There is no documented evidence to tell us when the first wedding took place. In fact in earliest times when people lived in tribes, taking a bride for oneself was not all that
difficult. A common joke on the subject is the depiction of a caveman in the Stone age movies bashing the woman on the head and dragging her off to be his wife!
Weddings today are a far cry from what was once the fashion! It is quite interesting to read about wedding traditions and where they originated from. In early times the woman was kidnapped by the prospective groom and some of his friends. Today we have the groom and his best men, but thankfully they don‟t do any kidnapping! After kidnapping the woman, the couple disappeared for a long time, quite possibly, to avoid the repercussions of such an act. Soon this disappearance came to be known as the honeymoon period.
While it is hard to delve really deep in wedding history that goes far back in time, what is known is that as society evolved, people and their thinking began to change. Tribes began to trade and also to live in harmony. In fact, little is known about weddings and their history except that it is believed that the Egyptians first recognized the idea of marriage. The engagement or betrothal was also invented by the Egyptians as a way for the couple to get to know each other.
An old favorite tradition is something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The meaning of this Victorian rhyme has some significance to it that has been preserved through time as a wedding tradition. The old refers to the bride‟s ties to family and her old life. The new of course is symbolic of the couple‟s new life as one, their hopes and dreams of a life of happiness and prosperity. When the bride to be borrows something from a
happily married woman the symbolic meaning is that similar happiness will come to the bride. The blue refers to fidelity in the marriage and faithfulness to the vows the couple makes.
Rice is considered to be a life giving seed, throwing it on the couple symbolizes the bestowing of fertility and the resultant children. There are many churches who have politely but firmly refused to allow the throwing of rice. People now throw flower petals or confetti to uphold the ancient tradition.
The white bridal gown dates back to Victorian times when Queen Victoria decided to throw tradition to the wind and wear a white gown. Prior to that there really was no wedding gown per se; brides simply wore their best gown. The color white is attributed to purity and virginity, so many women the world over still wear white bridal gowns, though the gowns themselves have grown more daring with each passing generation!
The kiss that traditionally ends the wedding ceremony is believed to symbolize the ancient Roman sentiment that a kiss sealed the couple‟s union and agreement to a lifelong commitment. It is representative of the couple joining their souls.
There are two possible meanings to the tradition of placing the wedding ring on the third finger or ring finger of the left hand. According to the Egyptians who seem well up in all marital matters, the vein of love runs directly from
this finger to the heart, ergo it is placed there to embody eternal, undying love.
A less romantic notion is that in the 17th century, the groom would slide the ring up the thumb, index and middle finger of the bride while the priest intoned a prayer that began with „in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit‟. Three for three and if you follow the design of the hand, logically the third finger comes after the middle finger, so the ring finally came to rest on it.
Let us close with something humorous. In the old days women walked down the aisle carrying bouquets of herbs and garlic not for their beauty surely, but to ward of the evil spirits. Time changed this tradition and today women carry a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Many wedding traditions have stood the test of time but due to our progress march, have evolved to match modern standards.
