After all the stressful planning, maybe you have missed some wedding traditions that you want to add to your ceremony. Learn some of the meaning of these traditions here.
There are a lot of things that happen before, during, and after the wedding ceremony. So many traditions that people hear and follow. Maybe because of good luck, or someone told them to do so, or just tradition. It is okay to follow different traditions, old or new, but you should also know as a couple, why these are done during a ceremony.
Traditions are great to keep the ceremony more meaningful, interesting and fun. If your planning on a unique tradition to add to your ceremony, just make sure to give copies to your guests. Include a copy of it on the invitation so that guests can also understand. Here are some wedding ceremony traditions & the story behind them.
The Wedding Veil
Traditionally, this was used during times where arranged marriages were popular. It was used to conceal the appearance of the bride from the groom. Nowadays, it is used to preserve the bride’s modesty and purity. When a veil is lifted and removed from a bride’s face, it means that a couple has full access with one another
Something Old, New, Borrowed, & Blue
This tradition was during the Victorian Era. It is said that it brings good fortune when you wear them all together on your wedding day. Wearing something old represents her past life and family. New represents her new life as a married woman. Borrowing something from a happily married couple also brings fortune. And the wearing of something blue represents loyalty and faithfulness in the relationship.
Father Walking the Bride
This tradition started because of arranged marriages. The father ‘gives away’ his daughter to her new husband as a sign of transferring ownership. It was a time when daughters were considered as property. The father uses his daughter to pay debts or transfer the responsibility and care to the husband. This is why most fathers get emotional when they walk their child down the aisle.
Today, the father gives his daughter as a way of blessing the marriage. Although it is one of the very special times
Rice Throwing
The throwing of rice or any grains was traditionally a sign of fertility and prosperity. Only a few practice it now though. Some would substitute it with other things like petals or confetti.
Bumper Cans
This tradition came from French traditions. It is another way of throwing a ‘charivari’ for the couple. It is a parade that takes place the night before the wedding. Neighbors would walk down the streets and make a lot of noise as possible using pots and pans. This practice is done in order to ward off evil spirits. Nowadays, the tradition is passed on and practiced by different couples around the world. Tying cans to the wedding car bumper and dragging them behind is a simple way of doing a charivari.
Feeding of Cake
The cake itself symbolizes fertility and prosperity to the wedded couple. When the bride and groom feed each other pieces of cake, it represents unity with one another. A way of showing their love and commitment to one another in front of their guests. There is an older tradition though of throwing cake on the bride’s face or with one another. It is really up to the couple if they want to serve it without getting dirty or have fun and mess each other with some cake.
Bouquet & Garter Toss
A bouquet toss is traditional in a wedding. An old short story of tossing the bouquet is that brides are believed to be good luck. Guests try and get a hold of her to pass on the luck. To avoid it, the bride uses her bouquet as a distraction and throws it to the guests.
Nowadays, the bride calls out every single lady present, lets them gather around her, and tosses it. They say that whoever catches the bouquet will be married next. Some girls get competitive at this time and some just join in on the fun.
On the other hand, garter tossing also is done for the men. Originally, it was the bride’s role to toss the garter. Same as the story mentioned earlier, a bride would throw her garter as a distraction, to single men who want to get a hold of her. Another story goes that it was a sign that the marriage is ‘official’. Guests would wait outside the couples’ room and wait for the groom to remove her garter and throw it to single men.
The practice of garter tossing has been fading lately but some weddings still include it on their wedding. The groom removes it during the reception and tosses it to single men at their wedding.
Conclusion
These are just the common wedding traditions done in most ceremonies. There are a lot more depending on where you are from. You can either follow them or not, it is up to you. Wedding ceremony traditions are just a way of making the ceremony more personal and meaningful for the couple and guests.
Her Expertise Includes:
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As a former bride herself, she knows first hand what it takes to plan a successful wedding. She now offers her experience with wedding planning to other brides to be through smartestbrides.com.
Her mission is to help other brides wedding planning become as simple and stress-free as possible.
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