

Receptions in medieval times were a BYOB feast.Cake - The Romans broke a loaf of bread over the brides head so they would never be hungry.To Tie the Knot is more like untying the knot.This refers to the groom untying the brides corset before consummating their marriage.In the 1920s bobbed hair and shorter dresses were the fashion with long veils. The Veil - Many couples never saw each other before their wedding.The father of the bride would walk the betrothed up to the altar and not until the bride and groom were officially married could the groom lift up the veil to see his bride.The Kiss - When you kissed another on the mouth souls were exchanged to “Seal the Deal”.Thus you needed to wear your wedding band on your left hand on that particular finger. The vein through the left arm to the finger in the left hand is “Venus Amoris” which means vein of love. The Romans were aware that our hearts were on our left side.The Ring represented unending love with no beginning and no end.It was also good luck for anyone to have a piece of a bride. Tossing of the Bouquet and the Garter could preserve the dress by getting rid of the flowers.You would usually include some stinky herbs to ward off evil spirits as it was thought that brides were especially vulnerable to evil spirits and these herbs kept them away. A Bouquet would be created for very specific reasons.Sometimes a Parasol would be filled with gifts that was semi-closed.When it was opened by the bride to be, she would get showered with gifts. A bride without a dowry would be given gifts by friends to provide one for her. The Shower is a tradition from Holland.She made the dress for the bride and prepared the feast for the celebration. Maid of Honor did all the work for your wedding.An Usher was often needed to separate the bride’s and the groom’s families to avoid fighting to erupt between sometimes warring factions of the marrying families.

In ancient Roman times it took 10 witnesses for a couple to become legally married.These ten were called The Wedding Party.Later,they would return with their warriors, including their “Best Man” meaning the toughest and strongest, to do the kidnapping of the best prospective woman to be the bride. They would scout out a nearby village and take a look at the women there. The Wedding Party was a group of men that instigated a marriage by capture.You want to bear a child in spring so as not to interrupt the harvest. June is the best month for marriage because Janis is the goddess of marriage.In a historical context or why we celebrate the way we do. Gathered from a lecture at the Taft Museum about the history of wedding traditions.
