Many brides find it important to follow as many of the long list of wedding day traditions as possible, however most have no idea what they mean. Here is the story behind some of the oldest wedding day traditions surrounding the bride.

Starting with the engagement…Ever wonder why the ring goes on the third finger of your left hand?

Well, according to an ancient Egyptian myth, the third finger (a.k.a. the ring finger) of the left hand contains a vein leading directly to the heart. The vena amoris, the “vein of love”

Okay, so on to the one wedding day tradition that we love to talk about the most : )…the dress! I know it seems obvious but the answer may surprise you…why is the dress white?

In modern day Western culture it is a sign of purity, however this was not always the case. Beginning back in the middle ages a marriage was not just the joining of two people as husband and wife. It was the joining of two families and many times two businesses. It was important for the family of the bride to display their wealth and elite standing within society. Back then gowns were NOT white. They were dyed rich vibrant colors to display the families level of class. The wealthiest dyed their gowns purple, as this was the most difficult and expensive color to create. It wasn’t until just before the 1900’s when Queen Victoria got married in a white gown and the photo was published for all to see. It was very much about keeping up with trends and being the most fashionable even back then so when the Queen made such a statement with her white gown, others followed suit.

So, what’s the point of a veil?

There are several different ideas behind the purpose of a veil. One is in the case of an arranged marriage, the bride was to wear the veil over her face until the ceremony was complete and then the groom was allowed to lay his eyes upon his new wife. There is also the most common idea of purity and innocence when presented to your new husband. It actually turns out that the raising of the veil has symbolism as well. It is believed that the groom raising the veil displays dominance while the bride helping to lift the veil displays independence. Nowadays, veils come in all shapes, sizes and lengths, from a birdcage to a cathedral length. Nothing says “bride” like a gorgeous veil to complete your wedding day look.

On to one of the oldest wedding traditions still practiced…the wearing and tossing of the garter!

The tradition of wearing and tossing of the garter dates back to the 14th century. It was considered good luck for the wedding guests to take a little piece of the bride’s wedding attire as a keepsake from the event. So after many brides being bombarded and their clothes torn to bits the tossing of the garter was made to replace this tradition. Over time it became customary for the eligible men at the wedding to be the ones catching the garter and for it be be thrown by the groom after removing from his new bride.