What does Bridal mean?
The brew the bride and groom would drink was referred to as "bryd ealu" or "bride's ale," which became "bridal". An old meaning of ale was feast or celebration but this evolved into bridal somewhere in the 14th century, when it was used to mean the totality of the wedding, not just the feasting afterwards.
Bride
One theory: the word bride derives from mediaeval Latin and old French which means only one thing - a daughter-in-law.
Bridegroom
Language experts suggest that before 1066 that the word was bryd-guma, bryd meaning bride, and guma, a variant of the Latin word homo, meaning man.
Within 2 centuries guma had disappeared as a stand-alone word and bryd-guma had evolved as bryd-gome (gome being an old English word for man, as in Gawain and the Grene Gome).
The word groom only became associated with horses much later (the 17th century).
What does Wedding mean?
“Wedding” literally meant the purchase of a bride for breeding purposes.
The word wedding comes from the root meaning to gamble or wager. The Anglo-Saxon word "wedd" meant that the groom would vow to marry the woman, but it also meant the money or barter that the groom paid the bride's father. This is believed why it is still customary for the father-of-the-bride to “give away” his daughter.
“Tie the Knot"
To “Tie the Knot”, came from the Roman times when the bride wore a girdle that was tied into knots which the groom had the fun of untying.
You may Kiss the Bride…
The kiss that seals the wedding has long been a token of bonding and the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of their self into the new spouse's soul, there to abide ever after.
Bride's side/Groom's side
In ancient days, fathers would offer daughters as peace offerings to warring tribes. Because of the hostility, the families were placed on opposite sides of the church so the ceremony could go on without bloodshed. The ceremony united the two warring factions into one family, and danger of war was resolved.
Bride on the Left…
One thought on the origin of the bride standing on the left goes back to the days when the groom would capture his bride by kidnapping her. If the groom had to fight off other suitors, the groom would hold his bride-to-be with his left hand allowing his right hand to be free to use his sword.
The Attendants…
The tradition of bridesmaids evolved from the custom of surrounding the Bride with other richly dressed women, in order to confuse the evil spirits.
The first marriages were by capture. The best man would help the groom fight off other men who wanted the chosen woman, and prevent her family from finding them. The “best warrior” would stand for the groom, thus the “best man”.
Confetti or Rice throwing
Showering couples was a tradition thought to have originated in order to keep evil spirits away from the newly married couple. In some cultures the bride and groom were showered with sweets and flour, small fruits and nuts. Rice, grain and corn have always been symbols of fertility. Confetti was thought to be an evolution of these although these days rose petals are more environmentally friendly.
Something old something new, something borrowed, something blue (and occasionally "and a sixpence in the shoe)...
The "old" needs to be something which has belonged to a happily married woman. The wearing of such an item insures a lucky transfer of happiness to the new bride. The "new" is the wedding gown, the shoes, or other bridal attire. The "borrowed" must be some object of gold to guarantee wealth and fortune in the future. The "blue" is symbolic of the heavens and also of true love. The "sixpence" must be worn in the heel of the left shoe to insure wealth and prosperity.
Groom's flower
Traditionally, the Groom's buttonhole was adorned with a single flower plucked from the Bride's bouquet. This came from the medieval days when a Knight wore his the colours of his lady to show his love.
HoneymoonThe word honey is from "meala" in Irish. The word for honeymoon is "mi na meala", the “month of honey” and refers to how the bride and groom would spend that period of time. In Bulgaria, couples were locked away together for a week! Irish monks first produced the fermented honey brew called mead for medicinal purposes; then found it could make well people feel even better. Following the wedding a sufficient amount of mead was given to the bride and groom, along with special goblets, so they could share the unique brew for one full moon after the wedding--and thus the term honeymoon was coined. It was believed that this delicate yet potent drink was the best way to ensure a good beginning for a new marriage and it was also believed to endow powers of virility and fertility. ThresholdDoorways were believed to be portals to other worlds and spirits were thought to gather around them. It was a bad omen for the bride to trip crossing over the threshold is why the groom carried her over.
It is also lucky that if on the journey to the church the bride to sees a policeman, clergyman,
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| 1 | Cotton | 10 | Tin | 30 | Pearl |
| 2 | Paper | 11 | Steel | 35 | Jade or Coral |
| 3 | Leather | 12 | Silk or fine linen | 40 | Ruby |
| 4 | Flower or fruit | 13 | Lace | 45 | Sapphire |
| 5 | Wooden | 14 | Ivory | 50 | Golden |
| 6 | Iron or sugar-candy | 15 | Crystal | 55 | Emerald |
| 7 | Woollen | 20 | China | 60 | Diamond |
| 8 | Bronze or electrical appliances | 25 | Silver | 70 | Platinum |
| 9 | Copper or pottery | 75 | Diamond (again) |
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