How to Understand Wedding Rituals

Ever wonder how certain wedding day rites evolved? Before you plan your nuptial rituals, consider the original (and often superstitious) meanings behind the traditions. Then make sure you follow them - lest you be jinxed!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Bridesmaid Dresses
• Wedding Gowns
• Catering Services
• Live Band And DJ Rentals

1. Anoint a best man - a tradition stemming from ancient men's practice of capturing a bride by force. A best man can ward off the bride's relatives while the couple escapes.
2. Have bridesmaids and groomsmen at your wedding, a custom that likely evolved from an ancient Roman law that required 10 witnesses at a wedding.
3. Dress the attendants in identical clothing to confuse envious spirits and help prevent them from knowing which couple is getting married.
4. Cry, or at least pretend to cry, at your wedding. Brides who don't may face a married life full of tears.
5. Accept a wedding ring from your spouse. Early Egyptians believed that a circle meant eternity - a strong indication that the marriage would last.
6. Wear your wedding ring on the fourth finger of your left hand. The Egyptians believed a "love's vein" ran from the heart to the ring finger; a Roman scholar later proclaimed that this tradition prevented love from escaping from the heart.
7. Have a wedding cake. In ancient Rome, a groom would break a cakelike pastry over his bride's head to ensure her happiness and wealth.
8. Give each guest a piece of the cake; Roman guests would pick up crumbs of this broken pastry for some good luck of their own.
9. Go on a honeymoon - a tradition started in the days when a man captured his bride and needed to hide out until the angry in-laws got tired of looking for her.
10. Carry your wife over the threshold. Ancient Roman grooms lifted their new wives into their houses to prevent them from tripping, a bad omen on the wedding day.

Tips & Warnings

• Assume that love at first sight does exist if you're still at the pre-wedding stage. Early Greeks, among others, believed you could be sure it was the real thing if you felt the distinct shock of love at your first meeting.
• Assume lovers can die from a broken heart - a myth that's been around for ages. The heart has been linked to all emotions, but especially love.

Who Can Help:

• Find Decorators & Designers Here. Compare Up to 4 Quotes, Free Service & No Obligation.