 Have you ever thought about where our wedding day traditions came from, who started them, why they exist? If I was a feminism warrior I would be up in arms, but if you can get past their origins, think of them as things that your mother, grandmother and great grandmother did on their wedding day, they take on a new meaning and are really quite sweet. Bouquets. Image: Aria Photography THEN: The Ancient romantics of Rome started carrying or wearing flowers believing they represented new beginnings, fidelity and made you fertile. Fast forward a few years and this morphed into strong smelling herbs and spices as they were thought to ward off evil spirits, bad luck and ill health, all while masking the overwhelming smell of unwashed bodies. NOW: Today, flowers are purely aesthetic thanks to our modern understanding of hygiene. Bouquets are still featured heavily in the modern wedding; however, you also see flower crowns, button holes and greenery are used more and more with huge effect. Bouquet Toss. Image: Christopher Robert Photography THEN: England really knew how to party back in the day. The bouquet toss was used as a decoy so the bride could escape with her dress intact. Women used to try and tear a piece of the dress off as a keep sake with good luck attached. NOW: The bouquet toss is now one of those cute traditions that is meant to indicate the next lucky lady to get hitched. Garter. Image: Christopher Robert Photography THEN: Ladies you are going to love this. The Garter represents the virginity or purity of the bride. Think of it as the symbol of a chastity belt. The groom would remove this symbolic garment in a gesture that showed he now had the right to his bride’s virginity. NOW: The removal of the garter has morphed over the years and now it is a source of entertainment for the guests as they watch the groom scramble around under his brides skirts until he emerges victorious. The Veil. Image: LouLou Memphis Photography THEN: The Veil is another Roman gem. Fearing evil spirits would be jealous of her happiness, the bride would wear a veil down the aisle to disguise herself and avoid any ill will they would bring her. NOW: Veils are not as common as they used to be but are still seen as a beautiful accessory to accentuate the wedding dress. We now also see other items adorn the hair instead. The WHite Wedding Dress Image: Lens To Life Photography THEN: It turns of Queen Victoria was quite the trend setter back in 1840 when she married Albert of Saxe-Coburg wearing a white gown trimmed with Honiton Lace. Before this, one simply got married in their Sunday best. NOW: These days brides choose to wear white as a symbol of purity of soul and intention, or it might be because they have dreamt of this day since they were a little girl and always pictured themselves wearing white. The Bridesmaids. Image : Josephine Lee Photography THEN: Ever wondered why bridesmaids all wear the same colour? Well back in the day they took things one step further and wore the same thing as the bride. The theory was that by having multiple people wearing the same thing, evil spirits and highwaymen alike would be confused and not know which women to target. NOW: It is a truth universally acknowledged that while we want our bridal party to look fabulous and compliment the happy couple, they are not to outshine the bride. A little leeway has been allowed and we are seeing more colour palettes and shades being incorporated in the bridal party attire. Check back in to read more about why we do what we do on our wedding day. Lots more quirky facts heading your way.
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