Nowhere in our culture is tradition more adhered to than when it comes to a wedding. Most of our traditions were established centuries ago and for some surprising reasons. For example, the dresses of the bridesmaids are very similar to the bride’s in order to protect her life and her honor.
In the 16th century this tradition was born due to the hoards of robbers that roamed the countryside. If they came upon a wedding party they would often kidnap the bride and either hold her for ransom or grossly mistreat her. This began the similarity in dress for the women in the wedding party in order to confuse the robbers as to which woman was the bride.
Events before the wedding are traditional, too. The bride and her friends usually have a “hen night” to celebrate her marriage and the groom’s attendants throw a “stag” party to congratulate him for his coming nuptials.
Marriage proposals have always been up to the prospective groom but women are permitted to propose to men on February 29, an occasion that comes around about every four years. These days, of course, it’s not that unusual for these traditions to be broken.
Marriage banns are traditionally read in the bride’s church three Sundays before the wedding. “Banns” are derived from an Old English word meaning “to summon”. Without the reading of the banns a couple cannot obtain a wedding license and the marriage is not valid. It is considered bad luck for either of the happy couple to be present at the reading of the banns.
As you have probably noticed, many traditions are made and continue in order to bring the happy couple good luck. Brides usually sew a good luck charm in the hem of their wedding gown and often carry a horseshoe with their bouquet. Many brides arrange to have a chimney sweep waiting outside the church as it is considered good luck for the bride to be kissed by one as she exits the church.
After the wedding, the couple and two witnesses sign the wedding register. Until they do this, the marriage is not legal and no license will be issued. From there it is on to the luncheon, referred to as a “wedding breakfast”. There are two cakes, one for the groom (usually chocolate) and a cake containing cherries and nuts for the bride. The top layer of the bride’s cake is called the “christening cake” and is meant to be saved for the christening of their first child. Cutting the wedding cake together symbolizes the couple’s first mean as man and wife.
This may sound like a lot of traditions to honor but truthfully, there are many more! Whether you want a traditional wedding or something more modern or unusual, you can make everything run smoothly by engaging a wedding hire company to take care of all the details. It’s your special day, one you’ll treasure for the rest of your life and tell your children and grandchildren about. A professional wedding hire firm will allow you to enjoy it free of stress and make sure that all the traditions you want to honour are incorporated every step of the way. From traditional marquees, to flower arrangements to classic car hire!
