Wedding traditions are just one of those things that seem to stick. A lot of people either stick with tradition because they don’t think otherwise and others like to because they believe the sentiment behind the tradition is beautiful and worth preserving.
As it’s your wedding, you don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do. So if wedding traditions don’t resonate with you, then of course you needn’t include them. Yet if you think they’re sweet or if someone close to you thinks certain traditions are important then you may change your mind on the subject.
Some people that you know, whether it be your parents, grandparents or your spouse-to-be will find it difficult to ignore the traditions. This is where you may find yourself agreeing to them when you’re not entirely sure about the whole thing. It is your wedding day, however if you don’t really mind about a tradition, yet your partner will be devastated if you don’t do something, then it’s probably best to just go along with it.
In the end, all you need to do is make sure you’re feeling okay about the whole thing, because it’s your big day and – hopefully – you’re only going to do this once.
In the end, all you need to do is make sure you’re feeling okay about the whole thing, because it’s your big day and – hopefully – you’re only going to do this once.
Being «given away»
These days, we don’t tend to feel like we need permission from our parents to marry or to be ‘given away’ at our weddings. This idea of the parents being in charge until the little lady has been married off so someone else can then be in charge may have been where being ‘given away’ came from, but it’s not really what it means today.
The idea of a father giving away his daughter at her wedding is actually a really beautiful tradition. These days it’s a representation of the parents raising their child, having done all they can and then sending her off to a new adventure. The adventure of marriage. See, that’s totally adorable, right?
This tradition tends to mean a lot to parents so if you are planning on cutting it, make sure you’re not going to upset them. The last thing you want to do if offend people with your special day.
Not seeing each other before the wedding
While the idea of it being unlucky for couples to see each other before their wedding is pretty outdated, there are parts of this tradition which we think are worth keeping. You might decide to spend the night apart, like most couples do. Or perhaps you’ll spend the night with each other and then separate in the morning to get ready. Whatever you decide we think it’s important to have a little break from one another before the wedding.
There is something just so super romantic about surprising each other with your wedding outfits on the day of your wedding. You won’t have seen each other all prettied up and it’ll be a beautiful surprise. This is a feeling you won’t want to miss out on. We recommend keeping the essence of this lovely tradition, yet tweaking it to suit you.
Exchanging rings
So back in the day, wedding rings were worn by women only to signify that she belonged to a man. This idea isn’t so nice being as it’s one-sided. In modern times, we’ve adapted this idea to become more equal. Now brides and grooms exchange and wear rings. People do this proudly to show that they belong to someone and someone belongs to them.
It’s not a legal requirement to exchange or wear wedding rings when you’re married, however we still think that a symbol of belonging to each other is truly beautiful and worth doing if this resonates with you.
Having a bridal party
Bridal parties used to be married couples who were close to the couple getting married. These days, bridal parties consist of basically anyone the bride and groom deem worthy. While you definitely don’t have to have a bridal party, they can be good for a few reasons.
Having a bridal party means picking your closest friends or family to stand up there with you. This is beautiful way to honour your friendships and show your friends how much you appreciate them.
It also happens to be really convenient if you need someone to hold your bouquet or if you’re feeling a bit nervous being up in front of everyone, you know you’ve got your friends there with you.