Forgotten Wedding Traditions

Outdated Ideologies

It would come as no surprise to anyone that women of the past had far fewer luxuries than the average woman today. They were molded into strict gender roles and their families were expected to gift huge sums of money to the groom.

In this vein, modesty and bashfulness were considered key traits of a wife. The traditions for brides represent this fact. Brides weren’t expected to lift their veils until the ceremony was over, and the bride’s father was supposed to fund the entire event himself!

Only Men Give Toasts

These weren’t the only oppressive customs. Up until quite recently, only men were allowed to give toasts at wedding ceremonies. Imagine your Maid of Honor not being able to tell that embarrassing story about you on your special day! The ‘custom,’ easy to say, was quite misogynistic and we’re glad it’s gone.

Only Diamond Rings

Whether you like them or not, they’re your only best friends. Back in the day, marrying couples were expected to buy real diamond rings for their spouse-to-be. Any other stone, no matter how pretty, was deemed ineligible for wedding ceremonies!

This tradition had materialistic roots. With the world becoming more accepting of difference, any kind of stone can be set in your wedding ring.

Veils and Bonnets

As late as the mid-1800s, only some women were ‘allowed’ to wear veils. Written social etiquette specified that the honor of wearing a veil belongs to young women exclusively. For divorcees or ‘ladies of middle-aged,’ a bonnet was to be worn instead.

Save Some Cake

In this interesting tradition, the bride and groom would save the top tier of their wedding cake at the back of their freezer. It would sit there for as long as a year until some special occasion that demanded it be cut. Couples traditionally ate it at their first wedding anniversary!

These customs are not followed anymore because they don’t represent the changing values of current times. The ones that do so without harming the integrity of the individual are kept and continued, while oppressive and materialistic ones are discarded.

If you have a strange wedding tradition in your family you want to follow, allow Doug Burke Photography to immortalize it for you. Contact us at 336.486.9932 and book your slot today!