10 Wedding Myths Exposed

This tradition dates back to times of arranged marriages, when women were considered property of men. Daughters as the property of their fathers, were "given away" on their wedding day to their husband. Today it is a symbol that fathers are giving their blessing of the bride. There is no hard and fast rule about this and many brides are opting to have other significant people in their lives walk them down the aisle, including stepfathers, grandfathers, brothers and even their moms. According to Martha Woodham from Wedding for the Impaired, brides can also choose to have more than one person escort them down the aisle or even to go it alone. Many brides now a days are a far cry from the traditional 1950s bride and often couples have been dating for many years and even live together. Choosing to walk down the aisle alone or to forgo the traditional walk down the aisle is acceptable and an option many brides now prefer.

Only a virgin can wear a white wedding dress

Brides have also traditionally wore their "Sunday best" on their wedding day prior to the current wedding gowns. According to From Times Past at http://www.fromtimespast.com/wedding.htm, white bridal gowns were made popular in the 1840s by Queen Victoria who selected to wear white rather than the traditional royal silver dress. The color white is associated with purity and modesty, hence its association with virginity.

Today brides can elect to wear white, whether they are virgins or not, and whether it is their first marriage, second or third. Brides today are often selecting the popular color ivory for their wedding dress. Some brides are even choosing to wear colors aside from white or ivory. The wedding gown today can be anything from a full length gown with chapel train to party dresses, tea length dresses and even sun dresses or shorts for beach and park weddings.

The wedding ring must be worn on the left hand ring finger.

The wedding ring has been worn on the left hand ring finger since Roman times, when according to The Knot, they believed this finger 's vein ran directly to the heart, known as the "vein of love". Although we now know this is not true, the tradition continues. Prior to this belief, the ring was actually worn on the index finger. Some European cultures use the right hand for the wedding band while others use the left for the engagement ring and the right for the wedding band. Couples have traditionally exchanged rings for thousands of years as the circle is a symbol of everlasting love. Egyptians in approximately 3000 BC described the wedding ring as a symbol of "without beginning, without end". Originally made of hemp which needed constant replacement, and then iron by the Romans, gold is now the most oft used material for wedding bands. Italians first used diamonds, who believed it was created by the flames of love.

Brides must wear veils and only virgin brides can wear one.

The veil has been a symbol of youth, modesty and virginity since ancient times. Veil-youth, modesty and virginity. The tradition of wearing a veil has other meanings. It dates back to times of arranged marriages when the groom had never before since his bride to be. Fearful if the groom did not like his bride's appearance, parents had their daughter wear a veil which was not lifted until the groom had already made his commitment and the dowry had been exchanged.According to hitched.co.uk, this tradition has also been thought to ward off evil spirits, and it has long been said that it is bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the ceremony. The veil helps to keep her face covered from him.

According to OurMarriage.com, in ancient Greece, the veil was yellow in color, while in ancient Rome, it was red. Brides traditionally wore veils that shrouded their entire bodies from head to foot as a symbol of woman's subservience to man. It has also been said that the lifting of the veil is a sign of male dominance over women, and if the woman lifts it herself, it is a sign of independence.

Today veils come in many different lengths from chapel length to shoulder length, or even a short veil to cover only the eyes. Many brides today are also forgoing wearing the veil for practical purposes, because it is not their taste to do so or because they do not believe in the need to cover her face prior to the ceremony or because they feel the tradition is antiquated. Other options are available for head pieces such as tiaras, combs and flowers. Whether a bride is a virgin or not has no bearing on whether she is able to wear one, although etiquette according to Martha Woodham from Wedding for the impaired, she does say a bride on her second marriage should not wear a veil.

Brides must have on their wedding day Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.

This saying dates back to Victorian times and the full version includes a "sixpence in her shoe". In Europe, superstition called for the bride wearing something from each of these categories in order to ward off evil spirits. According to hitched.uk.com, something Old represents links to the bride's family and past and to symbolize a sense of continuity from being a bachelorette to a married woman. Brides often elect to wear a piece of family jewelry or a wedding dress from a woman in her family such as her grandmother or mother. Some say Something New represents the transition to adulthood while others believe it represents good fortune and success in the bride's life. The wedding dress is often chosen as something new. Something borrowed was believed to remind the bride that her family will always be there for her should she need them; others believed borrowing something from a happily married couple for the wedding day would allow good fortune to come their way. In ancient Israel, blue symbolized purity, constancy and fidelity and was the color of the border of the wedding dress. Oftentimes, the bride's garter is the something blue. The often forgotten piece of the saying, "a Silver Sixpence in her Shoe" is to wish the bride wealth in financial matters and in happiness. Although we do not use sixpences today, many bridal shops often have a symbol of this item for purchase for a few dollars.

