Weddings are one of the happiest as well as the holiest occasions of one’s lifetime. The memories that you create on the wedding day stay with you for all your life. Various customs and traditions are required to be followed on the wedding day.

Popular Wedding Traditions

American weddings lay a heavy emphasis on traditions. Each wedding is different from the other wedding in its own unique way but there are certain things which are alike for all of them. The diamonds, the dresses, the jewelry and the flowers make weddings a beautiful occasion. Gemfind is one such site where you can select jewelry and diamonds from a wide array of options. The manner in which the groom and the bride are positioned, the presence of the attendants and the custom of walking down the passageway, all have traditional reasons which have been superstitiously followed since the time of the medieval era.

• The Veil: The veil is a symbolic representation of the bride’s innocence, virginity and modesty. It also symbolizes the fact that the groom has vowed to protect the bride in the worst of circumstances. It also symbolizes male dominance. It had all started after the wedding of Nelly Curtis with the aid of George Washington, Major Lewis. He had once praised her beauty when she was standing at the back of a milky white curtain. So, for the purpose of maintaining the beauty, Nelly decided to veil herself for their wedding ceremony.

• The Dress: The color white stands for purity in wedding customs. Even today, women who are getting married for the second time, select off-white or a pearl color dress for the wedding, with the solid white color being exclusively reserved for the first wedding. The custom of brides wearing a white flowing dress on the wedding day has been continuing since centuries. The Anne of Brittany was probably the first lady who had worn a white dress for her wedding with France’s Louis XII. White is also symbolic of mourning, which can be justified with the fact that the bride leaves her family on the wedding day for starting a separate new life. White was symbolic of joyful representations during the Roman times. Today, it symbolizes purity as well as happiness.

• Bridesmaids and the Best Man: The maids were dressed in a similar fashion as the bride for confusing the evil spirits during the Roman times. Tradition also says that maids are supposed to protect the bride from unsuitable suitors. In earlier days, when the groom was faced with resistance by the male members of the bride’s family or others, he would kidnap the bride and go ahead with the wedding. The Best Man was the person who would stand by him, alert and armed for fending off the possible attacks from the bride’s family.

• Something New, Something Borrowed: “Something old” symbolizes the bride’s link with her past and her family, “Something New” stands for hope and good fortune in her newly wedded life, “Something Borrowed” stands for the fact that the bride’s friends and family would stand by her in times of crisis and “Something Blue” represents loyalty and faithfulness. Brides used to tie their hair up with blue ribbons in Israel during the ancient era for this purpose. The garter is usually the blue thing which is worn by brides today.

• Seating: During ancient times, marriages were conducted for resolving conflicts and war threats and therefore, the two sides were made to sit opposite to each other for preventing bloodshed.

• The Giving Away Tradition: According to past beliefs, daughters are their fathers’ property and hence the fathers are required to provide their consent to the wedding by blessing the newly wed couple.

• First Kiss: Some cultures do not allow the groom and the bride of being affectionate with each other before they are married. Due to this reason, first kiss is more than just an affectionate gesture. It represents bonding and the unification of two separate souls.

As can be seen, each wedding custom is deeply rooted in ancient traditions and beliefs.