The wedding superstitions which we are all familiar with have been left to modern couples over hundreds if not thousands of years. These superstitions often became popular as ways of providing the couple both a blessing and tokens of good luck. In that way, they are often superstitious in nature. As you think about your wedding, think of these traditions simply as interesting amusements and in no way as an omen of either bad or good luck.

Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

Many of us know of the rhyme, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." This popular saying for what the bride is to wear comes to us from the Victorian era. "Something Old" would certainly represent the connection a bride has with her old life. "Something New" most probably is related to the new world she will be celebrating with her husband and his family. A bride has "Something Borrowed", is usually taken from a happily married woman, which is likely to bring prosperity to her own new union. "Something Blue" likely is a symbol which represents her longing for stability and love inside her new union.

Wedding Dresses for Brides

The first known example of a white wedding dress comes to us in 1499, when Anne of Brittany wore white for her wedding to Louis XII King of France. Up till that time, women would wear their nicest dress.

This tradition also has a history coming from biblical times, because the "Church" was instructed to don in a white dress as a symbol of its purity as the "Bride of Christ." Christian women often hold that a bride should not wear white if she is entering a second union or if she is not a virgin. This is an curious superstition because the "purity" of the church is actually supposed to come from Christ.

In far east brides have traditionally worn white. From ancient Roman times, white symbolized a ceremony filled with happiness. Obviously, it is today a symbol of happy bliss and a new beginning from other cultures.

The Bride's Wedding Veil

The wedding veil wasn't originally white as is the modern tradition for almost all of today's wedding. In ancient Greece the color was yellow. In Roman times it was red. Much of the symbolism has been lost but wearing a veil is still quite popular. Apparently, the veil was another symbol for a bride's modesty, and of course her virginity.

Some hold today that according to tradition, it is a bad omen for the bride to be seen by the groom before the ceremony. Remember that in history there were so many arranged marriages, it was often likely that the groom would not view his bride until the moment of ceremony. In some cultures, the veil hid the bride until the groom lifted it to see what his new wife looked like for the first time.

U.S. history tells us that Nelly Curtis wore a veil at her union to Major Lawrence Lewis who was President George Washington's aid. Lewis had earlier seen his bride standing behind a thin curtain and after he commented how beautiful she was, Nelly then decided to veil herself for their ceremony.

Choose whatever traditions feel good to you, not because of any worry about causing bad luck. More importantly, create your own traditions, composing the meanings you want them to achieve, which you can then pass down to your descendants.

We see all of these traditions used by our couples when they come to Hawaii and use our Maui weddings services. It doesn't matter if the ceremonies are on the beach or performed in a chapel, the traditions seem to remain the same. I should tell you that for Hawaii weddings, you don't have to follow any traditions but your own.