When you think of wedding traditions, you may think of things like the bride wearing white, throwing the bouquet, and the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding. While modern wedding couples may not use these somewhat old-fashioned traditions as frequently now, they are still often the framework for how the wedding ceremony will go.
Many of these traditions are the result of superstitions. For example, many cultures believe that wearing a particular color, performing a specific ritual, or following a certain set of rules will ensure that the wedding is prosperous and will have good luck. These traditions and superstitions can vary widely in different cultures.
Something Old, Something New
Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue suggests that the bride wears something in each category for good luck. Something old represents the bride's past, something new represents her new life, something borrowed represents good luck from someone who has had a good marriage, and something blue represents love, fidelity, and purity. This tradition originated in England back in the 19th century.
Bride Wears Red
The Chinese believe the bride wearing red will bring luck and good fortune to the marriage. The bride may also have a red veil to help ward off evil spirits and show as a symbol of her purity. However, no wedding guest should wear red, as the wedding couple may see it as a sign of disrespect.
Exchanging Garlands of Flowers
An Indian tradition is for the bride and groom to exchange garlands of flowers during the wedding ceremony. Afterward, the bride and groom give each other gifts. This is symbolic of two souls meeting, as well as the merging of two families of traditions and customs into one.
Asking the Father for Permission
A longstanding tradition is a groom asking the bride's father's permission to propose. This blessing is seen as a sign of good luck and is believed to lead to a successful marriage. However, many do not ask for the father's permission and propose despite the lack of the father's blessing. This tradition can be complicated if the bride has no relationship with her father or if the father has a different idea of what kind of man should marry his daughter than she does.
Dangerous Wedding Traditions
These wedding traditions and superstitions are harmless, but some can be dangerous. For example, a Chinese bride was forced to sit in a basket for five hours to encourage her good temper. As she sat in the basket, her feet could not touch the floor, and she was not allowed to move. This ritual could have caused issues for the bride if she had low blood sugar or got dizzy during the process.
In addition to helping her have a good temper, it is also believed that this ritual brings good luck to the husband's family. However, many people were outraged at the practice, calling it outdated and unnecessary.
Decline in Weddings
Not only have weddings become more untraditional over the years, but they are also declining. Many people find they are happy enough being in a committed relationship, and some even believe that weddings are bad luck and would hurt the relationship. Some use the tongue-in-cheek expression that 100% of divorces start with marriage. Not to mention, the stress of wedding planning and expectations makes them believe the wedding is not worth it.
If you plan on getting married, whether you decide to implement some of these traditions depends on your culture and whether you are superstitious. However, you may believe that getting married is a bad luck charm for your relationship and decide to stay content with how you are.
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