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The kiss that seals the wedding is much more than a sign of affection. It has long been a token of bonding—the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of the self into the new spouse’s soul—there to abide ever after.
Symbolizing unending love and fidelity, the ring is traced to Egyptians who presented their brides circlets of hemp or rush every year.
To assure the bride has a happy and bright life in old England, the entire bridal party would walk behind a small girl tossing flowers all the way to the church.
All through history, ornate pillows have been used to present crowns to royalty. Placing the rings prominently on a pillow is the most honored way of presenting the most cherished of all gifts.
Fashioned after a coat worn by the Prince of Wales, Griswold Lorillard, a tobacco heir. In 1886, Prince Lorillard wore a tail-less black dinner jacket to an autumn ball in Tuxedo Park, New York. It sent his contemporaries into a spin.
“Something old” was usually a personal gift from mother to daughter, a symbolic piece of wisdom for married life. “Something new” symbolized the new family formed by the couple. “Something borrowed” is especially important since it is to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital bliss to carry into the new union. “Something blue” has two traditions: Pagan Roman maidens wore blue on the borders of their robes to denote love, modesty and fidelity. Christians associate it with the purity of the Virgin Mary.
Ancient times found a young woman kidnapped and held prisoner until she accepted her new life. This evolved to the groom being expected to capture his intended. The young woman would surround herself with friends for protection and he would gather up his friends to help in the abduction. Soon, stealing the bride became a fun ritual, and the bride’s “maids” dressing identical to the bride to confuse the men.
Traditionally matching the bridal gown, this useful accessory was also a part of the traditional “dollar dance.” “Buying” a dance from the new bride by “secretly” slipping cash into her purse helped the young woman acquire “pin money” to start her new household.
In the days of silk stockings, this accessory was a necessity. Considered fair sport and good luck in old England to steal the garter and stockings before the ceremony, young unmarried gentlemen took the challenge seriously. Throwing the garter evolved to prevent the embarrassment of an overturned young lady.
A symbol of the bride’s purity, the wedding gown was regarded as the outward sign of a worthy maiden. Since marriage was considered a union between two families, it was essential that the bride be an “honor” to both her family and her future husband’s family. As purity was valued above all else, the white dress became her symbol of innocence. The styling of the “modern” bridal gown can be attributed to Empress Eugenie, bride of Napoleon III. As a leader of fashion, she wore what was to become a worldwide style rather than the customary wedding finery as she wed the French leader.
Traced back to superstitious Roman ceremonies, the veil was originally used to confuse evil spirits that might be jealous of the new couple’s happiness. By covering her face, they averted recognition of the new bride. Although the fear no longer exists, beautiful veils are used by many happy brides.
The custom of bridal showers began when a poor Dutch miller fell in love with a maiden whose father forbid their marriage and would not provide a dowry. The miller’s friends came to the rescue and “showered” the bride-to-be with enough gifts to set up housekeeping.
The sixpence is an English coin that was minted from 1151 until 1970. During the early 1600’s the Lord of Manor presented a sixpence to the bride as a wedding gift. By the end of the seventeenth century it became customary for the bride’s parents to give the sixpence as a dowry gift to the groom. Using the sixpence as a good luck coin continued into the 1800’s. Today, brides throughout Great Britain, United States and other countries worldwide still place a sixpence in their left shoe for good luck. You can also use an American penny from your birth year.
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