Shots Photography

Wedding Traditions?what Do They Symbolize?

There are many traditions involved in getting married. From ?jumping the broom? to borrowing a piece of bridal jewelry?the traditions are many. Most people practice wedding traditions without having a full understanding of their origins. Have you ever wondered why the bride walks down the aisle on a white aisle runner? History tells us that using an aisle runner helps to ward off evil spirits. It was once believed that evil spirits lived beneath the floor and in order to keep the spirits away from the bride, the white runner was used to protect her purity. Today, the aisle runner is used to protect the brides dress from getting dirty.

What does the unity candle symbolize? The lighting of the unity candle is a portion of the wedding ceremony, which symbolizes the coming together of two individuals. The side candles represent the bride and groom, while the center candle is symbolic of their lives coming together as one. Often, the center unity candle is embellished with two metallic rings to represent the bride and groom?s bridal jewelry. Some couples have chosen to use the lighting of the unity candle as a demonstration of both families uniting. In this case, the parents are invited to participate during this portion of the ceremony.

Jewelry plays an important role in wedding ceremonies. Depending on the era and cultural background, bridal jewelry can have religious, superstitious, or sentimental origins. The traditional wedding band is a symbol of the bride and groom?s eternal love for one another. In Western culture, wedding rings are worn on the third finger of the left-hand because the Romans believed that this finger has a direct link to the heart. In some countries, the engagement ring is worn on the left hand and is transferred to the right hand after the couple is married.

It is a common practice for the bride to toss her bouquet after the wedding ceremony. In England, the women would attempt to tare remnants from the bride?s gown and bouquet in order to gain good luck. In an effort to escape these women, the bride would toss her bouquet in the air and run for dear life. Today, catching a tossed bouquet symbolizes that the holder will get married next. This superstition has evolved from a brides attempt to get away from her female guests to a fun celebratory episode between family and friends.

These are just a few examples of the many wedding traditions in which we participate. Understanding the symbolism behind the aisle runner, unity candle, bridal jewelry, and tossing the bouquet are important. Why follow a practice that you really do not identify with?

Michelle Lindsey writes for Silverlandjewelry, a Bridal Jewelry and Bridesmaid Jewery Gift Store. http://www.silverlandjewelry.com

MORE ARTICLES:

Your Wedding Flowers - What Are Your Choices?
Your wedding flowers usually tie to your wedding theme. When most of us envision wedding flowers we think of more of the traditional choices but there are literally thousands of flower choices that work very well for wedding bouquets, ceremonies, and receptions.

Moissanite Wedding Sets, Perfect Symbol Of Lasting Love
Moissanite was discovered during the latter part of the nineteenth century by Dr Henri Moissan. It is only in recent years, however, that the replica diamond has become widely available. This crystal is very similar to a diamond, being nearly as hard, and yet also much more brilliance and lustre than the diamond. Moissanite is one of the most realistic substitutes for a diamond around, and its hard surface makes it scratch resistant, more so than cubic zirconia. A Moissanite wedding ring looks as good as a diamond ring, but costs as little as one tenth of the price of a diamond.

After a Family Tragedy, a Veteran Photography Writer Provides a Firsthand Account of the Power of Family Snapshots
Based on recent experience, the editor of Adorama Camera's unique AIRC - the Adorama Imaging Resource Center - wants consumers to make sure they're shooting plenty of photographs of their loved ones.

Derek Fell Garden Stock Photography
Derek Fell is the nations most widely published Garden Photographer. His library is now available for download at www.derekfell.net. Visit today and try the $10 option to try a high resolution, top quality image for your next project.

Wedding Decorations and Your Hobby
One of the most important things you need to consider during your wedding planning is the decorations of your reception hall In fact, you have to consider a lot of issues when you are designing the decorations

Kate Aspen Announces the 2007 Collection Unforgettable Wedding Favors for Every Kind of Bride
Online retailer unveils collection of distinctive wedding favors customized for every bride.

LovingHeartCollection.com Creates Sentimental Gift and Cherished Moment for Brides to Express Love to the First Man in Their Life on the Wedding Day -
LovingHeartCollection.com encourages a cherished moment between brides and their father on the wedding day through the giving of a unique and sentimental gift, the Loving Heart? Pin

Summer Wedding Theme - Some Tips For You
More couples are going for the option of hosting a summer wedding nowadays One of the reasons is that these couples do not want to stick to the traditional options

Shallow Depth Of Field In Stock Photography
When it comes to taking stock photos, having the subject of interest clearly in focus is detrimentally important Stock photos require the utmost care to specific details

Writing a Wedding Speech Made Easy
Before we go into the nitty-gritty of how to prepare a wedding speech, you must keep the following basics in mind: 1 Your speech has to be short, say 5-7 minutes at the most

Chicago Wedding Receptions
There are two major events that you have to plan on your wedding day: an unforgettable wedding ceremony and a fun-filled wedding reception. No matter how important the wedding ceremony is, there is also a need to provide full attention to your wedding reception in order for a perfect wedding memory.

Plan the Perfect Wedding Shower
(ARA) - A wedding shower should be fun for everyone involved: the bride, the guests, and even the hostess. A little advance planning ensures that happens.

Modern Brides Use Online Wedding Planner?s New Bridal 411 to Answer All Their Questions
OurWeddingDay.com's Bridal 411 makes every bride an expert wedding planner.

How to Capture Your Personality with Wedding Favors
A theme is very important in the process to make your wedding distinctive from the rest. Youve purchased invitations to your bridal shower and now you need to pick out your bridal shower favors. Adorable purse bottle stoppers are perfect wine wedding favors for any bridal shower. Whether you are on a budget and need cheap bridal shower favors or youre looking for something more elegant, there is a wide variety of unique wedding favors to fit your personal style. If you are having a dinner for your bridal shower, scented gown sachet place card holders make a wonderful setting for your table.