WEDDING BELLS & WHISTLES

HOME ABOUT US CONTACT US PRODUCTS LINKS EXTRAS	GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE Wedding Traditions & Customs As you prepare for the big day, it's interesting to know where the traditions and customs, which we take for granted, have originated from. Most wedding ceremony traditions date back to the Middle Ages, while others date back as far as the Ancient Greeks. The idea of the tradtions hasn't changed much over the years, but instead they have become more tame and usable in today's society. ENGAGEMENT RING In 860 AD, Pope Nicholas I decreed that an engagement ring become a required statement of nuptial intent. He insisted that engagement rings be made of gold, which signified a financial sacrifice on the part of the prospective husband.
	WEDDING RING The unbroken circle is an age-old symbol of eternity, symbolising everlasting unity between lovers. Engagement and Wedding Rings are traditionally worn on the third finger of the left hand because Ancient Greeks once believed that an artery ran directly from this finger to your heart. WEDDING VEIL Originally worn to prevent a young man from seeing his bride until after the ceremony - very useful in times of arranged marriages when unattractive women were being married off by their family's, so that the groom couldn't flee at the altar. Only after the completion of the ceremony was the groom permitted to lift the veil and see his bride for the very first time. HIDE THE BRIDE The night before the wedding brides were often hidden from the groom so that neither party could back out of the ceremony. The wedding day was often the first time brides and grooms lay eyes on each other and sometimes the visual attraction would be lacking. THE WHITE DRESS Made popular by Anne of Brittany in 1492, white symbolises "purity" which previously blue was seen to be the colour of choice. Further into the realms of history brides were warned not to make their own dresses or even to try them on before the wedding day. The last stitch of the dress was not to be completed until the bride was ready to leave for church, under the age old saying, "You shouldn't count your chickens." THE GARTER Garters were originally used to hold up stockings and are still regared as an essential wedding accessory. Wearing something BLUE often takes the form of a blue wedding garter or a garter incorparating a blue bow. SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE This tradition dates back to Saxon times. "Somthing Old" stresses the bride's link with her past and her own family and she will sometimes wear a piece of her grandmothers jewellery. "Something New" represents the future, bringing success and wealth in her new life and is often the wedding dress. "Something Borrowed" links the bride to the present and brings good luck. It's also to remind her that old friends and family are still there to support her. Traditionally the borrowed item should have been worn at another happy wedding and can be anything, although is usually jewellery or a garter. "Something Blue" represented purity back in Saxon Times and many brides nowadays choose to wear a blue garter. THE WEDDING CAKE In the first century B.C in Rome, the cake was thrown at the bride or broken over her head as one of the many fertility symbols which were then a part of the mariage ceremony. GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE