Back in time, weddings traditions were instored to protect the bride and groom from the evil spirit. Nowadays they are still anchored even if they have evolved a little. Here are some wedding traditions from England to France.
The 4 elements
You’ve certainly heard of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue: Which is from an English tradition!
What does that mean? So Something old represents continuity, something new offers optimism for the future, something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness and something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity.
The sixpence in the shoe is a wish for good fortune and prosperity, although this remains largely a British custom.
The Bouquet
Tossing the bouquet is a tradition that also comes from England. Women used to try to rip pieces of the bride’s dress and flowers in order to obtain some of her good luck. To escape from the crowd the bride would toss her bouquet and run away. Today the bouquet is tossed to single women with the belief that whoever catches it will be the next to marry.
Bride on left-side
Because grooms often had to defend their brides, the bride would stand to the left of her groom so that his sword arm was free. This tradition is used both in England and in France.
The Tiered Wedding Cake
The origin of the tradition also lies in Anglo-Saxon times. Guests would bring small cakes to the wedding and stack them on top of each other. Later, a clever French baker created a cake in the shape of the small cakes and covered it in frosting. It is now known as the tiered cake.
In France, the most popular cake is the ” Croquembouche”. It’s a cream puffs pyramid covered with caramel whereas in England, they prefer fruits cake covered with almond paste.
The Bridal Veil
It has long been a symbol of youth, modesty, and virginity and was used to ward off evil. Check here if you want to know how to rock your wedding veil
Le cortège
In France, there’s the “cortège” tradition which is a procession, to celebrate the union and lead the way for every guests to the reception location. Cars are decorated with ribbon, flowers and balloons with all the guest hooting.
The surprise
The bride and the groom choose not to see each other the night or day before the wedding and to keep their outfits secret to surprise the other.
Now you know all about the wedding traditions, which one will you follow? or not …
xx
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