WHAT ARE THE WEDDING SUPERSTITIONS YOU NEED TO KNOW

On the route to the wedding, there were several dangers. It was bad luck to see pigs, lizards, or attend funerals, according to belief. In addition, it was unfortunate for the bride to look in a mirror once she began her journey to the wedding; yet, it was auspicious if she did so first. Rural brides hated hearing a cock crow on the morning of their wedding, as is said in an old saying, "Happy is the bride the sun shines on, Blessed is the corpse the rain falls on."

In addition to the chimney sweep, which may be connected to the idea that soot and ashes are symbolic of fertility, the bride was lucky to run across clergymen, physicians, blind men, lambs, spiders, and toads.

Almost as many superstitions accompany the journey from the wedding. Confetti raining on newlyweds has its roots in paganism, when grains, particularly maize, were tossed for fertility. As a couple departs a church in that nation, they are showered with sweets, which is referred to as "confetti" in Italian.

WHAT ARE THE WEDDING TRADITIONS YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

ANCIENT TRADITIONS

In Anglo-Saxon times, marriage was sometimes little more than a kidnap, with a man carrying off his chosen bride, whether she was willing or not. In the Middle Ages, girls were seen as their father’s
property and prospective husbands had to prove themselves by offering gifts or working for the girl’s hand in marriage. An extreme example of this can be seen in the betrothal of Mary Queen of Scots
to Francis the Dauphin of France. Their marriage was agreed by the Scottish Parliament in 1548 on condition that the King of France defend Scotland as if it were his own kingdom while still respecting
Scotland’s independence. At the time Mary was six years old and the young Dauphin only four.
The tradition of brides standing on the left during the marriage vows also dates from more violent days gone by. This meant the bridegroom could hold his new wife with his left hand, leaving his
sword hand free to fight any rivals.


WEDDINGS THE DOWRY
The practice of the bride’s parents paying for the wedding dates from around three centuries ago, when wealthy families would pay an eligible suitor a dowry. This was also seen as an insurance against divorce, as the man could keep the dowry, whether property or money, only if the couple remained married.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO MARRY

Couples have been getting married for thousands of years, and many traditions associated with the ceremony began as ancient rituals to bless the marriage with fortune and children and to guard against evil. In the Middle Ages, marriage was regarded as so sacred and life-affirming that weddings were sometimes held in graveyards because it was believed that the ceremony could guard even against plagues.

Nowadays there tend to be far more practical, imaginative or simply romantic reasons for choosing a certain time, place or style of ceremony. The inevitable pressures of modern-day living and the expectations of family and friends also play their part in influencing the way the happy couple plan their wedding.

Taking a look at ancient traditions and superstitions, however, helps to explain some of today’s accepted practices, and when it comes to thinking of what style your wedding might take,
looking to the past might even provide some inspiration to let your imagination run free.

WHEN TO MARRY

The choice of date for a wedding was very important. In ancient Rome May was thought unlucky because this was the month for remembering the dead and for the festival of the goddess of
chastity, while June was said to guarantee happiness because the month was named after Juno, the goddess of love and marriage.

TOP 5 YOU NEED TO PREPARE ON FOR YOUR WEDDING

1. MONEY

Money is a tough topic in any setting, but in an engagement, things can heat up pretty quickly. While  he  may want to go all-out on the DJ or the open bar,  you  may want to bend the budget for the dress and flowers. Or, it could be that one person feels their family is contributing more than the other, so their opinion should trump any opposition.

Whatever the sticky situation may be, the important thing to keep in mind is that you are a team. Make sure you're on the same page when it comes to how you want to spend "your" money as a couple. This means you'll have to talk about it in a respectful, humble, loving way - as adults.

While you're at it, get all your financial skeletons out of the closet. Are you a big spender or a diligent saver? Do you have any debts, whether for credit cards, school loans, etc.? Do you want a joint bank account after you're married? The more you straighten out now, the better.