During Victorian times, flower took on an additional significance, as lovers would send messages to each other using different flowers. Since each flower had its own meaning, the bridal bouquet had a special meaning to the bride. During ancient times, herbs and spices were carried to ward off evil spirits, ill health and bad luck. Rosemary was included because it symbolized remembrance and fidelity. Queen Victoria used orange blossoms in her wedding. After that, etiquette dictated that every bride include orange blossoms in her wedding. They symbolized purity, chastity, loveliness and innocence. The groom should wear a flower that is part of the bridal bouquet.
The Wedding Ring
Wearing the wedding ring on the third finger symbolizes marriage as being closest to the heart. The Egyptians believed that a vein ran directly from the third finger to the heart. Also, it signifies the Holy Trinity "...in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."
The Wedding Jewelry
When white dresses became vogue, pearl and diamond combinations were fashionable. Traditionally, the jewelry worn by the bride was a gift from the groom. Pearls are associated with love, success, modesty, chastity and purity. The Greeks even called pears the "wedding gem." The tradition of pears on the wedding day began around 1000 BC in Hindu culture.
The Kiss
In early Roman times, the kiss represented a legal bond that sealed contracts. It is a sign of affection and a token of bonding, a symbol of the newlywed's faith, love and respect for each other.
The Wedding Cake
It was a tradition in the Roman Empire that the groom would eat part of a loaf of barley bread baked especially for the nuptials and break the rest over his bride's head, symbolizing the bride's virginal state and the subsequent dominance of the groom over her.
By the 19th century, whole wedding cakes became really popular. White has always denoted purity, a notion as it relates to white wedding cake icing that first appeared in Victorian times. Cutting the cake together symbolizes the couple's unity, a shared future, and their life together as one. The groom's hand over the bride's is a symbol of his desire to take care of her.
Tradition was that the bottom layer of the cake represented the couple as a family; a top layer, as a couple; and each layer in between, a child they hoped to have.
Weddings, whether simple or elaborate, take a long time to plan. It is suppose to be the happiest day of a woman's life and she wants to look her loveliest. Take a look at some of the wedding dresses and gowns from the past.
A special thank-you to Gay Money for sharing these facts and her collection of wedding items.
Wedding Gown Photos
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