Time-honored wedding traditions
Weddings are special events that celebrate two individuals ’ love for one another . Weddings bring together friends and family to witness couples share vows and devote their lives to each other .
Wedding guests recognize that certain components are commonplace in ceremonies and receptions . Perhaps you were once a ring bearer or caught the bouquet ? There ’ s a rich history behind the traditions that feature prominently at many weddings . Here ’ s a look at traditions past and present and the meaning behind these customs .
Marriage
The custom of marriage can be traced back thousands of years to when hunters and gatherers started coming together to form societies and farm land . In order to ensure the success of communities , couplings were developed to produce offspring and maintain households .
Tie the knot
Getting married is sometimes referred to as “ tying the knot .” This stems from the custom of “ handfasting ,” which is a common practice among various cultures around the world , and notably in ancient Rome . The bride and groom ’ s hands are tied together for the duration of the ceremony , not to be released until the wedding is made official . This isn ’ t something you see too often at modern weddings , but can be something unique couples may want to consider .
Bridal bouquet
A bouquet of beautiful flowers is held by the bride on her wedding day . Roses , orchids , peonies , and other fragrant blooms are often included , but in ancient times brides ’ bouquets were likely made of herbs . According to the resource Minted Weddings , these aromatic herbs were used to ward off evil spirits .
Veil
Evil spirits also were the basis for the wearing of bridal veils , as they were utilized to hide brides from these miscreants . Veils now are more style than substance .
Bridesmaids
In ancient Rome , bridesmaids were tasked with protecting the bride . They wore the same dresses as the bride to confuse evil spirits from finding the soonto-be-betrothed and cursing her . Today ’ s bridesmaids are less decoy and more helper . They may wear similar dresses to the bride and one another , but they aren ’ t trying to fool any spirits .
Tossing rice
Rice and grains were long regarded as signs of prosperity and fertility , according to the gifting company Personal Creations . Therefore , couples were showered with rice to ensure their good fortune . Consumption of uncooked rice has been proven to be detrimental to some wildlife , so rice has now been widely replaced with bubbles or birdseed .
Cutting the cake
At the reception , many couples link hands and make the first cut in their wedding cakes . Wedding Wire says it ’ s a tradition that around 80 percent of wedding couples partake in . It is believed this tradition symbolizes the couple ’ s first official task performed together , and marks the promise to support and take care of one another throughout the marriage . However , in the past , brides were responsible for cutting the wedding cake alone and distributed slices to guests to aid in fertility , according to BakingNook . com .
Weddings are full of traditions with interesting histories . n
82 MoultrieScene JULY 2023