Wedding Customs and Folklore

The Evolutions of Wedding Customs

Throughout history wedding 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 wedding customs for many brides involoved wearing 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.

• Wedding customs even involoved the 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.

Wedding customs around the color of the dress where not only limited to Vicotrian times other countires have their traditions to:

White in Japan
Red in China
Black in Spain
Blue in Russia
Red and yellow in Korea

The wedding ring also has its own wedding customs

• 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.

The custom saying of 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.

Wedding customs also involved who the bride saw before her wedding.

• 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.

• 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.

Wedding customs also dictated what the bride should carry or wear

• 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.

• Many Greek brides believe a lump of sugar in their wedding glove will bring sweetness in their married life.

Other Customs

• In England marriage by capture was still legal until the middle of the 13th century.

• 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 was another of many customs 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.