There are many traditions that brides and grooms follow on there wedding day, but does anyone really know why we do these so-called traditions? Below, you will find out the meaning and symbolism of many of these ancient customs.

The Ring Finger
For centuries the wedding or engagement ring has graced the second finger of the left hand. This traditional goes all the way back to the time of the Egyptians. They believed that a vein ran directly from the 2nd finger to the heart.

The Wedding Day Garter(s)
Throwing the garter began in France when pieces of the bridal attire were considered lucky. The bride would throw the garter to the guests at the wedding and whoever caught it could expect good luck. In the United States, the groom traditionally removes the garter from the bride and throws it to the unmarried men. The man who catches it is thought to be the next to marry. At some weddings the man who catches the garter will place it on the leg of the lady who caught the bouquet or they may start the next dance. It is also common for the recipients of the bouquet and garter to have a photograph taken with the bride and groom. The garter is placed on the brides right leg, just above the knee.

Often the bride chooses to wear both a garter to throw as well as a garter that she would keep.

The Wedding Cake
Cakes have played a part of weddings all through history. The Romans shared a plain cake of flour, salt and water during the wedding ceremony itself, as Native Americans still do today. The traditional fruit cake originated in Britain, with the fruit and nuts being a symbol of fertility.

Cutting the wedding cake together, still a custom at weddings, symbolizes the couple’s unity, their shared future, and their life together as one.

In old England it was traditional to bake a ring into the wedding cake as a symbol of bliss and happiness. The guest whose piece of cake contained the ring, it was said, could look forward to a full year of uninterrupted happiness.

Married in June
For centuries the month of June has been the most popular choice for weddings – but the original reason might surprise you. You see, during the 1400-1500s, May was the month in which the “annual bath” occurred. Yes, just as it sounds, back then people were only able to bathe thoroughly once each year. As such, the over-all population was smelling relatively fresh in June, making it a good time to hold a special event like a wedding!

The White Wedding
White has been a symbol of celebration since Roman times. In other cultures such as Asian cultures, red is the color traditional color because it symbolizes joy. White in our culture has also come to be synonymous with purity and joy. This is why it has become a favorite color of brides.

The Throwing of Rice
Rice symbolizes, wealth, fertility or bounty depending on which culture you choose to look at. The tossing of rice, birdseed or confetti is used to wish the newly married couple a large harvest, abundance in life or many children. Today many churches do not allow the throwing of these materials for safety or environmental reasons. A new tradition has begun to emerge, that of blowing bubbles instead. This makes a festive send off of cheer and best wishes and makes the wedding as a time of joy and celebration.

The Kiss
Originating during the time of the Romans, the kiss was used to bind a legal agreement. A kiss was the seal of a betrothal. Later this was adopted in Christian ceremonies, using a kiss to mark the union of man and wife. In the agreement of marriage, it was also believed that when two people kissed a part of their soul was left in one another with the exchange of breath, symbolic of the union of those two people. The kiss, occurring at the end of a ceremony is an announcement of the status of the newly formed couple and their public commitment to one another.

Tossing of the Bouquet
Originally the bouquet was given by the bride to one of her friends for good luck or protection. It has come to signify the transfer of luck in marriage or luck in being the next to marry. It is tossed on the departure of the bride and groom at the end of the wedding celebration. It marks the transition from being a single woman to being part of a couple. The woman who catches the bouquet will be the next to marry.

The Wedding Bouquet
The first wedding bouquets carried were not of blossoms but of herbs. The aroma of the herbs were though to ward off evil spirits. Later meanings became associated with the meanings of the different herbs. Rosemary signified remembrance. Other herbs such as dill were included to evoke lust and were meant to be eaten by the bride. Flowers were added. Like the herbs each flower had a special meaning or significance. Here are a few flowers and their general meanings.

Today a bride will often choose the flowers for her bouquet based on the traditional meaning of the flower.

Jumping the Broom
Jumping the broom originated during the time of slavery in the United States. Slaves, not having rights as citizens, were denied the legal or religious rite of marriage. The tradition of jumping the broom was the slaves way to recognize the commitment of two people to one another. It was a commonly accepted by both the slaves and the slave owners, who would sometimes participate in this celebration. Jumping the broom signified leaving single life and the transition into a new life together.

The Purse Strings
Tradition says that the first member of the newlywed couple to purchase a new item following the wedding will be the dominant force in the relationship. As such, to this day some superstitious brides will pre-arrange to buy a small item from one of her bridesmaids immediately following the ceremony.