Comments on: 3 Bizarre Wedding Customs Nobody Questioned (Until Now!)

By: Sarah

Sarah — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:20:01 +0000

Don’t forget the Richard Wagner’s famous “Here comes the Bride” … it’s from the opera Lohengrin, where the wedding is doomed to fail. Every time I hear it I think of the misery of that opera, not the beautiful bride walking down the aisle! The song wasn’t even used in a wedding ceremony, but sang around the bride and groom’s um… marriage bed. Most people don’t know this, might be an interesting article for mentalfloss!

By: John

John — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:49:34 +0000

If ‘the Greeks believed that the third finger on a person’s hand was connected directly to the heart by a route called “the vein of love.”’ and ‘today’s Western tradition stems from that’ then why don’t we wear our rings on our middle fingers?

By: Nikky

Nikky — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:06:37 +0000

Kikadee- I seriously,laughed so hard.I can’t wait til someone’s I know gets married now!

By: Valkyrie

Valkyrie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:35:10 +0000

In some cultures, the groomsmen were male friends and relatives of the groom, who accompanied him (like a posse!) in case the bride’s family refused to hand her over. Bridesmaids sometimes doubled as a protective group to ensure that everything went smoothly and there weren’t any “bridesnatchings” or pre-wedding seductions.

Thankfully, the primary function of bridesmaids then was the wonderful tradition we continue today: to give the bride “the talk,” share advice, and help her get ready on her big day.

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:51:08 +0000

Ann Marie is right about the bridesmaids but I remember discussing it as an ancient Roman tradition during my high school Latin class, so going beyond Medieval Europe.

By: Seanette

Seanette — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:00:30 +0000

My husband and I drove to our wedding together (we lived in Santa Barbara, got married in Los Angeles). Fourteen years later, I haven’t strangled him yet ;).

By: Kikadee

Kikadee — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:56:05 +0000

The wedding veil has a somewhat creepy symbolism as well. The word “veil” comes from the Latin word “vellum,” signifying membrane, parchment, or animal skin stretched taut. It has been suggested, therefore, that in Roman times the wedding veil represented the bride’s intact hymen. It was a symbol of her virginity.

[Of course, if the bride was fugly, the veil may have served the same purpose as preventing the groom from deserting her at the altar! Happens in fairy tales all the time, doesn't it?]

In Western tradition, brides didn’t wear veils over their faces–or veils, period–until Queen Victoria established the trend. Now it’s an essential part of any bride’s get-up.

I must admit, when I see a groom lift the veil to kiss his bride, I think of the Roman tradition, and say silently to myself, in geeky etymological delight, that few of the guests would imagine he’s symbolically breaking her hymen.

By: Ann Marie

Ann Marie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:33:34 +0000

I know that the custom of bridesmaids comes from Medieval Europe. Brides would surround themselves with similiarly-dressed women to confuse the evil spirits out to hurt brides. Ugly dresses and groomsmen came later. :)

By: nihil

nihil — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:36:55 +0000

In the Christian Orthodox tradition (Greek, Serbian, Russian, etc. etc.) the rings are placed on the ring finger on the right hand by the priest during the Betrothal Ceremony at the beginning of the wedding and then taken off and on three times by the bride and groom respectively (three symbolizing the Trinity.) The rings the bride and groom wear are actually the other person’s ring (they are gender appropriate.) So the bride’s ring belongs to the groom and the groom’s ring belongs to the bride. (This makes for interesting comments when my husband drops the ring he wears(my ring technically and I ask him what he is doing to my ring.) Moving the ring to the left hand started during the Industrial Revolution as most people are right handed and it became a necessity for safety to move the ring to the left hand.

By: GT

GT — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:40:19 +0000

Many societies have used bands to indicate property. Or to indicate that the person isn’t free (subtle difference). I believe that slaves in many countries, used to have some type of band(ring) around the arms, wrists etc. To me, in addition to many other things, the weeding rings symbolizes that this person, male or female, is not “Free” to go do whatever he wants. Some part of him is controlled by his spouse.