Wedding Invitations

Have you ever wondered why we throw rice or confetti at the bride as she and her groom parade away after the wedding ceremony? Perhaps this is why…As far back as the seventeenth century people would throw grain at the bride as she departed the church.

Horse shoes have been well known as good luck for many years. As to why, I’ll have to research that one out for you. This old tradition has been forgotten by many, but nevertheless, once in a while you’ll see a bride wearing a horseshoe around her wrist. Real ones are awfully heavy, so fake (light weight) ones that share the same good luck symbolism have been manufactured.  So if you as a soon to be bride are ever given a horse shoe, you’ll know why. You may also want to check with the giver if they actually intend you to wear it on your wedding day.  

If you’ve ever watched the movie “Mary Poppins”, you’ll notice an entire song dedicated to how lucky Chimney Sweeps are. (That’s another one that I will have to find out the “why” for you). It was considered good luck for a Chimney Sweep to kiss the bride as she exits. So if you see a random guy kiss the bride on her way out, he may be a Chimney Sweep. I can see the advertisement now….”Professional Chimney Sweep – available for weddings, birthdays and yearly sweeping”.

That’s all for now. Keep an eye out in wedding etiquette, as I will try and find out the “why” behind some of the superstitions and traditions for you. Have a great day.

If you’ve ever been to England or any other part of the world other than where you’re from, you’ll notice they have their own expressions, phrases and names for things.  For example, in England, instead of a Bachelor party, they have a “Stag” party and a bachelorette party is called a “Hen” night.

Not only is England unique for it’s different expressions, but it’s also unique for it’s folklore, abundance of history and all the changes throughout time.

For a period of about 300 years, early traditional marriages were often pre-arranged by the parents. Children were often betrothed to one another and were required to marry when they came of age. If the betrothed were lucky, they would have met their future spouse at least once, but often times they would not meet or speak until the wedding day.  Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn’t. I’d imagine the bride and groom would be scared to death about the stranger they were marrying. Thank heavens times have changed in this regard.

Although some traditions have been buried, many early traditions have carried over into modern weddings to ad a little culture, but I will save that for another day.

Feel free to revisit wedding etiquette tomorrow when I will share with you some of the unique folklore and traditions carried over into modern day.