There are dozens of wedding customs from the past which are no longer required today. In this blog post, we’ll explore 3 Renaissance wedding traditions which you may wish to keep, drop, or update. The choice is yours!
Hey, Christie!
Last week, I was a bridesmaid at the Ainsworth House & Gardens wedding rehersal for Hannah and Dallas. I noticed Hannah standing on his left and wondered, “Why?”
Thanks in advance for your answer!
–Willa, Bewildered in Wilsonville
Hey, Willa!
That’s a great question!
While there are those who say that the bride stands on the left to be closer to the groom’s heart, that’s actually not the reason. The custom dates back to the 1500s in Renaissance Europe and relates to defending the bride.
If a young couple was prevented from getting married for any reason, their only option was to elope.
Since the bride’s father, brothers, or jilted suitor might not be best pleased about this, the groom hired the best swordsman (later called “the best man”) he could afford to stand behind the young couple in church during the wedding and defend them if necessary. If the raiders (not the football team) got past the best swordsman, the groom needed to have his right hand free to draw his sword…which is why he stands on the right of the bride.
(To learn more, you might want to read our blog post, “Why Is the Groom’s #1 Buddy Called the “Best Man” at a Wedding?”)
There are two other Renaissance wedding customs which are completely optional today.
Why does the bride carry a bouquet?
Back in the Renaissance, people weren’t as fond of baths as we are today and so they bathed only a few times each year. The bride carried a bouquet of fragrant flowers to offset um, er her scent.
This custom can be updated: The bride could carry an arrangement of herbs or evergreens, a bouquet of sustainable flowers, dried flowers, or silk flowers.
What was the purpose for having a wedding party?
During the Roman Empire, the law required that there be 10 witnesses to every wedding. Bridal parties consisted of 10 or more people to meet this requirement.
Later in history, the purpose of the wedding party changed: The wedding party was there to protect the bride.
As mentioned above, when a couple eloped, there were often angry family members or a jilted suitor whom Daddy preferred who rode in the dead of night after the young couple to “retrieve” the bride.
The bride’s friends were the bridesmaids who dressed like the bride so that she could hide among them and possibly fool the jilted suitor into “rescuing” the wrong young lady.
The groomsmen were an army of the groom’s friends who came armed to protect the couple from any attackers. The best man was the best swordsman and was the last line of defense protecting the couple.
Since today’s couples aren’t in need to an army to defend them while they quickly repeat their vows, you don’t need a wedding party…unless you want one.
I hope that helps!
Your friend in the wedding business,
Christie Shyne
The title image is courtesy of Unsplash.com.
The other Images above are courtesy of Pixabay.com.
Images below are from the Ainsworth House & Gardens wedding gallery.
© 2023-2024. Come Rain or Shyne, LLC. All rights reserved internationally.
