Why Is The Bride Really Wearing White?

I was a wedding DJ for over 30 years and it was rewarding in so many ways. The beauty of being a wedding DJ is that you are paid to help people have a good time...and you usually have dinner thrown in too.

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Weddings are a big deal and there are so many wedding rituals and traditions. Why does the bride wear white? It's not the reason that I thought...and I'm not going to tell you what I was thinking...although I bet you thought the same thing too.

So where did all these rituals come from?

Why Does The Bride Wear White

Apparently, the tradition of the white wedding gown goes back to Queen Victoria. She chose a white dress for her wedding because she was showing off. White was hard to maintain and keep clean.

Because the Queen wore white, other women wanted to feel like royalty on their wedding day. So it had nothing to do with the other reason that you were thinking of. The tradition of the bride and groom not seeing each other on their wedding day and the bride doesn't show her face is intended to preserve her modesty.

When I was a wedding DJ, one of the fun activities was the garter and bouquet toss. I didn't realize that there was a reason behind it....besides that the lucky recipients were going to be the next people to get married.

Reasons Behind The Garter and Bridal Toss

Garter Toss - The mad dash for the bride's garter goes back to a medieval tradition in which the guests would go to the bridal chamber to steal the bride's stockings for good luck. To avoid the ransacking of the chamber, the groom would toss the garter to this friends.

Bouquet Toss - Back in the day, wedding guests would tear at the bride's flowers and clothes to share in her happiness. The bride in an attempt to keep her dignity along with her wedding dress, she would toss her bouquet so that she could get away in one piece.

Carrying The Bride Over The Threshold

After the wedding and the wedding reception is over, it's time to take your new spouse home to...fall asleep. It's a long day after all. So why does the bride get carried over the threshold?

There's an ancient superstition that the evil spirits hung around the threshold of the new home. The spirits waited to invade the bride through the soles of her feet. So by being carried by the groom, disaster would be averted if she entered in her husband's arms.

Check out other wedding vows and traditions here. Since we are talking about love, check out country music's 50 greatest long songs. Do you agree with this list?

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