The History Behind Popular Wedding Traditions and What They Mean Today

The Surprising Origins of Wedding Traditions

Many wedding customs we take for granted have fascinating and sometimes surprising origins. Understanding the history behind these traditions can help couples decide which ones feel meaningful to include in their own ceremonies. Here’s a look at how some of our most common wedding practices began.

White Wedding Dresses

Contrary to popular belief, white wedding gowns weren’t always associated with purity. Before Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert, brides simply wore their best dress, regardless of color. Victoria chose white to highlight the fine lace in her gown. The style was widely reported, launching a trend that continues today. Before this, blue (symbolizing purity) was actually more common for Western brides, while in many Eastern cultures, red symbolizes luck and prosperity.

Something Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

This Victorian rhyme (“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe”) represents items a bride should carry for good luck:

• Old: Connects to your past and family heritage
• New: Represents optimism for the future
• Borrowed: Symbolizes borrowed happiness from a successfully married person
• Blue: Stands for love, purity, and fidelity (dating back to ancient Rome where brides wore blue borders on their gowns)
• Sixpence: Wishes the couple wealth and prosperity

This tradition blends superstition with the desire to carry symbolic connections to positive values into marriage.

Not Seeing Each Other Before the Ceremony

This tradition stems from the era of arranged marriages, when couples rarely met before their wedding day. Families feared that if the groom saw the bride before the ceremony and found her unattractive, he might back out of the arrangement. The practice also connects to the idea that it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding. Today, many couples opt for a “first look” photo session before the ceremony instead.

Bridesmaids and Matching Dresses

In ancient Rome, bridesmaids dressed identically to the bride to confuse evil spirits and rival suitors about which woman was getting married. The tradition of having attendants also served as protection for the bride on her journey to the groom’s village. Today’s matching dresses evolved from this protective origin, though now they’re more about creating a cohesive wedding party aesthetic.

Wedding Veils

One of the oldest wedding accessories, veils have multiple origins across cultures:

• In ancient Rome, they were bright red (flammeum) to ward off evil spirits
• In arranged marriages, they kept the bride’s face hidden until the groom was committed
• They symbolized modesty and purity in many religious contexts
• In some cultures, they represented the bride’s transition from maiden to married woman

Today, veils are primarily a fashion accessory, though they retain symbolic meaning in many religious ceremonies.

Carrying a Bridal Bouquet

This tradition began not for aesthetics but practicality—in medieval times, annual baths were a luxury, and June weddings (still a popular month) meant the bride might not have bathed recently. Brides carried fragrant herbs and flowers to mask body odor. These bouquets often included herbs like garlic and dill, believed to ward off evil and bring good fortune. The Victorian era introduced the language of flowers, where each bloom carried specific meaning, adding romantic symbolism to bouquet choices.

Ring Finger Traditions

Ancient Romans believed that a vein ran directly from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart—they called it the “vena amoris” or “vein of love.” Though anatomically incorrect, this romantic notion became the basis for wearing wedding rings on this finger. Different cultures have varied practices—many Orthodox Christians use the right hand, and some Northern European countries traditionally use the right hand as well.

Throwing Rice

Showering newlyweds with rice symbolizes wishes for prosperity and fertility, dating back to ancient Rome where wheat or grain was thrown. As rice became more available, it replaced wheat in many regions. Environmental and safety concerns have led to alternatives like birdseed, flower petals, or bubbles. In some cultures, nuts and dried fruits are thrown for similar reasons.

Wedding Cakes

The tradition evolved from ancient Rome, where a wheat cake was broken over the bride’s head for fertility blessings. In medieval England, small spiced buns were stacked in a tower that the couple would try to kiss over—success meant a lifetime of prosperity. The white frosting tradition began during the Victorian era when refined white sugar was expensive, symbolizing wealth and purity.

Understanding these histories allows couples to make informed choices about which traditions feel meaningful to incorporate or adapt for their own ceremony. Some may choose to honor these ancient customs exactly as they’ve been passed down, while others might update them to reflect contemporary values or personal significance.

As a Sacramento wedding officiant, I’m always happy to discuss the symbolism and history behind any traditions you’re considering for your ceremony. Whether ancient or newly created, what matters most is that your wedding rituals reflect what’s truly meaningful to you both.

Planning a wedding in the Sacramento area? I’d love to help you choose which traditions to honor, which to adapt, and which new ones to create. Let’s discuss your ceremony.