Wedding Traditions & History

When a couple weds, they not only bond with each other, but they also join the family trees of two separate families. At the point where the two trees are joined, a new family tree branches out, ready for new stems of...

At one time, people got married just as much for protection as for romantic love. Once a couple were married, it was customary to ring bells to announce the union to the village. It was also thought that wedding bells...

Garters have a way of making ladies feel sexy. Though usually not worn in everyday life, on a bride’s wedding day garters are usually the last piece of a bride’s undergarments she puts on, and the first to be taken off...

When the bride and groom at a Jewish wedding stand beneath the “chuppah” or wedding canopy, they are following a tradition that has been handed down for centuries. The “chuppah” is a cloth supported by four poles or...

Hindu weddings are traditionally very colourful affairs and to be authentic they are held in the Sanskrit language. Marriage ceremonies and marriage itself is very important to the Hindu culture, so attention to detail...

When Richard King wrote the “Hawaiian Wedding Song” for his operetta, “Prince of Hawaii,” in 1926, he probably could not imagine that this would become the most popular song in the islands for tying the proverbial...

The Celts once considered a man and woman could be unified by the simple joining of hands. This was an outward gesture that signified a marriage of consent. The actual consummation of the marriage validated the union...

Believe it or not, an old blacksmith shop in the Scottish town of Gretna Green could, if it wishes, claim the title of “Las Vegas of the British Isles”. Scottish marriage laws were, until relatively recently, much more...

Celebrations in Greece are exuberant, entertaining and always include a great deal of food and drink. Weddings are no exception. In a traditional Greek Orthodox marriage, the celebrations start with the formal...

The idea of the bridal hope chest had its origins in France and comes from the word “trousseau” or bundle. This bundle was actually the pack of clothes the bride took to the new home that she was to share with her...

No one is really sure where some of the Filipino wedding beliefs came from, or how long ago they originated. Though many of them appear to be rooted in superstition, rather than scientific fact, they do tend to be...

Filipino men and women usually pick their own spouses. Once this is done, it is customary for the groom’s parents to visit the family of the bride. The groom’s parents then ask the family for the woman’s hand in...

Some poets believe that a pen held by the hand will convey true feelings directly from the writer’s heart. The Egyptians had a similar belief concerning wedding rings. The tradition of the wedding ring evolved in this...

In this modern world more and more people are seeking ways to escape their fast paced lifestyles and reconnect with the outdoors. For some, this means getting on the back of a horse and riding along a deserted beach or...

One of the most charming of Czechoslovakian wedding traditions is the planting of a tree, in the bride’s garden, by her friends who would then decorate it with coloured ribbons, fabrics and dyed eggshells. It was...

Croatians have a long and colourful history and some of their wedding traditions are equally colourful and unmistakably unique. While modern weddings commonly mix Western traditions with a sprinkling of the old ways, it...

In the Chinese tradition, a woman marries the man’s family, not just the man himself. After a suitable match has been made with the assistance of a matchmaker of sorts, the man’s family sends gifts to the woman’s...

Chinese marriage proposals come from the groom’s family and the entire process of selecting the appropriate mate and the subsequent proposal is quite elaborate. Marriage is not only considered important for continuing...

The Canadian Military has some traditions about marriage that may be considered a bit unusual. One that has its roots in the British Isles is “leaping over the sword.” Though not in itself a legal union, it is a fun...

Many of Australia’s wedding customs originate from Britain, which is not surprising, since a large percentage of its original immigrants came from there. Today, however, Australia is a multicultural society, so other...