Wedding Traditions and Their Origins
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids are meant to dress exactly the same as the bride. The purpose was to confuse evil spirits and stop them from becoming fixated on the bride, and ultimately prevent them from cursing the newlyweds.
Bachelor Party
It first came about in the fifth century, in Sparta, where military comrades would feast and toast one another on the eve of a fellow comrade's wedding. Even today, a bachelor party customarily takes place quite close to the actual wedding date, as it has become known as the groom's last taste of freedom. Through rowdy celebrations, bachelor parties are meant to allow the jittery groom to to drink and release some anxieties before the big day, although it is not encourage to do it just the night before his wedding.
Garter
According to legend, the garter toss in England evolved from an earlier tradition of "flinging the stocking". On their wedding night, guests would follow the Bride and Groom to their bedroom, wait until they undressed, steal their stockings, and then "fling" them at the couple! The first person to hit the Bride or Groom on the head would supposedly be the next person to marry. Yet another legend has it that the brides originally did not toss the bouquet but rather toss the garter at single and available men, the one who caught it will be the one next to marry.
Given Away
The traditional wedding ceremony is based on ancient Roman customs, when marriages were arranged. So this tradition symbolises the act of your family handing you over to a new owner. The custom dates back to the time when a daughter was considered property, and the groom had to pay a price to her family before he could be permitted to marry his intended.
Throw confetti
Confetti is an Italian word used for a type of sugared almond tossed into the air during special occasions. Traditionally it was thrown at the newlywed couple as they departed from the church. This gesture was to wish the couple luck, prosperity and fertility.
The White Wedding Dress
In biblical days, blue (not white) represented purity, and the bride and groom would wear a blue band around the bottom of their wedding attire (hence "something blue. It was actually Queen Victoria who introduced the white wedding tradition back in 1840. Since then, women all over the world have followed her cue. Today, white is an ever-popular color but pastel shades, stronger colors and even tartars are also worn