Throwing confetti, giving almonds as favours, the wedding ring itself – you’ve probably come across a lot of wedding traditions as you plan your dream day, but do you know what they actually mean? Ingle & Rhode, whose jewellery is defined by the highest of ethical standards and quality, share with Wedding Ideas the meaning behind some of these charming wedding traditions. See their infographic for these wedding traditions too – it’s pretty cool!
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in your shoe!
Your something old signifies your connection with your family and where you came from, both of which you carry forward into married life with you. That’s where something new comes in – this element represents good fortune for your new life.
Wearing something borrowed on your wedding day symbolizes the support you will always have from your friends while your something blue shows your faithfulness and loyalty.
If you’ve forgotten any part of the rhyme, it is usually the sixpence in your shoe. Tuck that sixpence in to bring you and your partner wealth in your married life.
5 almonds for your wedding favours
Traditionally sugared almonds are given as wedding favours, something that many brides and grooms still choose to do. Each almond represents a wish for health, wealth, happiness, fertility and a long life for the newly married couple and there are five of them to show an unbreakable bond between them.
Even their sweetness has significance. The sugar coating is added to the otherwise slightly bitter almonds in a wish that the couple’s life together will be more sweet than bitter, just like the almond favours.
Throwing confetti
It’s okay – we always thought you threw confetti just to get that perfect confetti photo, too. Actually, newlyweds have had confetti thrown over them since ancient times to sprinkle their marital union with blessings. The throwing of confetti is also a wish that the couple’s marriage will be as fruitful as the grain and as fertile as the seeds thrown over them.
The wedding ring
No wedding traditions list would be complete without a nod to the wedding band, perhaps the most important tradition of all. The wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because the ancient Greeks believed there was a vein that connected this finger directly to the heart. The wedding ring itself represents eternal love as the band has no beginning and no end, just as a couple’s love should be.
Infographic by Ingle & Rhode
Words by Lauren Fraser
