Customs and Traditions

Peek-a-Boo, better not see you!
Most couples are aware of the unspoken rule that the groom should not see the bride in her gown before the wedding day, but did you know that in Ireland the Bride shouldn't see her entire reflection in a mirror wearing her bridal gown either? If she does see herself in her entirety, it is believed that part of her will stay in her old life and not move on with the rest of her. If either of these rules are broken, the wedding is usually put off for an entire year.

Something Old, Something New
The full rhyme is Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in her Shoe. It originated in Victorian times. 'Something Old' signifies that the couple's friends will stay them. In one version of the tradition the 'Something Old' was an old garter given to the bride by a happily married woman to pass along a happy marriage to the couple. 'Something New' looks to the future for health, happiness and success. 'Something Borrowed' is an opportunity for the bride's family to give her something as a token of their love (but it must be returned to ensure good luck), and 'Something Blue' is thought to be lucky because blue represents fidelity and constancy. The custom began in ancient Israel where brides wore a blue ribbon in their hair to symbolize their fidelity. A sixpence was placed in the shoe to bring the couple wealth in their married life. Some brides still place a penny in their shoe during the marriage ceremony.

Boutonniere
The groom is supposed to wear a flower on his lapel that appears in the Bride's bouquet. This tradition "stems" from medieval times, when a knight wore his lady's colors as an outward declaration of his love for her.

Diamonds
Most diamonds used in today's jewelry are more than a 100 million years old. Ancient Greeks believing the fire of a diamond reflected the flame of love, actually thought them to be teardrops from the gods. Ancient Romans also endowed them with romantic powers, believing diamonds to be splinters from falling stars that tipped the arrows of Eros, the god of love. In the Middle Ages diamonds were credited with the power to reunite estranged marriage partners. Today, diamonds are still the way to a girl's heart.

Garter & Bouquet
For the origin of the garter and bridal bouquet toss we have to go back quite a ways. It was customary in the 14th century for the bride to toss her garter to the men. Sometimes the men would get drunk, become impatient, and try to remove the garter ahead of time. Therefore, the custom evolved for the groom to remove and toss the garter. And with that change, the bride started tossing the bridal bouquet to the unwed women of marriageable age. After all, why should the guys have all the fun?

Wedding Cake
The wedding cake was originally lots of little wheat cakes that were broken over the bride's head to bestow good luck and fertility. In medieval times, guests brought small cakes and piled them on a table. The bride and groom then attempted to kiss over the cakes. Eventually, a young baker decided to put all the cakes together and cover them with frosting, thus the tiered wedding cake was born.  The bride and groom make the first cut of the wedding cake to signify sharingtheir life together. Every guest then eats at least a crumb of the cake to ensure good luck. And if a single woman sleeps with a piece of wedding cake under her pillow, she will dream of her future husband. What does the single man do?

Wearing White
The first known white wedding dress was worn in 1499 by Anne of Brittany, for her marriage to Louis XII of France. Until that time, women simply wore their best dress, often yellow or red in color. In biblical times, most dresses were blue because blue symbolized purity. But in China and Japan the brides have traditionally always worn white. White is the color of mourning, which is thought to be appropriate as the bride is leaving her family of birth to join that of her husband's thereby undergoing a symbolic death.

Flower Power
Flowers are a big part of wedding ceremonies and receptions. The groom is supposed to wear a flower that appears in the bridal bouquet in his button hole. This stems from the medieval tradition of a knight wearing his lady's colors to declare his love. Every flower has a special meaning and significance and can display a special message. The Orange Blossom, for example, signifies chastity, purity and loveliness while the Red Chrysanthemum means "I love you."

Military
A military wedding is a dramatic way for the bride and groom to honor military status and can be officiated by a Christian minister in a church or Jewish rabbi at a synagogue. The ceremony can be held on the base at a chapel, military academy or military post. Army grooms wear their uniform with white glove and a saber, Navy or Coast Guard his sword and all military men are adorned with military decorations instead of a boutonniere.

If the bride is in the armed forces, she has a choice of marrying in full uniform or a traditional wedding gown. Either way she carries her bridal bouquet for her walk down the aisle.

Members of the honor guard are often attendants at the wedding and each couple uses the rites and customs of their particular faith. After the ceremony, the honor guard lines up near the chapel's main door and forms an arch of swords during the recessional. The senior officer commands that the guards lift their swords uniformly at an angle so the tips of the swords touch. The bride and groom kiss and walk under the arched swords. The arching of the swords symbolizes the safe passing of the bride and groom into married life.

Throwing Rice
One of the oldest wedding traditions, the custom of throwing rice, originated with the ancient Hindus and Chinese. In these cultures, rice is the symbol of fruitfulness and prosperity. Tossing it after the ceremony was believed to bestow fertility upon the bride and groom. Eating rice and other grains was thought to guarantee health, wealth and happiness for the newlyweds. Today, rice tossing is being replaced by the more ecologically friendly birdseed tossing, because uncooked rice is damaging to birds who eat it off the church lawn.