The wedding superstitions which we are all familiar with have been left to us over hundreds if not thousands of years. These superstitions often became popular as ways of giving the couple both a blessing and tokens of good fortune. In that sense, they are often superstitious in nature. As you consider your wedding, reflect upon these traditions simply as fun curiosities and in no way as a prediction of either bad or good luck.
Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue
Most of us have heard of the ditty, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." This popular saying for what the bride is to wear comes to us from the Victorian era. "Something Old" would certainly represent the bond a bride has with the family she is leaving. "Something New" most probably is related to the new world she will be celebrating with her husband and his family. A bride wears "Something Borrowed", is usually taken from a successfully married woman, which is likely to offer success to her own new marriage. "Something Blue" likely is a token which represents her longing for stability and love within her new union.
A White Wedding Dress
The first known instance of a white wedding dress has been left to us in 1499, when Anne of Brittany wore white for her union to Louis XII King of France. Until then, women would wear whatever was their best dress.
This tradition also has a history coming from early Christian times, because the "Church" was described as wearing in a white dress as a symbol of its purity as the "Bride of Christ." Christian women often believe that a bride should not wear white if she is entering a second marriage or if she is not pure. This is an curious superstition because the "purity" of the church is actually supposed to come from Christ.
In far east brides have traditionally worn white. From early Roman times, white symbolized a celebration filled with happiness. Certainly, it is today a symbol of happy bliss and a new start from other cultures.
The Meaning of the Veil
The wedding veil wasn't originally white as is the custom for almost all of today's wedding. In early Greece the color was yellow. In Roman times it was red. Much of the symbolism has been lost but wearing a veil is still quite popular. Apparently, the veil was another symbol for a bride's purity, and of course her virginity.
Some believe today that according to tradition, it is bad luck for the bride to be seen by her husband to be before the ceremony. Remember that in history there were so many prearranged marriages, it was often likely that the man would not see his bride until the moment of ceremony. In some cultures, the veil hid the woman until the man lifted it to see what his new wife looked like.
U.S. history tells us that Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her ceremony to Major Lawrence Lewis who was General George Washington's aid. The Major had earlier seen his bride standing behind a thin curtain and after he commented how beautiful she was, Nelly then decided to veil herself for their ceremony.
Choose whatever traditions sound right to you, not because of any worry about causing bad luck. More importantly, establish your own traditions, creating the meanings you want them to achieve, which you can then leave to your children.
We see all of these traditions used by our couples when they come to Hawaii and use our Maui weddings services. It doesn't matter if the ceremonies are on the beach or performed in a chapel, the traditions seem to remain the same. I should tell you that for Hawaii weddings, you don't have to follow any traditions but your own.
Rev. John Souter is a licensed Hawaii minister who owns a Maui Weddings company. If you are looking for an Affordable Maui Wedding take a look at his website.
Caricature Entertainment: A Surefire Way to Liven Up Your Wedding Celebration
Caricature entertainment will make your wedding celebration stand out and be
remembered.If you've never seen caricatures drawn at an event, you'll be amazed when
you see how popular they are with guests.
Wedding Favors: Terrific Tabletop Freebies For Your Guests
Our Favorite Favors: Terrific Tabletop Freebies for Your Guests
Sugared almonds are no longer such a sweet treat and personalized matchbooks long ago lost their flare Today's couples are opting for more inventive, one-of-a-kind items to place near guests' place cards
Tips For Planning The Oahu Wedding Of Your Dreams
Have you recently decided that you would like your wedding to be a destination Oahu wedding If so, congratulations
Beat Your Wedding Weight Loss Blues with Great Weight Loss Tips
Recent research suggests that 'brides to be' have an intense desire to lose weight for their wedding day. Most brides interviewed are likely to want to lose up to 20 lbs, which usually constitutes a decrease of 15% in their body weight.
Proactol.com has done a special promotion to help brides to be with their weight loss ambitions.
Fitness Tips For Looking Your Best On Your Wedding Day
Every bride wants to look perfect on her wedding day. Selecting a dress that will make you look and feel great is an important first step.
She's Planning the Perfect Wedding When He Disappears A Month Before the Big Day
What would you do? Free chick lit e-serial asks readers to examine the meaning of loyalty and true love.
The Wedding Greenhouse Increases Options For Unique Wedding Favors With Coffee Plants
The Wedding Greenhouse, an online retailer of unique wedding favors, recently announced the addition of a coffee plant to their list of live saplings packaged as personalized party favors.
How to Save Money on Wedding and Baby Shower Favors
Planning on having a wedding or baby shower soon? Getting favors is a nice way of saying thank you to your guests for coming. Here are some tips for saving money when purchasing baby shower or wedding favors.
Helping You Find The Perfect Ivory Wedding Dress Ever
Just when it?s time for your big wedding day there is one very important consideration particularly for the bride. That?s her wedding dress. Every bride desires a wedding dress that not only reflects her persona but looks gorgeous on her. In spite of the different styles and colors of wedding dresses that are available, the perfect choice for a majority of women is an ivory wedding dress. It not only complements every skin tone but irrespective of its length, it fits in perfectly with any wedding ceremony.
How to Find the Right Wedding Videographer
Wedding videography is a skill and an art Itýs an imperative part of a wedding as it is meant to capture the feelings and emotions of your special day
Radio's Roy Gray Sets Wedding Date Without Bride
Popular weekend radio personality Roy Gray says he will wed again on Saturday, June 7, and will now launch a worldwide search for the bride.
Exotic Wedding Destinations - Alaska A Winter Wonderland
While the rest of the world might hibernate in winter, Alaska is a land that comes alive when the snow and the mercury fall. Many people are under the impression that it is a place of darkness in the winter, although Alaska can boast as much as thirteen hours of daylight. The dawns seem endless, and the twilight embraces you during the winter season.
Wedding Party Favor Etiquette
The favors for the wedding party that usually includes the bridesmaids, groomsmen and other people very close to the couple should stand apart from the rest of the party favors Weddings are elaborate affairs in most instances and members of the wedding party are very involved in the entire celebration helping in everything from dress selection to venue choices and food sampling
Tips On Choosing Your Wedding Planner
One of the questions a couple will probably ask when they are planning for the wedding is that whether they should hire a wedding planner In fact, there are so many details you need to take care of when you are planning your wedding and a wedding planner can really help to release your stress in wedding planning
The American Wedding Announces Their $20,000 Free Wedding Giveaway
The American Wedding is playing the part of fairy godmother with their first-ever "Free Wedding Giveaway."