At any wedding there are certain traditions used that we are all familiar with, but what exactly do they mean and where did they come from? In this latest blog post, we look into the origin of 5 of the most common traditions that you might choose to include on your wedding day.
1. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
One of the most common traditions for a bride is ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’. This refers to certain objects a bride should wear or have in her possession on her wedding day to bring good luck for the start of her married life. It derives from an old English rhyme with ‘something old’ meant to represent the past, ‘something new’ to represent the future, ‘something borrowed’ from a person already happily married and ‘something blue’ as it is thought to represent love.
2. Bridal bouquet
Nearly every bride will walk down the aisle carrying a stunning bouquet of flowers. This has been in practice since ancient roman times, however, instead of pretty flowers, they would carry bouquets of herbs. Carrying flowers has only become popular since Victorian times. Different flowers hold different meanings, so a bride can tailor her bouquet.
3. Matching bridesmaid dresses
Many brides will ensure that their bridal party has matching dresses for cohesiveness and to identify them as the all-important bridesmaids. Once again, matching bridesmaid dresses has been a tradition in place since the times of the Romans. Matching dresses were seen as a sign of good luck and used as an attempt to trick evil spirits from identifying who the true bride was.
4. Wedding veils
Wedding veils have also formerly been used as a way to foil the plans of any evil spirits set to ruin a bride’s big day. Since ancient times a veil has been used to disguise the face of a bride and ensure she was able to marry into a life of happiness and positivity
5. Wearing a ring on a specific finger
The reason that wedding rings are assigned to a specific finger is that the fourth finger on the left hand is connected directly to the heart by a vein. This has always been thought to represent a deeper connection to love and a happy union.
Plan your wedding at Hyde Bank Farm
Celebrate your big day in our Grade 2 listed barn at Hyde Bank Farm. Perfect for Rustic Cheshire weddings, our wedding coordinator is on hand to help you to plan your dream day. Contact us today to arrange a visit to our venue.