Shopping from the registry is impersonal.

Many people may feel that they should give the bride and groom an item they have selected for them, and feel shopping off of the registry is not personal enough. If you are planning to give the bride and groom a family heirloom, this would be a good reason to deter from shopping from the registry. The registry items were selected by the married couple to be and items on this list can be appropriately assumed to be those they need and/or want. Registries were designed to allow the couple to select items they would like, rather than receiving several toasters or coffee makers that they have no use for. If there is no registry, money or other gifts are good choices. However, if there is a registry, according to The Knot wedding experts, guests should purchase from it as the couple did register for a reason.

An invitation means you can bring a date and that the couple are responsible for your accommodations.

According to wedding etiquette experts on The Knot, receiving an invitation without it stating "and guest" does NOT mean you are allowed to bring a guest. Couples often make their invitation lists within a budget and many times are not able to invite all the people they would like. If they wanted you to bring a guest, they would indicate as much. Bringing a guest without receiving an invitation for one is in poor taste and is enough to send even the most calm bride into a tizzy. Not only are there often seating arrangements already made, but entrees and food are often times preordered. Also, it is not safe to assume that the couple will make or pay for your accommodations arrangements. While many couples may reserve blocks of rooms in order to get a good rate, it is not safe to assume that they will also foot the bill.

You can have only one maid or matron of honor and only one best man. It should be a sibling or close family member.

Traditionally we may think of the bride and groom each having one person standing as a witness by their side. The maid of honor and best man were to serve as witnesses to the marriage and sign the marriage certificate, as well as be the two people who plan the stag parties and assist the couple in their wedding preparations.

The purpose of having a bridal party was historically to fool evil spirits. The bridal party dressed similarly to the bride in order to confuse any evil spirits that may be present to harm the bride. Today the bridal party often helps the bride with planning, attends her shower and bachelorette party and generally helps decrease her stress level during her wedding day.

In ancient times, men often captured women to make them their brides, taking with them their strongest and most loyal friend to help fight the woman's family. This friend, known as the "best man" to select from his others has since come to mean the groom's closest friend whom he want to stand witness to his marriage.

Today, according to Martha Woodham at http://www.marthawoodham.com/topten.htm, brides and grooms can choose to have more than one maid of honor or best man, or even to forgo the custom all together. Brides choosing to have more than one maid of honor, can call them her "honor attendants" according to Ms. Woodham. Any person witnessing the marriage ceremony can sign the marriage certificate and couples can choose to give this honor to other special people in their lives, such as their parents or grandparents.

Tossing Rice is Harmful to Birds

Guests used to shower the newly married couple with nuts and grains to insure a good harvest and many children to help work their farms. Rice was tossed in times of poor harvest. This tradition continues today, although now couples are often choosing to have birdseed thrown, or to have guests blow bubbles. It is now known according to The Knot, that it is not true that birds eating rice will cause their stomachs to enlarge and explode, although many places ban the throwing of rice. This myth could perhaps have come about as church employees were tired of cleaning up rice.

The Wedding Cake Should Be Fed to Each Other

According to the wedding gazette, in Roman times, a thin wheat cake, representing bounty was crumbled over the bride's head to promote fertility. While we no longer do this, it has become tradition for the bride and groom to feed each other a piece of cake, and in some cases, to smash the cake into one another's face. Feeding one another cake is a symbol of willingness to share a life and household together.

Not only is it not obligatory to have the bride and groom feed one another, but the couple does not even necessarily have to have a wedding cake. Brides.com suggests alternatives to the traditional wedding cake. Some couples elect to have cookies or cupcakes or other treats as an alternative to the traditional wedding cake. Many couples continue with the long known tradition of saving the first tier of the wedding cake, but this too is not something every couple practices. If one thinks about it, a year old cake even frozen is not going to taste good and will likely be covered in frost and freezer burned.