Wedding rituals and what they symbolize

April showers may bring May flowers…but it is the May flowers that bring on the wedding season! Happy June 1st.

Who doesn’t love a beautiful June bride…or July, or August. Summer weddings are so special.

If you have ever wondered where the title ‘June bride’ came from it was the Roman goddess Juno which is where the name June derived from. Juno was the goddess of marriage. June brides were thought to be blessed with happiness forever.

This blog isn’t to give wedding planning advice…although that would be so fun. It’s all about wedding rituals.  I love rituals. You can read about The Lost Art of Rituals right HERE

Releasing butterflies.

This makes me think of Two and a Half Men when Evelyn got married. Berta’s job was to release the butterflies right after the nuptials. When she did they hit the floor. They were frozen. 🤦‍♀️ Releasing butterflies is associated with love, hope and the start of a new journey for the happy couple.

Hand-fasting

This is an ancient Celtic practice of tying hands together. The bride and groom hold thier opposite hands together making a figure eight. This represents eternity. Their hands are then tied together with a ribbon to symbolize unity. You could use a piece of blue fabric as your something blue.

Plant a Tree

Planting a tree represents growth. The bride and groom plant a sapling representing new growth. During the ceremony the bride and groom would place soil from two separate containers on top of the planting and then add water from separate water containers representing their coming together as one.

Pass the rings around

I love this. I went to a wedding where we did this. The rings were passed around to all of the seated guests to hold the rings and bestow a blessing or send positive thoughts for a happy marriage.

Create a Time Capsule

This is a fun idea! We think about doing this on New Year’s Eve but I have never thought about doing it at a wedding. Looking back after 25 years of marriage remembering who and what was going on in the world the year you got married would be fun.

Carrying a bouquet.

Centuries ago, bouquets were originally carried to mask body odour. Think of the flowers as today’s deodorants 😂 Bathing wasn’t an everyday occurrence. Sometimes garlic and spices were added to the bouquets to ward off evil spirits and hold bad luck and curses at bay that may fall upon the newlyweds. Dill was sometimes added to the bouquet as it had the added advantage of being an aphrodisiac. The bride and groom would consume the dill after the ceremony.

Tossing the Bouquet

In ancient England the guests would rip off pieces of the brides dress or bouquet as it was thought to bring them good luck. The bride favoured tossing the bouquet in one direction as she and her new hubby left the ceromony in the other direction unscathed!

Tossing the Garter

Wow…these ancient English people!!! The tossing of the garter is steeped in deep tradition and probably dealt with the same guests above that wanted a piece of the wedding gown! After the ceremony the guests would escort the happy couple to ‘their chambers’ to steal the brides stockings. Seriously!😒 They wanted proof of consummation or they threw the stockings at the couple. If the stockings landed on their heads it was thought to bring them good luck and fertility….can you even? It was a very smart groom that no doubt wanted some privacy with his bride that began throwing the stockings out of their chambers at the guests. It became known as the garter toss.

Bridesmaids wore white

So this is a bit creepy. The bridesmaids used to wear white in ancient Roman times. The idea was to be decoys against vindictive ex-boyfriends that the bride may have turned down. It was also thought to ward off  demons and evils spirits. If the entire wedding party was dressed in white it would create confusion long enough for the bride and groom to say their vows. Once the vows were done the rejected men and evil spirits would leave as they had failed to stop the marriage.

There is more to something old, new and blue!

Something old, something new, Someting borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in her shoe!

This rhyme originated in England during the Victorian Era.

Something Old,  represents the tie  between the brides past and her family. It was typically a locket with a photo of a family member in it or a small piece of an articulate of clothing from a family member that was usually cut into a heart shape and sewn into the brides gown.

Something New, represents the coming together of the bride and groom. Usually the rings or the brides dress represented something new.

Something Old, Typically an item borrowed from a friend of the brides who is happily married. It was thought that the sense of happiness would transfer from the friend to the bride.

And a sixpence in her shoe. A sixpence was a coin in Victorian England. It was to symbolize lasting wealth for the couple. Nowadays a sixpence coin can be found in wedding shops throughout Britain. Maybe a good luck penny would work? 🤷‍♀️

Tip for all brides 🤞

 

Spit out your gum before the ceremony!! 😂 Tara’s wedding in my back yard at the Corner House.