While planning for your nuptials, you may find yourself pondering some of the many traditions connected to the ritual. No matter what background you come from, it stands to reason your culture has a myriad of customs meant to symbolize one aspect or another of marriage. It can be fun to look over some of the origins of the more commonplace wedding traditions to gain some perspective on why they exist today. Whether outdated or ahead of their time, these customs can trace their roots back to some bizarre beginnings.
Commonplace Wedding Traditions: The Rings
Most people assume that wedding rings are exchanged because the circular nature of the jewelry symbolizes the infinite nature of love. However, the reason scholars believe rings were initially exchanged is way less romantic. According to a number of historians, rings were given to wives by their husbands at some point during the reign of the Roman Empire. This was not about gifting something nice to a spouse but a way of showcasing ownership by other men.
While the origins of the wedding ring are largely unknown, what is understood is that the commonplace wedding tradition of making the purchase of rings an extravagant gesture began around 1477. During this year, Austrian Archduke Maximilian gave his betrothed a diamond ring that did more than turn a few heads. The cultural impact of giving a ring of this nature to a spouse can be felt to this day, with countless people purchasing diamonds each year in order to tie the knot.
Commonplace Wedding Traditions: The Best Man
Nowadays, a groom will usually ask one of his best friends or a sibling to fill the role of best man. This is because the modern mindset is that a best man is a person who is always looking out for the groom and will stand by his side as he begins the next chapter of life. The origins of this station are somewhat similar, though a lot more extreme. The concept of families disapproving of a potential partner is nothing new. However, it used to be much more difficult for women to marry someone their families found unfit.
A man who truly wanted the hand of a forbidden woman would typically need to run away with the woman. The best man came about from this practice, as one of the groom’s associates would act as a lookout to ensure that no one saw the couple flee. Though there’s generally little need to run away and get hitched today, asking close friends and family members to stand at the altar is one of the more common traditions attached to modern weddings.
Commonplace Wedding Traditions: The Bouquet
Flowers are a huge part of the wedding scene. While it is impossible to exactly pinpoint when or why flowers became one of our commonplace wedding traditions, there is an interesting bit of research surrounding why the bride carries a bouquet. Daily bathing was not common for most people before modern times. Since weddings were a special occasion, brides would often carry bouquets consisting of pungent herbs and flowers with strong fragrances as a way of hiding any unpleasant odors coming from her body.
What’s interesting about these early bouquets is that some of the inclusions are items that modern couples would find laughable. Garlic was among one of the most popular items in bridal bouquets, which is a scent most people try hard to wash off their skin before having to interact with others. Still, there is something interesting about a bride walking down the aisle and smelling like a pizza.
The Story of People
The history of weddings is the history of the human race. By tracing back some of the commonplace wedding traditions used in modern ceremonies, you can easily learn a lot about the beliefs and mindsets of the people of yesteryear.