1) Giving the Bride Away? In times when women were granted few privileges and even fewer personal rights, the bride was literally given away to the groom by the father, usually in exchange for monetary gain. Today, it is seen as symbolic of the blessings and support of her union as a promise of continued trust and affection. Often when the question is asked by a clergy during the ceremony, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?, the father's response is, "Her mother and I."
2) Why does the Bride Carry Flowers? For centuries, flowers have stood for a variety of emotions and values. Roses for love, lilies for virtue and so on. In ancient marriages, the brides carried herbs beneath their veils to symbolize fidelity. Greek brides carried ivy as a symbol of never-ending love. Orange blossoms, (the world renowned wedding flower) were chosen by the Spaniards to represent happiness and fulfillment, because the orange tree flowers and bears fruit at the same time. During even earlier times of "primitive marriage," when the fear of demons was most prevalent, the brides carried stinking garlands of herbs and spices for the purpose of frightening off evil spirits. Today, brides carry flowers in the color scheme of their wedding, bringing beauty and elegance as well as old world customs to their special day.
3) Why Does the Bride Wear White? The color white has been a symbol of joyous celebration since early Roman times. At the beginning to the twentieth century, white stood for purity as well. Today, it holds its original meaning of happiness and joy.
4) Why Does the Bride Wear a Veil? Originally, the brides veil symbolized her youth and virginity. Veils helped brides remain modest and hide themselves from jealous spirits. Early Christian brides wore white (indicating purity and celebration) or blue veils (a symbol of the Virgin Mary's purity).
5) Why a Wedding Ring? The circular shape of the wedding ring symbolized undying, unending love since the days of early Egyptians. A primitive bride wore a ring of hemp or rushes, which had to be replaced often. Durable iron was used by the Romans to symbolize the permanence of marriage. Today's favorite is of course, gold, with it's lasting qualities of beauty and purity.
6) Why the Third Finger, Left-Hand? In ancient times, it was believed there was a vein in the third finger of the left hand that ran directly to the heart. Thus, the ring being placed on that finger denoted the strong connection of a heartfelt love and commitment to one another.
7) Why a Wedding Cake? Beginning in early Roman times, the cake has been a special part of the wedding celebration. A thin loaf was broken over the brides head at the close of the ceremony to symbolize fertility. The wheat from which it was made, symbolized fertility and the guests eagerly picked up the crumbs as good luck charms. During the Middle Ages, it became traditional for the couple to kiss over a small cluster of cakes. Later, a clever baker decided to amass all these small cakes together, covering them in frosting. Thus, the modern tiered cake was born.
8) Why the Honeymoon? In ancient times, many of the first marriages were by capture, not choice. When early man felt it was time to take a bride, he would often carry off an unwilling woman to a secret place where her relatives would not find them. While the moon went through all its phases, (about 30 days) they hid from the searchers and drank a brew made from honey. Hence, we get the word, honeymoon.
9) Why is it bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the ceremony? Once, it was considered bad luck for the groom to see his bride and for the bride to see herself in a mirror in her wedding clothes before the wedding. Because the wedding ceremony marked a break between old and new, never to overlap, people thought that if the bride saw herself in a mirror before the wedding, she would leave some of herself behind in the reflection.
