With well over 40 billion dollars a year spent on weddings and 2.5 million weddings per year - an average of over 6,000 a day, there’s no doubt that the U.S. is number one in the wedding industry. So what exactly does an American wedding entail? This post will delve into some of America’s wedding traditions that have been around since the classic Kennedy wedding in 1953 and more modern traditions that have made recent appearances in the wedding industry.
Let’s first preface that these American wedding traditions often have origins from other parts of the world and are shared with other cultures. Weddings in the United States are also very similar to those in England, both following the “white wedding” scheme.
Diamonds
Let’s start with engagement rings. The concept of engagement and wedding rings is quite barbaric. During prehistoric times, cavemen would tie braided grass around the ankles of their preferred mates. Wedding bands are a tradition of many cultures around the world. Women’s engagement rings, however, are predominantly a Western tradition in engagement. But one thing that is particularly an American wedding tradition is the popularity of diamond engagement rings. Diamond rings are a relatively new concept that dates back to the early 1900s and boomed in the 1930s due to a marketing campaign by De Beers. The campaign worked and diamond sales increased by 50 percent. In 1947 their slogan became “A Diamond is Forever”, implying the durability of diamonds as symbols of long-lasting marriages. By the 1960s, 80 percent of brides had diamond rings. Today, diamonds are still a very popular gem to be set in a brides ring.
Fun Fact: rings in the U.S. are worn on the left ring finger, which is connected to the myth that there is a vain in the left ring finger that connects to the heart.
Rehearsal dinners are almost exclusively a North American tradition. The tradition is a somewhat modern one that occurs the night before the wedding. This tradition is a personal favorite of mine for a plethora of reasons. It’s an intimate dinner party usually including the bride and groom’s immediate family and wedding party members. The rehearsal dinner is a wonderful way to form bonds between the families and friends, particularly if they don’t know each other all that well. It’s a great way to begin the wedding celebration in a more laid back way before all the action begins on the wedding day. Rehearsal dinners are also really customizable, whether you want to DIY, have it catered, or spend it at your favorite restaurant - rehearsal dinners are sure to be an unforgettable and special time for you and your loved ones.
Something Old, Something New
The saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe” is a poetic line referring to certain parts of bridal attire. The saying dates back to the Victorian era when brides would collect these tokens for good luck and a happy marriage. Today, many American brides continue this tradition for fun.
As for the meaning of the phrase, each piece represents a different part of the brides life. Something old refers to the brides family and her upbringing, while something new symbolizes the optimism of her future. Something borrowed typically comes from a happily married person for good luck in the marriage. Blue is often a color tied to marriages and symbolizes purity and fidelity. The sixpence is an old British coin which represents good fortune for the couple.
Today, many American brides incorporate these things into their wedding day in some pretty unique and fun ways. Beautiful family heirlooms are often used, especially jewelry, and pops of blue have been spotted as garters, shoes, and other bridal attire.
The First Look
The first look is a relatively newer trend in weddings. Traditionally, the bride and groom do not see each other on their wedding day until the bride walks down the aisle. This tradition dates back to when marriages were arranged. During this time, the bride and groom were not allowed to see each other at all until the wedding ceremony. If the groom caught any glimpse of the bride before their wedding, the wedding got called off - hence the “bad luck” of seeing each other before the ceremony.
Today, many couples choose to take a first look before the ceremony. This is done alone, several hours before the ceremony and gives the couple time to see each other without all the nerves of people watching at the ceremony. It can also be incredibly romantic and truly serves to be an unforgettable moment.
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
Bridesmaids and groomsmen date back to Ancient Rome. Ten bridesmaids and groomsmen would attend the ceremony of the couple, where they were all similarly dressed. This similar dress among the wedding party and couple was thought to confuse the evil spirits and prevent them from specifically attacking the newlyweds. Groomsmen also accompanied the bride to the celebration for protection against thieves. The wedding party had a very serious role in weddings during his time, as they were protecting them from evil.
Tradition continued and bridesmaids and groomsmen would often wear matching dresses (but different from the bride). In more recent times however, while bridesmaids are still as common, their attire has shifted to modern trends of mismatched dresses or various shades of one color. Duties of the wedding party has also changed to less serious and more of a support system for the couple.
Bouquet and Garter Toss
Centuries ago, it was believed that wedding guests who could receive a piece of the brides gown and attire would receive good luck and fortune. Gowns used to be literally torn apart by guests wanting to carry a piece of luck from the bride. Brides then wore garters to toss to guests, but oftentimes males became aggressive and began trying to remove the garters themselves. That was the start of the more modern tradition that involves the groom removing the garter and tossing it to the single males. Similarly, the bride tosses her bouquet to single women, and tradition has it that the one to catch the bouquet is the next one to marry. Though this tradition is still intact today, only about thirty percent of brides do a bouquet toss.
