Have you ever wonder why we throw the bouquet? Why we have bridesmaids? What the importance of the veil is? We’ve had a look into these standard traditions to get to the bottom of their significance in your wedding!
Table of Contents
1. The Bride and Groom
Why are we called the bride, and our betrothed the groom? Bride originates from the old high German word brūt which translates to brew or to make broth, and groom is the shortened version of ‘bridegroom’ which means a man who will soon or has recently been married. So if we put this one together, ‘bridegroom’ means someone who is yet to have broth. Mr & Mrs might be the go or those place cards!
Image from Brittany and Justin’s wedding. Photographer White Fashion Photographer
2. Tying The Knot
‘When are you tying the knot?’ It’s phrase we hear often, but why is this so? Tying the knot comes from many worldly rituals of rope being tied around the bride and groom’s hands to demonstrate their commitment to each other and the marriage they are creating!
3. Brides in White
White wedding gowns in the western world has only been a fashion statement for 150 years! Before this, brides would wear their best dress to their wedding until Queen Victoria set the trend in 1840, when she wore a white gown to her own wedding. In Japan however, white has been the colour of the wedding dress for centuries!
Image from Lauren and Luke’s wedding. Photographer Studio Impressions
4. The Bouquet
In ancient roman times, brides would carry bunches of herbs under their veil on their wedding day to symbolise fertility, fidelity and to keep evil spirits away. Over time, this tradition evolved into the modern bouquet we carry today!
5. Throwing The Bouquet & Garter
For all those non-married woman and men, the bouquet and garter toss is an exciting and crazy part of the reception. If you thought it already competitive, then thank your lucky stars this is an updated version of the tradition. Years ago, guests would run up to the bride and rip parts of her dress off as it was seen as a token of good luck. This is one tradition we are glad they updated!
Image from Alicia and Tabish’s wedding. Photographer John Solano.
6. Best Man
The term ‘Best Man’ has been traced back to Scotland where it was custom to kidnap your bride-to-be. The friend with the best kidnapping skills to help was dubbed the ‘best man’!
7. Bridesmaids
As much as your bridesmaids are there to help you anything wedding-related, their original purpose is much more helpful back in the day! Bridesmaids traditionally would attend the wedding in a similar style dresses to the bride to confuse any rivalling suitors, robbers or evil spirits who come for you on the day.
Image from Alana and Andrew. Photographer Zoe Morley Photography
8. Brides On The Left, Groom On The Right
Why do we stand on the sides that we do during our wedding? It all dates back to the days when swords were the weapon of choice. The right arm was considered the sword fighting arm for most men, and if anything were to happen in a ceremony (like someone coming to take their bride), the groom would rush his bride’s left side so he could use his right for fighting.
9. The Veil
The bridal veil is seen as an important part of keeping the bride safe throughout the ceremony. Ancient Greeks and Romans’ saw the veil as a protective guard against evil spirits – as the spirit couldn’t see the brides face and attack her. The veil has been a tradition ever since.
Image from Brittany and Justin’s wedding. Photographer White Fashion Photographer
10. Across The Threshold
An important role of a new husband is his duty to carry you across the threshold. By carrying his bride, the groom is providing a protecting layer between her and the floor which supposedly houses an evil ground monster ready to devour her. It’s sort of cute when you think about it!
Image from Alana and Andrew. Photographer Zoe Morley Photography
Main image from Amelia and Henryk’s wedding. Photographer Image Haus Weddings.
