Photo courtesy of Island Brides

Everyone is familiar with the popular wedding traditions of yesteryear- garters, bouquets, something old, new, borrowed, blue. Most of these traditions weren't just thought up on a whim. In fact, plenty of these have significant meaning, dating back centuries ago.

White wedding gowns are the most popular tradition, dating back to the Victorian times. In the early years, women would put on their best dress for the ceremony rather than a "wedding gown." Later, Queen Victoria had changed the royal custom of donning a silver gown and instead, wore white. There are also theories that white symbolizes purity and virginity and has the ability to ward off evil spirits.

 Collecting something old, new, borrowed and blue isn't any spring chicken, either. Going again back to the Victorian times, this catchy little rhyme was developed on pure symbolism. Something old represents the bride's bond she has to her past or her "old life." Something new represents the bride and groom's new life together and is a wish for success, happiness and prosperity. Something borrowed should actually come from a fellow happily married woman. This should represent imparting similar happiness and well wishes on the new couple. Something blue represents fidelity as well as constancy.

A surprising tradition that a lot of people are unfamiliar with is sporting the engagement and wedding baubles on the third finger of the bride's left hand. Two possible origins to this tradition- ancient Egypt and 17th century Europe. The Egyptians were led to believe that the "vein of love" ran from the ring finger to the heart and having the ring placed there meant everlasting, eternal love. In Europe, during the wedding ceremony the groom would slide the ring partly up the thumb, index and middle finger while the priest said, "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit," leaving the only finger empty as the ring finger, where the groom placed the ring.

The bride's garter became a ritual in the 14th century when guests believed that having a piece of the bride's clothing was good luck. Guests would destroy the bride's gown trying to get a piece of it and since this didn't sit well with the bride, thus became the tradition of the bride giving her garter away. It has since evolved into the groom giving it away for her, as in the past, male guests would fight for it and try to remove it from the bride themselves.

Throwing rice is also an ancient tradition, as rice was thought of as a "life giving" seed. Guests would throw rice onto the bride and groom to bestow them with fertility and wish many children upon them. Although many churches now forbid this tradition for safety purposes, there are other alternatives like bubbles, petals and confetti that are widely accepted.

Have something wedding related you'd like to ask Lindsey? Contact her directly at Lindsey.Hetrick@gmail.com for all of your wedding inquiries!