Wedding Superstitions and Traditions

When it comes to weddings, there are so many superstitions and beliefs around. Here are some of the most common ones.

Proposing and Engagement

A woman should only propose to a man during a leap year, otherwise itendangers the marriage.

Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once thought that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.

It is bad luck for the bride to remove her engagement ring before the day of her wedding.

Stag parties were first held by ancient Spartan soldiers, who kissed their bachelor days goodbye with a raucous party.

It is unlucky for a woman to marry a man whose surname begins with the same letter as hers: To change the name and not the letter, Is to change for the worst and not the better.

Buying the engagement and wedding rings at the same time is thought to bring bad luck.

Wearing the wedding ring before the ceremony is also considered bad luck.

The Bridal Shower

The first gift the bride opens should be the first gift she uses.

The person who gives the third gift to be opened will soon have a baby.

The Wedding Day

It is considered bad luck if the groom sees his bride on the wedding day or see her in her wedding dress before she appears in church.

It is considered good luck if the bride is awakened by the song of a bird. Sunny weather is also a sign of good luck.

It is considered good luck for the bride to glance in her mirror just before leaving for the wedding but bad luck to return to look in her mirror after she has left the bedroom to start her journey to the wedding.

It brings more luck if the groom arrives at the church before the bride.

It's bad luck for the bride to start down the aisle on time but good luck to step into the church with her right food first.

Saying your vows when the hour hand on the clock is going upwards, makes you work together in your married life. If you say your wedding vows when the hand is going down, it is bad luck.

If the bride cries on her wedding day, those shall be the last tears she ever sheds over her marriage.

If the groom drops the wedding band during the ceremony, the marriage is doomed.

It is considered bad luck for the bride to see a pig, hare or lizard running across the road, an open grave or to meet a nun or monk on her wedding day.

The best man should ensure the good luck of the couple by not allowing the groom to turn back for any reason after starting out for the ceremony.

Flower girls drop petals as they walk down the aisle is to ensure the new couple will have many chances to have children.

Carrying a horseshoe or a bouquet in the shape of one is considered lucky for the bride, but only if the horseshoe is carried with the open end up so the luck does not ‘fall out’.

The best man ensures the good luck of the couple by ensuring that the groom carries a small mascot in his pocket.

An old wives' tale is that if the younger of two sisters marries first, the older sister must dance barefoot at the wedding or risk never landing a husband.

Certain days are better than others for a wedding. The Victorians believed that it was lucky to marry on a day during the week that the groom was born. The luckiest day to marry was on the groom’s actual birthday. And, oddly enough, Saturday was the unluckiest day of all for a wedding!

Wearing a garter is believed to bring good luck.

The woman who catches the bride's bouquet will be the next to marry.

The man who catches the bride’s garter will be the next to marry.

Throwing rice (or birdseed or confetti) as the couple leaves the church enhances their fertility.

Wedding Attire

The loan of a wedding dress means good luck to the borrower and bad luck for the lender.

A veil disguises the bride from evil spirits.

The bride (or her father) should put a coin in her shoe for good luck.

Dressing the bridesmaids is to fool the evil spirits, so they will not know who the bride is.

If the bride helps to make her own wedding dress, it will bring her bad luck.

It is considered good luck if the bride finds a spider in her wedding gown.

Wearing a pearl on the wedding day will bring bad luck and tears throughout the marriage.

The bride should not try on her complete outfit before the wedding day.

The brides’ attire should include "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" for good luck.

The Wedding Cake

The bride and groom cut the first slice of their wedding cake together to ensure that they will conceive.

The chief bridesmaid should keep a piece of cake in her pocket for the duration of the couple's honeymoon, if she hopes to marry soon.

Single female guests should take home a piece of wedding cake and place it under the pillow to dream of the man they will marry.

After the Wedding

Throwing rice (or birdseed or confetti) as the couple leaves the church dates back to ancient times and is meant to bestow fertility on the couple.

The new bride must enter her home by the main door, and must not trip or fall, as it is a bad omen if the bride should stumble. Hence the custom of the groom carrying the bride over the threshold.

It is said to be bad luck if the bride fails to remove and throw away every pin from her dress and veil when she changes out of her wedding clothes.

The first one of the couple to make a purchase after the wedding is said to be the dominant partner.