I thought for this blog that it would be fun to take a little dive into wedding traditions. There are so many and quite truthfully, I don’t think that most of us know where they originate from! At least I know I didn’t. So I have rounded up 10 popular wedding traditions and am going to let you know how they got started and why people did them. 

Bonus: You can totally use these traditions and answers as a bridal shower game! Just have guests guess how the tradition got started or what it signifies, and then award points for correct answers. 

1. Something Old Tradition

One of the tried and true wedding traditions is to wear something old on your wedding day. But why? The answer is pretty simple! Because it signifies the couple’s past. 

2. Something New Tradition

Just like the tradition above, wearing something new on your wedding day signifies a happy future for the couple. 

3. Something Blue Tradition

Wearing something blue on your wedding day was started to signify the brides worthiness and fidelity. I definitely did not know this one! 

4. Tossing the bouquet Tradition

At modern weddings we crank “Single Ladies” and toss a bouquet out to single females but what does it really mean? This tradition started to pass along the brides good luck! 

5. Cans tied to a car bumper 

So while we don’t always see this at weddings nowadays, this used to be a super popular tradition. The reason this was a tradition was to attempt to scare evil spirits away with the noise. 

6. Ring bearers 

Aside from having cute flower girls and ring bearers, did you know why ring bearers are a “thing”? Apparently, it was thought that marriage may fail if the groom dropped the ring. 

7. Wearing a veil 

This tradition actually has two meanings. It was worn to disguise the bride from evil spirits but it also was a symbol of her purity. 

8. Wedding bells 

Much like the cans tied to a car bumper, having wedding bells ring out was to scare away evil spirits. 

9. Holding a bouquet 

So we know why we throw it, but why do we hold it? It was meant to bless the couple with children but also used to contain protective herbs! 

10. Wearing a white wedding dress

Ok, one of my absolute favorite traditions on this list is this one because it’s origin probably isn’t what you thought. It has nothing to do with purity but is all about fashion. Queen Victoria simply liked white and therefore white dresses became a tradition. 

What do you guys think? Did you know some of these traditions or were you totally surprised at their origins? I think it is fun to know why we do these traditions and how they got started. But as always, you don’t have to do any traditions if you don’t want to! You can wear pink, drive off on a motorcycle without cans, and have a puppy carry your rings if you want to. Because modern weddings are all about you doing exactly what makes you and your partner happy! 

I would love to help plan your happily ever after! Message me today!