Wedding Traditions

Has the search for the ideal engagement ring ever led you to wonder who thought up this custom in the first place?

Well, wonder no more.

We at Gabrielle® have uncovered the origins of wedding customs, from the diamond engagement ring all the way down to the honeymoon.

1. Diamond Engagement Ring
During the dark ages, Italian grooms would pay for their brides with gifts of precious gems. The giving and receiving of these gems symbolized the couple's agreement to marry.  Another legend has it that the tradition began when Emperor Maximillian I gave
Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring and placed it on the third finger of her left hand to signify their impending nuptials.

2. The Bridal Shower
Once upon a time, in Holland, there lived a father and his daughter. When the daughter agreed to marry a man who was not wealthy, the father attempted to foil her plans by withholding the dowry. Fortunately, the couple had many good friends who orchestrated a party for the bride and provided her with a dowry by 'showering' her with presents.

3. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
While it may sound like a sorcerer?s spell, this formula for wedded bliss is the very definition of good intentions. The something old is symbolic for a bride's connection to her past, the new stands for her future, the borrowed denotes friendship, and the blue is for faithfulness'as in true blue.

4. Throwing Rice
This custom originated in the Orient. Rice, a longtime symbol of fertility, used to be thrown at the couple in hopes of them having many children. Nowadays, however, environmentally conscious couples ask their guests to use birdseed because rice is very harmful to birds.

5. Tossing the Bouquet/Garter
Although the bouquet toss is often thought to have come before the garter toss, the truth is that it was the garter toss that gave rise to the throwing of the bouquet. In France, during the 1300's, guests used to chase the bride and tear off her garter for luck. Eventually, the bride gave up trying to run away, opting to take the garter off herself. The bouquet toss followed in time. Now, the woman who catches the bouquet and the man who catches the garter are said to be next in line for marriage.

6. Carrying the Bride Across the Threshold
In the old days of Rome, it was customary for the bride to show her modesty by acting reluctant on her wedding night. In response, grooms were expected to pick up their brides and carry them across the bedroom threshold.

7. The Honeymoon
The sweet name comes from an equally delicious ancient tradition where Teutonic couples married beneath full moons and then drank honey wine until the next full moon (30 days? time).