new mother-in-law’s wild geese or ducks.

In Venezuela, it is considered to be good luck if the newlyweds secretly leave the party early.

Romantic wedding traditions

 

Whilst the majority of the traditions covered so far are based off of superstition, the following traditions are based off purely demonstrating a couple’s love for one another. This tradition can be traced all the way back to medieval times and many believe the oldest standard wedding vows can be traced back to the Book of Common Prayer by Thomas Cranmer. Whilst many people adapt this tradition and write their own vows nowadays, many couples choose to maintain the traditional vows to keep the tradition alive. The exchange of vows is an important aspect of many weddings, as an opportunity to demonstrate a couple’s love for one another in front of the rest of your loved ones, linked to religious traditions in which verbiage was the sole way of solidifying the bonding of two separate families.

Alongside the exchange of vows, a long-held tradition of weddings is the ring exchange. The ring exchange dates back to ancient Egypt. The rings serve as a symbol of a couple’s eternal love and are designed to be worn for the rest of the couple’s lives.

 

Following these traditions and superstitions are certainly not a prerequisite for a happy marriage, although the psychological basis behind the continued use of these traditions suggests a suspicion that the incorporation of these traditions help in delivering your ‘happily ever after’. At Furtho we encourage you to include as many or as few of these traditions in your day and perhaps, I hope this blog post will inspire you to incorporate some of these traditions.

If you would like more information about Furtho Manor Farm Wedding Venue, please contact us.