Much of the superstition that has developed around weddings over the generations began as ways to guarantee good luck, success, happiness and fertility to the bride and groom. Another very important aspect was to confuse or drive away any evil spirits who sought to spoil the day.
THE PROPOSAL,
On the wedding day, while on the way to the bride’s family, superstition has it that the groom’s representatives had to avoid blind men, monks and pregnant women; although goats and pigeons were considered lucky. For the bride, practicing writing her new name was and still is thought of as being very unlucky, and taking on a surname that started with the same letter as her own denoted unhappiness to come.
THE DRESS,
It was unlucky for the bride-to-be to make her own dress, or wear the complete outfit before her wedding day. Due to this wedding superstition a stitch was often left unsewn until the wedding day. It was also unlucky for the groom to see her in her dress until the ceremony.Wearing a veil on the day was thought to hide the bride-to-be from evil spirits, and having bridesmaids dressed similarly to the bride was for the same reason.
THE SHOES,
A wedding superstition of Tudor times, shoes were thrown at the couple, and if they were struck it brought good luck. Nowadays, shoes are often tied to the back of the couple’s car. It used to be customary for the groom to tap his new wife on the head with his shoe, to assert his superiority over her. Full article here
