Historical Wedding facts - Impress your clients

[stephen dohring]

Ring Around the Finger.....

In 860 A.D., Pope Nicholas I pronounced that an engagement ring become a

required statement of nuptial intent. He also insisted that engagement rings be

made of gold, which signified a financial sacrifice on the part of the

prospective husband. The tradition of wearing a wedding ring on the third

finger of the left hand is traced back to an ancient Greek belief that a vein

in this finger runs directly to the heart. And, you can blame Pope Innocent III

for the custom of having both an engagement and a wedding ring. During the 13th

century, he instituted a waiting period between engagement and marriage and

also insisted that a ring be used in the wedding ceremony. Before that, rings

were used to seal an engagement only (as well as other important agreements).

 

Sealed With a Kiss.....

The wedding kiss dates back to the earliest days of civilization when a kiss

was used as the formal seal to agreements and contracts. The kiss was

considered legally binding, and it became a wedding custom to seal the marriage

vows at the end of the ceremony. In many cultures, the wedding kiss also

symbolizes the swapping of souls between the bride and groom.

 

Toss Me a Garter.....

Many things are thrown through the air at weddings: rice (for fertility),

bouquets (for luck and protection), and garters (also for luck). Throwing rice

originated from an ancient Pagan tradition of showering a happy couple with

grain, rice, and nuts to wish them a fruitful union. Pagans believed that the

fertility of the seeds would be transferred to the couple on whom they fell.

The tossing of the bridal bouquet and the garter go back to England and the

belief that a bride, through her garments, could pass on her good fortune. In

order to keep from getting their dresses ripped off their bodies, brides began

throwing their bouquets and garters to the overly zealous guests.

 

Why Left?.....

During the marriage ceremony, the bride traditionally stands on the left and

the groom on the right. In the days of yore, weddings were much more exciting,

with uninvited guests - often thugs and warriors but sometimes heroes -

crashing the ceremony to abduct or rescue, depending on the circumstances, the

bride. The groom, needing to keep his right hand free to grab his sword, always

stood on the right, and the bride, out of the way, on the left.

[mike_barrett2]

Great post. I especially like the part about the groom needing to keep his sword hand at the ready!

 

Mike

[kari douma]

Fun stuff!

[paul_sokal___dallas__tx]

Thanks Steve-terrific info. What if the groom were left handed?

[michelle a.]

LOL! @ Paul..... I was thinking the same thing!

[William Michael]

Mariel Zagunis, at her wedding, opted to stand on the right side: no one argued with her.

[marv_stasak___southfield__]

Zagunis probably wanted to keep her sword hand free. No one was coming between an Olympic fencing champion and her intended. Right?

[William Michael]

Marv:

 

Pretty quick reaction time - ever considered a career in photography?

 

:) Regards, WW

[conraderb]

I believe that people didn't wear white until...maybe elizabethan england...or maybe it was queen victoria...not sure. something like that.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_traditions

 

is a good entry to read.

 

conrad

[katycollins]

and why do brides carry a bouquet?

 

 

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and were still

smelling pretty good by June, although they were starting to smell, so brides carried a

bouquet of flowers to hide the smell!

[armando_reyes]

Tell me about the honeymoon.

[brent_heit]

Paul Sokal: Just found this thread...

 

People were "never" left handed in the middle ages - it was a sign of witchcraft, so "everyone" was right handed ~ if you catch what I mean. Which is why curved staircases traditionally curve to the right, to favour the defending, higher combatant's right arm.