Wedding

Tradition
Most wedding traditions, like throwing rice and eating cake, started
long ago. Here are some of the stories behind these traditions:

• Bridal Dress
• Veils
• Bridesmaids
• Wedding Bouquet
• Bouquet Throwing
• Rings
• Rice Throwing
• Cake
• Honeymoon
Bridal Dress
•Wearing a new white dress to be used
only for a wedding ceremony is a
tradition that is only about 150 years
old. Before that, few women could
afford a dress they would wear only
once.

•White traditionally symbolizes youth

and innocence.

•Red and orange are popular in Asia

and the Middle East, where they are
considered joyful and festive colors.
Veils
•Roman brides wore veils 2,000 years ago. Veils were worn as a sign
of modesty and secrecy and were removed only by the husband after
the wedding ceremony.

•In some Eastern countries a veil is placed between the man and
woman throughout the wedding ceremony. This ensures that they
cannot see or touch one another until after the marriage.
Bridesmaids
•Bridesmaids first appeared in wedding ceremonies in
the Middle Ages. Two young girls—usually sisters—
dressed alike, carried the bride’s veil in the procession.
Now the two girls could be some friends of the bride
or young relatives.
Wedding
Bouquet
•Ancient Roman brides wore bunches of herbs under their veils as
symbols of fidelity.

•Orange blossoms are symbols of happiness and fertility because the

orange tree blooms and bears fruit at the same time.

•Roses are the flowers of love, making June, the month of roses, the
most popular wedding month.

•The early Greeks believed ivy to be the sign of everlasting love. It is still
used to trim wedding bouquets.
Bouquet Throwing
•In Medieval Europe, after the
wedding, single women chased the
bride and ripped pieces off her dress,
considering to give them good luck
and a good marriage.

•At present, to prevent guests from

ripping the wedding dress, brides
began throwing her bouquet as a
distraction.

•Single women run to catch it as the

bouquet as a symbol of a close
marriage.
 Rings

•Engagement rings originated from the custom of exchanging

rings to seal an important agreement.

•Rings are circular and without end to symbolize eternal love.

•A wedding ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand

because it was believed that a vein or nerve ran directly from this
finger to the heart.
 Rice throwing
•Rice is a symbol of fertility and long life. Guests throw it at the
bride and groom as a wish for children and a good life. Other good
luck charms are confetti, blossoms, corn, barley, chickpeas, and
dates and figs to sweeten the marriage.
Cake
•Using wheat and grains in the
making of wedding cakes is an
ancient symbol of fertility.

•In ancient Rome a thin loaf of

bread was broken over the
marrying couple's heads. The
crumbs were saved and taken
home by the guests as tokens of
good luck.

•Tiered wedding cakes originated

in old England, where the bride
and groom kissed over a stack of
little cakes.
Honeymoo
•This first vacation taken by
n a newly married couple
dates back to very early
times when a groom wanted
to hide the wife he had
captured.

•The Teutons, an ancient

German tribe, gave the
honeymoon its name. After
the wedding ceremony,
honey was drunk until the
moon waned.