Wedding Traditions Explained

Wedding Traditions Explained by a Sydney based Wedding Photographer

Anyone who's been to a wedding has seen the traditions carried out, whether it be a unity candle, stomping on a glass or a sand ceremony. But what do these all mean? Incorporating a tradition into your wedding ceremony can be a great way to add a meaningful touch, but the key is first knowing why each one is traditionally included because many are cultural references.

Arch of swords: Often when the bride or groom (or both) are members of the military, the ceremony will end by the couple passing under an arc of swords. This is done to ensure the couple a safe passage into their new life together.

Breaking the glass: As a Jewish custom, the groom shatter a glass at the end of the ceremony by wrapping it in a cloth napkin and stomping on it. The shattered glass represents life's mixture of happiness and sadness. If Jewish couples wish to partake in this tradition, choose a thinly walled glass so the groom succeeds shattering the glass on the first try.

Carrying the bride across the threshold: OK, this isn't a wedding day tradition, but we'll throw it in for good measure since it happens so soon after. When a bride and groom first step foot into their new abode, the groom customarily carries the bride over the doorstep. This is traced back to a belief that the new couple is susceptible to evil spirits and by carrying the bride in, it gives her a layer of protection. (Sorry, guys, seems like you're out of luck.)

Engagement ring: That piece of bling on your finger had a meaning at one time other than being something to show off. The diamond has been the preferred stone of choice for centuries because of its clarity, brilliance and strength, reflecting innocence, purity and an unbreakable love. At one time, the engagement ring was partially a payment to the bride's family for the woman. It goes on the third finger of the left hand, along with the wedding rings, because at one time, it was believe there was a vein that led directly to the heart.

Handfasting: Based on a Celtic tradition, the hands of the bride and groom are tied together symbolizing them joining their lives together. If your ceremony is religious, check with your officiant first to make sure this ritual is allowed.

Jumping the broom: During the days of slavery, the slaves were not legally allowed to married, so there was a symbolic ceremony in which the couple "jumped the broom," which signified their entrance into a life together by "sweeping away" their former lives. Modern African American couples maintain their ties to their culture and history by including this custom in their weddings.

Old, new, borrowed, blue: Every bride makes sure she incorporates one item for each line of this traditional poem into her outfit on the wedding day. But what does it all mean? Coined during the Victorian times, something old represents the bride's connection to her family and single life, something new obviously symbolizes her new life with her husband. By borrowing something from a happily married woman, that luck in marriage is supposed to transfer over to the new bride, and something blue represents fidelity. Some cultures take the poem a step further, adding the line "and a sixpence in your shoe," which is placed there to wish the bride wealth.

Sand ceremony: A twist on the unity candle, a more casual tradition calls for the couple or their family members to pour sand from two glasses into one. Typically the sand are two different colors so the multi-hued grains of sand represent the intermingling of the two families. For obvious reasons, this is most usually done at beach weddings.

Sawhorsing: An Italian tradition, sawhorsing is when guests sets up a sawhorse, log and a double-handed saw. The newlyweds saw apart the log together, which symbolizes that they will now work together in all of life's tasks.

Throwing rice: Before people became concerned about birds eating the rice, wedding guests would bestow the "life-giving seed" on the couple, which would give them fertility and the ability to have many children. This isn't allowed at many churches these days, so guests sometimes throw rose petals, birdseed, confetti or blow bubbles.

Unity Candle: The mother of the bride and mother of the groom each a tapered candle to light a candle, which symbolizes the merging of the two families. Check with your officiant or venue representative to make sure open flames are allowed at your ceremony site. The unity candle is purely symbolic and doesn't have any reference to cultural or religious customs.