Marriage ceremonies are steeped in tradition, fueled by our customs and heritage and passed down through generations.  Some couples love the idea of incorporating age-old traditions into their wedding to honor grandparents or parents, and some integrate beliefs to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck to their future.

While these time honored traditions and wedding folklore are fun and sweet, they are not mandatory.  We stand behind the idea that your wedding should be a reflection of your relationship, but we also believe that if something is sentimental to you or your family you should include it…or, revamp it to make it your own.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day and the “luck of the Irish”, we are going to share some traditions that bring blessings to the newlyweds. There are many wedding traditions that are meant to invoke good luck and positivity, like carrying a charm or including something special in your attire, think…something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Read on for some traditions from around the world that could bring you and your beloved some good cheer and prosperity on your wedding day.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue…And Then Some

One of the most well-known wedding traditions that spans across religions and cultures is the Something Old, Something New custom.  Although originally rooted in English heritage to ward off evil spirits, this staple notion has become one of the most popular and most practiced of the wedding traditions. So let’s break down what it means; something old represents the bride’s continuity with her family and former life, while something new symbolizes hope for the couple’s happy future.  Something borrowed is meant to bestow good luck onto the bride, passed down from an older woman who is happily married with the hopes that this good fortune “rubs off” on her and something blue represents love and fidelity.

What most don’t know is this rhyme used to end with the words, “and a silver sixpence in her shoe”.  Dating back to Victorian times, the bride’s father used to deposit a sixpence into her shoe as a good luck charm.  For true believers of this tradition, a shiny penny will work as a substitute and if you aren’t looking to have a penny in your shoe all night, tying it into your bouquet will work just as well. This tradition is tried and true, but we love the idea of a couple making this special and sentimental to them, so get creative with it.

Rain on Your Wedding Day

When the gray clouds start rolling, the last thing any couple thinks is “oh what luck”. While rain can certainly put a damper on your wedding day, some cultures believe it is actually very lucky.  Rain on your wedding day is said to symbolize fertility and cleansing. Some cultures also believe that a little bit of rain can strengthen the bond of two people in love. It is often seen as a symbol of renewal, rebirth, and purification; washing away old energies and making way for new beginnings. 

While rain on the wedding day may bring good blessings, here in the South, we still will do anything we can to ward off the rain!  A southern tradition that is very dear to our hearts is Burying the Bourbon.  According to Southern folklore, a couple “burying the bourbon” at their wedding venue one month prior to the day of the wedding can help prevent rain on their big day. If all goes well and the sun is shining, the tradition states that the couple should dig up the bottle after the ceremony and celebrate by sharing a toast to their union.  Some believe that this tradition is often interpreted as a way to ensure the couple will have good luck in their marriage. Cheers to that!

As Sweet As Sugar

Once upon a time sugar was considered a rare and expensive commodity and was given to brides on their wedding day to “sweeten the marriage”.  In Eastern European cultures, the sugar cube was placed on the bride’s head, while Greek culture had the bride hide a sugar cube in her glove. We love the idea of this “sweet sentiment” so we say make this one your own, tie some sugar cubes to your bouquet or incorporate cubes rather than sugar packets into your menu if you are offering coffee at the end of the night.  

Breaking Bread and Breaking Glass

At the end of the ceremony or reception, a popular wedding tradition is to break dishes or glasses.  This is said to bring good luck to the newlyweds and is often done for fun. This tradition spans across many cultures and has a few different meanings. Let’s dive in…

Some customs believe that the number of pieces broken corresponds to the number of children the couple will have.  In Italy, the amount of pieces the glassware breaks into will symbolize how many years the couple will be happily married.  Traditionally in the Jewish faith, the groom would step on a glass (however nowadays, the couple do it together) and smash it to pieces to symbolize sealing the marriage.  The glass is said to represent the fragility of life, relationships and marriage, while the sound of the glass shattering will ward off evil spirits. The tiny shards of glass can also represent the abundance of life that the couple will enjoy from this day forward.  Lastly, in Greek tradition, the violent sounds of the plate breaking is said to fool the spirits so they will not suspect a happy event was taking place at your gathering, leaving your union to prosper in happiness.

A Creepy, Crawly Visitor

Believe it or not, English heritage considers an eight legged creature on your wedding gown a good omen.  FInding a spider lurking on or in your wedding dress is a sign of good luck for your wedding day.

A Work of Art…Henna Painting

In Middle Eastern culture, henna painting is done on the hands and feet to ward off evil spirits.  Henna plays a very significant role in weddings.  It has become a symbol of love, commitment and happiness for many couples and is often the first ritual for the bride in a traditional wedding.  It is believed that the deeper the color of the henna, the stronger the love and bond between the couple will be. Traditionally, the bride’s name is hidden in the intricate details of the henna design and the groom’s job is to find it representing how he searched for her in his life.  Henna is used to bless and protect the couple and also symbolizes fertility, sensuality and prosperity.

1000 Paper Cranes

The lovely tradition of giving a thousand paper cranes as a wedding gift holds deep symbolism and is said to bring the couple a thousand years of happiness and prosperity.This tradition comes from the Japanese legend that promises a wish granted by a crane to anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes.  This legend plus subsequent stories has helped establish the foundation that folding cranes is an act that symbolizes hope, peace and healing.  It not only represents good fortune but it also represents the family’s support and blessings for the couple’s journey together.

Wedding traditions are full of symbolism of hope, love and good fortune. It is easy to understand why a couple would want to incorporate these customs into their special day.  Whether you are honoring your heritage, continuing a wedding tradition dear to your family or just love the idea of sentimental touches, traditions are a beautiful way to keep some of the “traditional” aspects in your wedding.

If you are looking for the rundown on other customary wedding traditions, take a look at our blog, To Have and To Hold…Off On, Wedding Traditions That May or May Not Work for You. Some couples will shy away from the traditional aspects of a wedding, while others revel in it.  See where you and your beloved stand…Happy Planning!