31 May Common Wedding Traditions Explained
It doesn’t matter if you are planning a traditional or a “non-traditional” wedding; chances are you will have at least one of the deeply instilled wedding traditions that we follow present at your wedding, even if it’s something as simple as wearing your wedding ring on the traditional ring finger. Wedding traditions have been deeply rooted throughout history, but have you ever wondered why we do them and where they come from?
4 Common Wedding Traditions and Where They Come From
“Tying the Knot”
A common expression that is heavily used as another way to say getting married is deeply rooted in history, as it is seen in many cultures around the world where the bride and groom’s hands are tied together, representing the physical and spiritual bonding that occurs during marriage.
Wearing White
While it’s difficult to truly know when a tradition started, it has been said that the tradition of wearing white on your wedding day dates back to the Roman Republic. Still, it was Queen Victoria who popularized the white wedding dress in 1840 when she married Prince Albert. Her decision was widely reported, which influenced the wedding trend that is still followed today.
The Ring Finger
Wearing your wedding ring on the ring finger on the left hand is a tradition that dates back thousands of years. In ancient times, it was believed that the vena amoris, or the vein of love, ran from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart. Wearing your wedding ring on this finger became a symbol of love.
Diamond Ring
On record, diamond wedding rings date back to 1477, when Archduke Maximillian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy. This tradition caught on in elite societies. However, diamond rings became a traditional symbol for the masses in the mid-1900s when the diamond company De Beers launched an advertising campaign featuring the slogan “A diamond is forever.”