Wedding Customs and Folklore

The Evolutions of Wedding Customs

Throughout history customs and superstitions where thought to bring good and bad luck, happiness, success, good health and even large families to a bride and groom. Marriage has evolved over the years.

It stated early in history when a man would capture a woman he desired from his own community or another. He would be helped by someone to capture her and take her away.

Then around the sixteenth century, he would pay the woman’s father to marry her, (he could also pay an equivalent in live stock or other property).

Today marriage is by mutual love and consent.

So have a read and perhaps a good laugh at some of the things from the past that people believed in.

Wedding Customs and Trivia

• The word “spinster’ comes from the single woman spinning her future husbands garment. And sadly soon after she was married, the bride’s first task was to weave shrouds for herself and the spouse.
• Before the last century, brides wore their best dress and the colour chosen was thought to influence their life. Here is an old Victorian verse which states the influences.
Married in white, she has chosen right.
Married in blue, her love will be true.
Married in yellow, she’ll be ashamed of her fellow.
Married in red, she’ll wish herself dead.
Married in black, she’ll wish herself back.
Married in grey, she’ll travel far away.
Married in pink, of you he’ll always think.
Married in green, she’ll be ashamed to be seen.

• Even choosing a time of the year or even a day of the week on which to marry can present a problem. An old rhyme suggests that one should:
Marry on Monday for health.
Tuesday for wealth.
Wednesday the best day of all.
Thursday for crosses.
Friday for losses.
And Saturday for no luck at all.

• In Victorian times the white wedding dress was initially worn only by the very wealthy, but later became popular with young Victorian girls. Today, traditional white, ivory or pale peach are still the most usual choice.
• Customary colours for brides in some countries
White in Japan
Red in China
Black in Spain
Blue in Russia
Red and yellow in Korea

• Ancient Egyptians were the first to wear gold wedding rings, believing that the unbroken circle of the ring symbolized eternity.
• The reason for the ring being worn on the third finger of the left hand dates back to the time when the ancient Romans or Egyptians thought that a nerve led directly from that finger to the heart.
• “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in your shoe” comes from the Victorian era.
• Something old signifies the bride’s link with her past life, she wears something old or a used object the day of her wedding.
• Something new represents a new future.
• Something borrowed, should be something from a happily married friend or relative.
• And blue symbolizes purity and love.
• The silver sixpence in her shoe was to ensure future wealth.
• Hawaiian brides for good luck wear seven strands of pikaki flowers.
• Hebrew brides wore blue ribbons on the wedding clothes as proof of their virginity.
• It was considered bad luck for the bride, if the dressmaker whistled while she worked on the wedding dress; it was thought that it would bring out evil spirits.
• It was considered bad luck if the bride tried on her complete wedding outfit before her wedding day. Also it was considered bad luck if the groom saw his bride on her wedding morning.
• In Belgium it is tradition for the bride to carry an embroidered handkerchief with her name on it when she gets married. It is then framed and hung in the family home until the next family bride adds her name and carries it down the aisle.
• In England marriage by capture was still legal until the middle of the 13th century.
• Many Greek brides believe a lump of sugar in their wedding glove will bring sweetness in their married life.
• The tradition of the groom carrying his bride over the threshold of the new home was to make sure that she did not stumble and bring bad luck, this custom started with the Romans.
• The ringing of church bells’ was to make everyone aware that a ceremony has taken place, but it was also supposed to scare away any evil forces.
• The showering of confetti was the promise of happiness and children.




• In a Buddhist wedding, the bride and groom are not allowed to display affection towards one another. It is considered disrespectful.
• When Queen Elizabeth married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, their wedding cake was 9 feet tall and weighed more that 500 pounds.
• The Romans threw nuts at the wedding and this led to the custom of the bride giving sugared almonds to her guests.
• Centuries ago, grooms would present rings as a partial payment for the bride.
• Veils have been worn in both ancient Greek and Roman times. The veil in some cultures was thought to protect the bride form evil spirits.
• In Costa Rica a white cord (the “hoke of matrimony”) is looped around the necks of the bride and groom by the priest as a blessing.
• Superstition says that it is unlucky to buy the engagement and wedding rings on the same day.
• According to Roman tradition, the left hand is generally used less often that the right and the third finger is the only one that cannot be moved in isolation from the other fingers thereby giving extra protection to the ring.
• In the early Christian church, the thumb and first two fingers were seen to represent the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. In the religious wedding ceremony the ring was first held over the tip of the thumb, ‘In the name of the Father”, then the first finger, ‘and of the Son’ and the second finger,’ and of the Holy Ghost’. It was then placed on the third finger with the word ‘Amen.”
• In Ancient Greece, the bride was greeted and joined by friends as she walked from her home to the altar. This was to become known as the “Bridal Processional.”
• Superstition on the role of the best man, he is responsible for much of the future good luck of the newlyweds. He must make sure that the groom carries a small mascot of some sort in his pocket on the wedding day, and he must not let the groom go back for anything once he has stated out to the church.
• The practice of the father giving his daughter away goes back to the time when women were considered a property to be passed from one man to another.
• The word bridal comes for the old English term bride-ale which refers to the mead drink (fermented drink, made of water, honey, malt, and yeast) which was drunk for thirty days after the marriage.
• The ancient Greeks made wedding day offerings to Zeus, who disapproved of marriage. To protect the bride from his displeasure, she was often whisked away at nightfall and seated between the groom and his best friend.
• The very first types of bridal bouquets included flowers, herbs and spices. Most popular were strong scented herbs such as garlic to ward of evil spirits.
• The Spanish groom gives his bride 13 coins, to show his ability to support and care for her. Thirteen represents the number of Christ and his apostles. At the wedding ceremony, the bride carries the coins in a purse or handkerchief.
• In China during the Ch’ing Dynasty puppet shows and musicians were common at weddings.
• A rice cake is placed on the heads of a Tibetan bride and groom; this conveys life, health, and wealth to the couple.
• When a couple is married in Bavaria, the bride (according to local tradition) should arrive at the church on a hay cart. After the ceremony the couple must saw a log in half.



• According to tradition, June is a lucky month to get married because of its ties with Juno the Roman goddess of marriage and femininity.
• In Finland the bride wears a golden crown during the ceremony. During the reception, she is blindfolded and surrounded by single women. The bride will then attempt to crown one of them and it is said that the lucky one to be crowned will be the next to marry.
• In a Jewish ceremony, the rabbi will always ask the bride to state her free consent to the union before signing the marriage contract.
• It is traditional for the mother of a Polish bride to give her daughter bread, salt and wine after she is married, so that she will never lack the necessities in life.
• The young brides in Kenya and Nigeria will braid their hair for the wedding day; the braids will be formed into a crown on top of her head.
• Cutting the wedding cake at the reception represents the couple’s new life together. For the cake-cutting ceremony the bridegroom traditionally puts his right hand on the bride when they cut the first slice together.
• A sign of good luck – The dressmaker if she was happily married would sew a strand of her hair into the hem of the gown to bring happiness to the couple.
• A small horseshoe would be sewn into the hem or the waist stay, (the horseshoe would be silver or a piece of cardboard covered with blue satin ribbon) this was supposed to ward of evil spirits and bring good luck.
• The origin of favors goes back some time, when it was thought to be good luck touching a bride and groom. Guests would snatch the flowers from the bride’s bouquet and also tear away pieces of ribbon and lace from her dress.



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