On the way to the wedding

When the bride is ready to leave the house for the wedding ceremony, a last look in the mirror will bring her good luck. However, returning to the mirror once she has begun her journey, will result in bad luck. Seeing a chimney sweep on the way to a wedding is thought to bring good luck. Other good luck omens are seeing on the way to the ceremony lambs, toads, spiders, black cats and rainbows.

Seeing an open grave, a pig, a lizard, or hearing a cockerel crow after dawn are all thought to be omens of bad luck. Monks and nuns are also a bad omen. This may be because they are associated with poverty and chastity. They are also thought to signal a dependence on charity by the newlyweds.

Bad weather on the way to the wedding is thought to be an omen of an unhappy marriage, although in some cultures rain is considered a good omen. Cloudy skies and wind are believed to cause stormy marriages. Snow on the other hand is associated with fertility and wealth.

BRIDESMAIDS

Bridesmaids were dressed in a similar way to the bride for the same reason as the origin of veil. The bridesmaids were thought to act as decoys to confuse evil spirits and thus protect the bride.

THE COUPLE'S FIRST PURCHASE

It is said that the first partner who buys a new item after the wedding will be the dominant one in the relationship. Many brides ensure that they make the first purchase by arranging to buy a small item such as a pin from the chief bridesmaid immediately after the ceremony.

THE WEDDING CAKE

Cutting the wedding cake is now part of the ritual cel­ebrations at the reception. The couple makes the first cut together to symbolise their shared future. Cakes have been associated with weddings throughout history. The Romans shared a cake during the wedding ceremony itself. This was not the rich fruit-cake we enjoy today. It was a plain confection made from wheat flour, salt and water. The Fijians and some native American tribes still incorporate cake in the wedding ceremonies.

In Yorkshire a plate holding the wedding cake was thrown out of the window as the bride returned to her parental home after the wedding. If the plate broke, she would enjoy a happy future with her husband but if the plate remained intact, her fu­ture would be grim.

The shape of the modern three tiered iced cake is believed to have been inspired by the spire of St Bride's Church in the City of London. It is said that unmarried guests who place a piece of wedding cake under their pillow before sleep­ing will increase their prospects of finding partner, and bridesmaids who do likewise will dream of their future husbands.

The top tier of the cake is often kept by couples for the christening of their first child.

CONFETTI

Confetti is Italian for sweets which in Italy are thrown over the couple as they emerge from the church in that same way we use paper confetti. Raisins and nuts may also be used.

Before the use of paper confetti the married couple was showered with flowers, petals, rice or grains. This was to bestow prosperity and fertility on the couple.

SHOES

In the past there were a number of customs involving shoes which were thought to bring good luck. The best known, which is still upheld, is to tie shoes to the back of the newlyweds' car. This has evolved from the Tudor custom where guests would throw shoes at the newlywed couple. It was considered lucky if they or their carriage were hit.

Less well-known is for the bride's father to give the groom a pair of the bride's shoes to symbolize the passing of responsibility for the daughter to her new husband. A varia­tion of the custom is for the groom to tap the bride on the forehead with one of the shoes to assert his dominance.

The custom of the bride throwing a bouquet over her shoulder, described below, was originally performed by her throwing one of her shoes over her shoulder.

BOUQUET

After the reception the bride throws her bouquet back over her shoulder where the unmarried female guests group together. Tradition holds that the one who catches the bouquet will be the next one of those present to marry.

A parallel custom is for the groom to remove the garter worn by the bride and throw it back over his shoulder toward the unmarried male guests. Again the one who catches it will be the next to marry.

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD

After the wedding the bride must enter the new marital home through the main entrance. It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold when they enter for the first time. The reason for this is uncertain. One ex­planation is that the bride will be visited by bad luck if she falls when entering. An alternative is that the bride will be unlucky if she steps into the new home with the left foot first. The bride can avoid both mishaps by being carried. A third explanation is that it symbolizes the old Anglo-Saxon custom of the groom stealing his bride and carrying her off.