Bridal bouquets have evolved through the ages.
• Saracen brides carried bouquets of orange blossoms to symbolize fertility, and Roman brides carried sheaves of wheat to symbolize prosperity for their husbands. • In the eighteenth century, the practice of carrying a bouquet of flowers or herbs became a popular tradition, which symbolized fragility, purity, and new life. Thus bouquets of dill were among the most popular herb carried. Nowadays bridal bouquets are tossed to assembled single women to symbolize new life and to pass on the bride’s good fortune.
White Aisle Runner
A white aisle runner symbolizes walking on holy ground. A marriage contract is not made merely between two people and their witnesses. This is made in the presence of God and He is actively involved in the agreement.
Kissing the Bride
During the Roman Empire, the kiss symbolized a legal bond. Continual use of the kiss to seal the marriage bond is based on the deeply rooted idea of the kiss as a vehicle for transference of power and souls.
The Bride and Groom Feeding Each Other the Cake
This represents the sharing of the body to become one.
Arras (Coins)
During Catholic ceremonies in Spain, Panama, and Mexico, the groom presents the bride with 13 gold coins, known as Arras, to represent his ability to support the bride. These coins are blessed by the priest and passed through the hands of the newlyweds several times, ending up with the bride.
So, want to make the ritual a little more balanced? Think about giving each other coins, to symbolize shared responsibility. “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”
• Old and new items both symbolize the passage from the old unmarried state to that of the new married one.
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