Bridal Traditions Explained

Something borrowed, something, blue, something old, something new. We've all heard it and most brides adhere to it. But why, and where do these originate?!

With the Bridal Fair coming up at the Double Tree by Hilton this Saturday it got me to thinking about all the weird things we do before, during and after weddings, so I did some digging to get you the facts. Or as close as I could get to them with Google!

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue isn't event the complete poem, the final line reads, and a silver sixpence in her shoe. - So the
is custom is definitely English, and is believed to have begun in the Victorian era. Each item was to represents a good-luck token for the bride and if she carried all of them on her wedding day, her marriage would be happy.

Tossing the Bouquet-After reading the above tradition it stands to reason that anything worn by the bride is considered good luck. The bouquet specifically considered a sign of happiness. It's thrown into the crowd to distract them so she can escape.

Wedding Band-I've heard lots of theories on this one, from the fact that the vein in your left finger runs straight to your heart to the simple statement that it sends an unmistakable message about our marital status.

Carrying The Bride Over The Threshold-I actually found several schools of thought on this tradition:

1. It was believed to protect the bride from evil spirits that were thought to be lying in wait under the threshold.
2. In Roman times it was believed that if the bride stumbled when entering the newlywed's home for the first time, it would bring bad luck and harm to their marriage. So men carried their brides to prevent this from happening.
3. Another belief was that the newly married couple was very susceptible to evil spirits. A protective layer between the bride and the ground were provided by carrying her, and thus protecting her from the "ground monster".

We could go on and on, the entire wedding festival is steeped in history and tradition, but I recommend starting your own!

Find out how this Saturday at the Double Tree by Hilton during the Smmile Sparks Bridal Fair! See you there!