Popular Wedding Traditions

The wedding superstitions which we are all familiar with have been left to modern couples over hundreds if not thousands of years. These superstitions often became popular as ways of offering the couple both a blessing and tokens of good fortune. In that way, they are often superstitious in nature. As you think about your wedding, think of these traditions simply as interesting amusements and in no way as an omen of either bad or good luck.

Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

Most of us know of the ditty, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." This popular tradition for what the bride is to wear descends to us from the Victorian era. "Something Old" would certainly represent the connection a bride has with the family she is leaving. "Something New" most probably is related to the new life she will be celebrating with her husband and his family. A bride wears "Something Borrowed", is usually borrowed from a successfully married woman, which is likely to offer success to her own new union. "Something Blue" likely is a token which represents the bride's longing for faithfulness and success inside her new union.

Wedding Dresses for Brides

The first recorded example of a white wedding dress has been left to us in 1499, when Anne of Brittany wore white for her union to Louis XII King of France. Until then, women simply wore their nicest attire.

This tradition also has roots coming from biblical times, because the "Church" encouraged to cloth itself in a white dress as a symbol of its purity as the "Bride of Christ." Christian women often believe that a bride should not wear white if she is beginning a second union or if she is not pure. This is an interesting belief because the "purity" of the church is actually supposed to come from Christ.

In China and Japan brides have typically worn white. In early Roman times, white symbolized a ceremony filled with happiness. Certainly, it is today a symbol of happy bliss and a new beginning from other cultures.

The Bride's Wedding Veil

The wedding veil wasn't originally white as is the modern tradition for almost all of today's wedding. In early Greece the color was yellow. In ancient Rome the dress would often would be red. Much of the meaning has been lost but wearing a veil is still quite popular. Apparently, the veil was another symbol for a bride's purity, and of course her virginity.

Many people believe today that according to history, it is bad luck for the bride to be seen by her husband to be before the ceremony. Remember that in history there were so many arranged unions, it was often likely that the man would not see his bride until the moment of ceremony. In some cultures, the veil hid the bride until the man lifted it to see what his new wife looked like.

U.S. history tells us that Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her nuptials to Major Lawrence Lewis who was General George Washington's aid. Lewis had earlier seen his bride standing behind a filmy curtain and after he commented how beautiful she was, Nelly then decided to veil herself for their ceremony.

Follow whatever traditions feel good to you, not because of any fear about causing bad luck. More importantly, create your own traditions, composing the meanings you desire them to achieve, which you can then pass down to your descendants.

We see all of these traditions used by our couples when they come to Hawaii and use our Maui weddings services. It doesn't matter if the ceremonies are on the beach or performed in a chapel, the traditions seem to remain the same. I should tell you that for Hawaii weddings, you don't have to follow any traditions but your own.

Rev. John Souter is a licensed Hawaii minister who owns a Maui Weddings company. If you are looking for an Affordable Maui Wedding take a look at his website.