Weddings have been happening since time began and so many of the traditions we know and practice today have existed for decades. One such interesting tradition is the bridal party.
It’s commonplace to see a squad of women and men flanking the bride and groom on their big day. Usually their closest friends, the bridal party is meant to support and assist the bride and groom throughout the wedding process. However, the origins of the bridal party is pretty unromantic.
The Bible contains one of the earliest references to bridesmaids. In Jacob’s wedding to Leah and Rachel, both women had their literal servant maids present at their ceremony.
In ancient Roman times, there needed to be 10 witnesses at a wedding whilst the couple recited their verses, acting as an early form of the bridal party. While the witnesses were typically all male, eventually it evolved to include women. The women had to wear identical gowns to the bride to confuse vengeful spirits aiming to thwart the newlyweds happiness. This is why bridesmaids typically wear similar outfits today.
Groomsmen of this time had a pretty…interesting role. In various historical cases, groomsmen were said to kidnap brides from her family home and bring her to her groom. They would then stand beside the bride to make sure other suitors or family members couldn’t take her back.
By the Victorian era, the concept of the bridal party as we know it today began to take shape. Speaking to Vogue, luxury wedding and event planner Gina Wade explains: “during that time, bridesmaids organized flowers and party favours but they also walked down the aisle carrying herbs, garlic, and grains to scare away evil spirits.”
Today, brides typically have a maid/matron of honour and however many bridesmaids, and the groom has his best man and groomsmen. Modern couples are moving away from tradition, with some even opting out of having a bridal party altogether. At the end of the day, it’s what feels right for you. Your wedding should be what you want it to be, regardless of tradition.
Also read: Bride chooses grandmothers as bridesmaids
Feature image: Unsplash
Getting engaged is a very exciting moment. You feel like you’re living a dream. At the same time, you’re probably feeling frantic because you’re unsure of all the…
You can’t show up to a wedding empty-handed. With so many options, it can be hard to pinpoint what to get newlyweds to welcome them into married life. Look no further. We’ve rounded up some great gift ideas your couple will love.
R0-R300
– Modello coaster leather and marble set – R249
– Simply Delicious by Zola Nene – R277
– Small ceramic planter pot – R199
– Saltpur Natural Himalayan Salt Lamp, 2-3kg -R285
R300 – R500
– Pure Collection Cappuccino Cups set – R449
– Private Collection 24 Piece Cutlery Set R399
R500 – R750
– hammered champagne bowl – R699
– ‘Within reach’ salad bowl R695
– Stone Wash Quilt 230x200cm – R699
– Glo LED photo display – R549
– Kitchen Craft Le’Xpress 8 Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Plunger 1L – R649
R750 – R1000
–Humble & Mash Stoneware 12 Piece Dinner Set – R899
– Riedel Stemless Red Wine Glasses with 1 Litre Decanter – R899
– Aura Purity Ultrasonic Diffuser – R669
– Baccaran artisan knife 7 piece block set – R999
– Kitchen Craft KitchenCraft BarCraft 6 Piece Cocktail Set – R799
Feature image: Unsplash
Simplistic and elegant, minimalism values experiences over things. Blank spaces and basic lettering may seem boring, but this paired design makes a powerful yet subtle statement. If you…
Who knew a wedding could literally be an uphill battle? This unique couple decided that they wanted to say ‘I do’ on a mountain top, so they made their wedding guests hike three hours to the wedding destination.
Livvy Bruce, 35, and Justin Flitter, 40 from Aukland, New Zealand chose an unusual spot for their December 7 nuptials, settling on the Pinnacles Hut on the Coromandel Peninsula, only a casual three-hour uphill hike away.
“We’ve always done a lot of hiking adventures together over the last three years and when we were looking for venues and ideas, we wanted to do something different,” Flitter explained to Stuff Online.”Everyone thought we were a little bit nuts when we told them we’re getting married at the Pinnacles Hut – it’s a three-hour hike, most of it’s uphill, you’ve got to carry everything in and out, you can’t helicopter in, there’s no proper toilet and there’s no power.”
On the day, the bride simply rolled up her wedding dress and kept it safe in her backpack during the hike.
Their big day was a collaborative event, where their 60 guests all participated in making the wedding festivities. They brought their own drinks and snacks to create a shared antipasto platter. Luckily, the newlyweds catered the main meal of mexican wraps and salads followed by meringues and fruit.
“It’s very much an effort where everyone has to contribute, everyone is involved in helping to cook, clean, decorate – everyone gets a job to do. Everybody chipped in and that made it really, really special,” Flitter said.
Image: Unsplash
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A sign of good fortune, catching the bridal bouquet or garter predicts that the recipient will be the next person to get married. But have you ever wondered where this tradition comes from? Turns out, they have an incredibly odd origin story…
You know the scene: the emcee calls all the single ladies to the dance floor for the traditional bouquet toss. Bridesmaids and guests jostle each other in preparation of the momentous occasion. The bride turns her back on her guests and hurls the bouquet, causing eager women to leap into a frenzy to catch the floral arrangement. It’s a fun, lighthearted moment during ones big day. However, it wasn’t always that way.
Back in the day – medieval England to be exact – wedding guests were desperate to have a piece of the bride, literally. Wedding dresses were seen as positive signs of fertility and good luck, so obviously everyone wanted to get their hands on one. After the wedding, guests would clamour around the bride and rip pieces of her gown off her body as a keepsake. Guests in those days were pretty intense and would even follow the newlyweds into their bridal chamber and egg them on as they prepared to consummate the marriage. Yes, really. Understandably, newlyweds weren’t really into this. To ward them off, the bride would hurl her bouquet into the crowd as a distraction before she made a quick exit with the groom.
The garter was a popular piece guests aimed to grab from the bride. After the newlyweds consummated the marriage, the groom would toss the garter to the waiting crowd as proof that the deed was done. This piece of lingerie thus came to symbolise fertility and good fortune.
In the 1919 book, “Wedding Customs Then and Now”, Carl Holliday writes, “The bridesmaids start with the weary bride to the wedding chamber when suddenly the cry arises, ‘Get her garter’… If the woman has been thoughtful, she has fastened it loosely to the bottom of her dress so that it drags in plain view of the scrambling ruffians; if she has not been a wise virgin, she may find her clothes in rags after the struggle.”
Luckily, times have changed. Although I don’t know if a groom lunging underneath a skirt to retrieve the garter with his teeth makes this tradition any better. Think of the children…
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