All I can say is thank goodness we have moved beyond the times when a bride was seen as property and marriage was a contractual obligation, not a sign of love. It’s maddening that this was actually a thing, once upon a time, but I’m sharing because it also gave me a chuckle. I’d be crying if I wasn’t laughing, and …
Pull up a chair, it’s time for a wedding ring history lesson: First, the vena amoris is not a thing. It was to the romans/egyptians, but now that we have science, we know that the plain and simple truth is that there isn’t a vein that runs from the ring finger directly to the heart. See what I did there, …
Before we get into the history of this tradition, let me start with repeating what I often say in regards to wedding traditions: the origin is usually rooted in some ridiculous belief and sexist. Like how the brides were considered property. Thankfully times have changed, and yet for some reason, we feel obligated to keep these traditions… Today’s tradition is …
The act of presenting an engagement ring to a future spouse is believed to be tied to a Roman tradition in which wives wore rings attached to small keys. But, this isn’t as romantic as it may seem: the keys indicated the husband’s ownership of the wife. After 1477, engagement rings became more personalized. The Victorians fashioned rings that were …
Wedding centerpieces were introduced to society in the 18th century, when servants began serving individual plated meals to guests. This eliminated the family-style meal, creating open space on the table for décor! Although the entrée would no longer be in the center of the table, the first wedding centerpieces were still food-based. The display was almost always vertical in shape …
I first learned about polterabend from my brother and sister-in-law last week, at Thanksgiving. They’ve been living in Germany for a few years now and have so many great stories about life abroad, but this particular story resonated with me given the fact that it was wedding related. So it turns out, there’s a tradition in Germany called polterabend, where guests are …
This tradition isn’t limited to just Denmark. It’s also been seen in Egypt & Russia (ironic), and many places in between. Sometimes it was to confuse evil spirits, and other times it was considered an effort to “lessen the sexual danger.” At Contagious Events, we believe some wedding traditions are downright silly. Do them if you’d like to, but if …
The traditional Irish saying goes:
Marry when the year is new, always loving, kind, and true.
When February birds do mate, you may wed, nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you’ll know.
Marry in April when you can, joy for maiden and for man.
Marry in the month of May, you will surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses blow, over land and sea you’ll go.
They who in July do wed, must labor always for their bread.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change are sure to see.
Marry in September’s shine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joy will come, remember.
When December’s rain fall fast, marry and true love will last.
…and this is where we get the tradition of throwing the garter and the bouquet! The bride would try to fend off the guests by hitting them with her bouquet (which was carried by the bride to mask any undesirable odors, since bathing was not a regular habit during those times).