Weddings have always been associated with happiness and romance, but a long time ago, weddings were fraught with fear, and many of the traditions that have survived to this day have no romantic origins. Today we learn about the dark origins of wedding traditions.
Romans used engagement rings to indicate ownership. According to the American Gem Society, anthropologists believe that wives wore rings with keys attached indicated that their husbands owned them.
Engagement rings began to be romantic in 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austriacommissioned an extravagant diamond ring for his wife.
Haley Winston Classic Winston diamond engagement imitated ring
Bridesmaids originally dressed alike to confuse vengeful spirits from harming the bride. The bride considered to be prime bait for vengeful spirits. So, all the women dressed alike to confuse the spirits from interrupting the bride and groom’s nuptials.
Centuries ago, a groom had to “kidnap” the bride if her family disapproved of their union. The best man originated as the groom’s choice protector. In fact, ancient groups like the Huns, Goths, and Visigoths would store weapons in the floor of the church in the event of a brawl.
Carrying the bride across the threshold was symbolic of the bride unwillingly leaving her family. It dates back to ancient Rome. Romans also believed evil spirits attempted to curse the couple one last time at the threshold, so this behave will not to let the spirits enter her body.
The bouquet was originally used to mask the bride’s body odor, and it was often made with pungent herbs. According to the Huffington Post, the tradition of the bride carrying a bouquet dates back to the 15th century.
Veils used to be red so that the bride looked like she was on fire, which would scare maleficent spirits away. Over time, the red went away, but veils remained a tactic used to shield the bride from maleficent forces. They also were used to weigh the bride down, and prevent them from running away.
The father handing off the bride to her husband used to be more of a business transaction. It dates back to the 1549 Book of Common Prayer and the Church of England.
Bachelor parties date back to ancient Sparta, and they have gotten more raucous as the years have gone on. It dates back to the 5th century BC in ancient Sparta. Since then, the events have generally grown more raucous.”
Honeymoons originated as trips to go see the family that couldn’t make it to the wedding, which used to be relatively anti-climactic, originating in 18th century Britain. Honeymoons usage first appears in a collection of German folk stories, “The new-married couple spent their honey-moon in Augspurg, in mutual happiness and innocent enjoyments, like the first human pair in the garden of Eden.
