Jessica has been recognized as a preferred vendor to work with by her industry peers, earned TheKnot.com’s Best of Weddings award 9 times, and been inducted into TheKnot.com Hall of Fame. Jessica is a multi-award-winning photographer, a leader in her industry, and an educator to up-and-coming photographers through her Embark Retreat.
There are numerous wedding traditions that happen at almost every wedding I’ve attended/photographed and thanks to a recent bridal shower I attended, I’m excited to do an entire blog post devoted to giving you some “answers” as to why certain traditions exist! So, enjoy a cup of coffee on this cool day and play along to see how many you know! If you’ve heard of a different answer, please leave your take in the comment section!
Why do we designate a specific ring finger?
The left ‘ring finger’ contains the vein of love. In the third century B.C. physicians with their misguided interpretation of human anatomy thought that a vein of blood ran directly from the third finger on the left hand to the heart. The vein was called vena amoris, or the vein of love. Thus, it was compelling and logical that the third finger should be the perfect part of the body to bear a ring symbolizing eternal love and commitment.
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Why does the bride wear a veil?
It was believed that a veil wards off evil spirits by disguising the bride. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that a bride’s veil would ward off evil spirits and magically protect her from harm. Brides were veiled from head to toe, and only the husband could see the bride unveiled – so he could make sure he was indeed marrying the correct woman.
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Why does the bride wear a white gown?
This shows the brie and groom are considered royalty. In 1499, Anne of Brittany wore the first knon white wedding dress in her wedding to Louis XII of France. Women just wore their best dress up until then, but as people loved to follow the example of royalty, white wedding dresses started to be in vogue after that.
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Why does the bride stand on the left of the groom?
In order to defend his bride, the groom’s sword arm – his right arm must be free.
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Why does the bride carry a bouquet?
The carrying of a bouquet guarantees the couple many chances to have kids as flowers were originally integrated into wedding ceremonies as a symbol of fertility. The very first bouquets were made of herbs, but as time passed, brides began clamoring for something a bit more glamorous.
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Why does the groom wear a boutonniere?
Throughout the Middle Ages, a knight going into battle or entering a jousting tournament often donned a token ribbon, scarf, flower or pennant of his lady’s family crest over the left arm of his armor, where it was close to his heart. This is where we get the popular expression, “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” Wearing a lady’s colors was considered the epitome of chivalry since it signified that he was fighting for her specifically. Modern men have adapted this centuries-old tradition by choosing a flower from the bride’s bouquet to pin upon the left lapel of the wedding suit.
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Why do we serve wedding cake to guests?
During ancient times, wedding ceremonies were finalized by breaking a large loaf of bread above the head of the bride. After the loaf was broken, the wedding guests would gather the crumbs as tokens of good luck. Eventually, the bread was replaced by cakes which became more elaborate over the centuries.
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Why does the couple cut the wedding cake together?
It symbolizes the couple’s shared future together as it is the first time the newlywed couple breaks bread as husband and wife, and it also demonstrates their pledge to support and nourish one another.
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Why does the wedding party dress alike?
The tradition of having members of the wedding party dress alike was started with the hopes that evil spirits will become confused and have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and prevent putting a hex on her.
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Why do we tie cans to the wedding car?
Tying tin cans to the back of the newlywed’s car recalls the ancient tradition of making loud noise to frighten away evil spirits.
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Why does the bride wear something blue?
“something blue” is a symbol of fidelity and constancy. This custom began in ancient Israel when during biblical times the color of purity was blue, not white.
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Why do we have a ring bearer?
The actual ring bearer tradition is believed to have evolved out of the Medieval era, where a young servant called a page, had the job of holding the bride’s train down the aisle along with a prayer book. Around this time, the actual ring for the bride was carried on a tip of a sword, which sounds a tiny bit scary. Fortunately, after a while, wealthy families added the pillow into the ceremony because pillow’s were very rare around that time, and were a way to show off their wealth. They also asymbolized good fortune for the couple. The rings were then tied onto the pillow to ensure that they wouldn’t be lost
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Why do we have a flower girl?
a) It is a fertility rite tradtion from ancient times. It was thought that strewing the path before a bride with flower petals would make her more fertile and cause her to get pregnant more quickly.
b) Apparently, back in the “old days” people didn’t wear shoes and their feet stunk. So they threw flower petals to keep the stink down to a minimum. Or the strong smell warded off evil spirits.
c) It originated so that brides wouldn’t have to walk on the dirt so flower girls would ‘pave’ the way with flower petals to keep the bottom of the brides dress clean.
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Why does the bride throw her bouquet?
The tossing of the bridal bouquet is a custom that roots in England and was believed to be a way for the bride to pass along her good fortune to others. Bridal guests would try and tear away pieces of the bride’s clothing and flowers in order to obtain this fortune. In attempt to get away from this tearing of her gown, the bride would toss her bouquet into the crowd. As tradition says, the single lady who catches the bouquet has received the bride’s fortune and will be next in line to marry.
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Why does the groom throw the garter?
Back in the 14th century England, wedding guests believed that owning a piece of the brides wedding dress would bring them good luck. The bride’s dress was literally torn. In order to keep the dress intact, they began throwing bridal garters to the male guests. The men often times would become too rowdy and attempt to remove the garter from the bride themselves. It eventually became custom for the groom to remove the bridal garter from his brides leg and throw it himself. The lucky man who catches the garter when it is thrown is said to be the next in line to marry. It also was a chance for the single men to share in the good fortune of the groom.
Did any of those surprise you? Any other traditions you want to hear about? Have a wonderful day and weekend!!
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Jessica Frey is an award-winning, Texas Hill Country-based international wedding and event photographer committed to delivering a high-quality experience complete with stunning and joyful images.