The Flower Blog

Save The Cake! Top Five Wedding Superstitions

Posted by Fri, Aug 08, 2014 @ 03:43 PM

 

Raw_badgetag-01-1It's your wedding day! Throw on your wedding gear and avoid glancing at your beloved while adding something old, new, borrowed, and blue; give a hefty throw of the garter and/or bouquet to warm up your muscles for crossing the threshold as a married couple for the first time while holding the top of the wedding cake to be enjoyed sans freezer burn in a years time...Did I forget anything? 

If the above didn't clue you in; we are embarking on a journey of five well-known superstitions throughout wedding history! Some are not practiced as much but I bet you a sixpence, ladies, you will and/or have been asked which ones have made the cut into your wedding celebration. Without further "I do", let's take our seats, relax for a spell, and enjoy reminiscing a few of these matrimonial notions.

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1. Something Olde, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe.

This is undoubtedly the most popular wedding tradition yet in the U.S. we oftentimes drop the "Silver Sixpence"; or at least I did as my shoes didn't allow for anything being tucked in them. Common good luck charms with deeper significance meant to be given by family, friends, and attendants in the "eleventh hour" before the wedding. Something old is for continuity while something new offers optimism for the future. Something borrowed symbolizes family and friends being there for you in the future and something blue represents faithfulness, love, and purity. What of the sixpence? It's primarily a British custom which is a wish for prosperity.

 

 

 

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2. It's Bad Luck to See the  Bride Before the Wedding!

We're not sure where this notion originated; possibly from the tradition of arranged marriages but it's difficult to pinpoint. My interpretation of this tradition was that this was the most important day of our lives (at this point), we worked very hard to put everything together. The idea of the final moment, the anticipation, and the fact I spent a great deal of time selecting a dress, getting dolled up, wearing uncomfortable shoes...I wanted to take my future husband's breath away. Mission Accomplished.

This superstition is one which has fallen by the wayside for better things such as stunning photographs of the entire wedding party before makeup melts, shirts getting untucked, and the maximum hold hairspray giving out. Other reasons include spending a moment of quiet time together and getting the party started ASAP. It's time to celebrate! 

 

 

 

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3. Bouquets Tossing and Garters Flinging!

This tradition has less to do with good luck and well-wishing for the newlyweds and more about spreading their bliss to other people in the future. More fun and/or embarassing than anything else; this practice is good for laughs, smiles, and great pictures.

I must to admit to really enjoying this one from both angles of the bouquet toss. As a single lady, yes it's a ridiculous tradition because how often does the lucky lady get married after catching the bouquet? The answer depends on if it's rigged or not. Is it still fun? Sure it is! As a bride I enjoyed tossing the bouquet and witnessing the aftermath. 

Ah the garter toss. The single guys aren't as easy to corral together for this one but eventually they gather for the fun of it. How often do you see to see your best friend get creative with removal of the token prize which might lead to someone's ineveitable walk down the aisle? 

 

 

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4. Carrying the Bride Over the Threshhold

If you're worried about the bride tripping to bring bad luck upon the marriage or need to ward off evil spirits; the best way to remedy both situations is carrying her over the threshold! 
The Romans believed the bride should be reluctant to leave the home of her father therefore the groom acted as the villainous scapegoat and stole the bride, carrying her away to their new future together. There is also the belief that evil spirits hovered at the threshold of the newlywed's new home. The bride had to be lifted to ensure that the spirits couldn't enter her body through the soles of her feet. Sounds kind of creepy and definitely not the reason my husband carried me across the threshold. He did for the fun and tradition of it...and perhaps the fear I would actually trip over the doorway as it is well within my clutzy nature.

  

 

 

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5. Save the top layer of the Wedding Cake

The superstition to saving the cake is to bring you good fortune. I think it's a trap. It is a way to see if you know your way around the kitchen and can make something that's been stuck in the freezer for a year taste delicious. Back in days of yore, in 2002, when the internet was young and we had no idea the vast resources available, I wrapped my cake in foil, then put it in a plastic bag. A year later it had a cardboard texture and the icing was more like playdoh; but I digress. 

Wedding cake has been around forever but the tradition of saving it is from 19th century England when cakes were exquisite to taste, elaborate to view, and laced with liquor to help it keep till either your first anniversary or the christening of your first child. Back then the three layers served a functional purpose. First layer for reception, second layer for distribution, and the third for the christening because more often than not children came right away after the wedding!  Times have changed quite a bit since this idea was put into practice. Now we save it for fortune. If you can successfully store your top layer and enjoy it a year later, that indeed, is good fortune.

 

describe the imageThere you have it; a few of the top common wedding superstitions and where they may have originated. I enjoyed the traditions we incorporated into our wedding. Some of them were time-honored and elegant, others were fortunately captured on film lest we "forget", and all made the day one of the best days ever. 

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Topics: weddings, informational, trends