Have you ever wondered why the modern wedding looks like it does? Or why wedding attendants all dress alike? Along with the many wedding traditions that shape most weddings, there are wedding superstitions that influence the decisions brides- and grooms-to-be make when planning their weddings.Why do bride choose bridesmaids? Why do grooms choose groomsmen? Today many people choose to have attendants because of tradition, because it looks nice in photographs and for sheer fun of it. But once upon a time, bridesmaids and groomsmen stood alongside the marrying couple to fool evil spirits who might otherwise disrupt the wedding. That's why wedding attendants dress alike -- hundreds and even thousands of years ago, the bridesmaids and groomsmen dressed exactly like the bride and groom so all those spirits wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
The bridal bouquet was originally a satchel of fragrant herbs meant to protect the bride from evil spirits and malevolent influences. Scent was considered a powerful tool with which one could repel evil. Only later did the satchel become a wreath of flowers and, finally, a bouquet of flowers.
Clinking of glasses during the reception was also believed to keep those omnipresent evil spirits from cursing the new marriage or harming the newlyweds. It was believed the spirits disliked boisterous noises as much as they disliked strong odors!
Weddings themselves were symbols of good luck, and guests all wanted to get a little piece of that luck for themselves. If you're planning on tossing the bouquet or the garter at your reception, now you'll know why the tradition developed! People believed that taking something that belonged to the newly wedded couple would bring them good fortune, and it was common practice to tear at the clothes of the bride and groom in the hopes of snagging a piece of cloth or a button. To avoid the wear and tear, newlyweds began tossing expendable items like flowers and stockings.
Hopes of fertility were also an important element of weddings for a very long time. The guests at a wedding believed the bride would become pregnant soon after the wedding if she were the first to eat the cake. Throwing rice after the ceremony was also meant to signify (and encourage) fertility so that the new couple would have many, many children.
Isn't it funny to think that so many facets of the modern wedding ceremony and reception can trace their roots back to the fear of demons and the desire for heirs? We may not be afraid of evil spirits...or even want any children at all...but it's fun to keep these superstitious traditions alive and pass them along to the next generation.
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