Not necessarily monarchists either.
.
We know within the confines of traditionalist enclaves, many men love lace and trains and silk and furs and pretty colors and high heels. We know that Puffy. I mention that because most Americans think these tastes pertain only to women and effeminate males - but there is an entire remnant of gentlemen who like the same things as the romance obsessed contemporary lady in waiting for her knight in shinning armor. I know!
.
So I'm just saying, it's not just the girls who are anxiously awaiting THE Royal Wedding tomorrow, but high-church lovers and royalists are too. But never mind the men - the women are actually the most interesting - especially the brides to be, wanna be, already have been, as well as their mothers in or out of wedlock. I suggested to one friend she do a post about bridal superstitions, but since she may not be able to compose herself to do so before THE Royal Wedding airs, I thought I'd do it myself. I have nothing to blog about anyway - especially after reading Larry's altar server's post. (He's totally nuts I think. Very sick people online these days, I must say.)
.
Anyway - here it goes.
.
Did you know white wasn't always worn by brides? I know! And that was before pre-marital sex became so popular! Yet catty women of today act as if it's canon law and for virgins only. Queen Victoria started the white wedding trend - before that women just wore their nicest dress. So let them wear - who cares? (Other cultures may have worn white but they don't count in WASP society.)
.
Evidently - according to what I read on Angela's blog, wearing the jewelry of divorced women on your wedding day might be bad luck. (I think I should take credit for that superstition.)
.
Oh! Oh! Queen Victoria's wedding cake weighed a whopping 300 pounds - and from the looks of later photos, she must have eaten the whole thing herself. What?
.
I once attended a neighbor's wedding and the bride was so fat the seams burst on her wedding gown during the dollar dance, and her hair was wet from sweating so much. I'm not sure what that means however, but ever since I've been turned off to weddings.
.
More superstitions from other sources:
.
The new bride must enter her home by the main door, and must not trip or fall - hence the custom of carrying the bride over the threshold. (The heavy weight bride I mention above had a very short skinny husband. Evidently she tripped because they divorced a couple of years later.)
.
A Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to ensure that she'll never do without.
.
In Holland, a pine tree is planted outside the newlyweds' home as a symbol of fertility and luck.
.
Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once thought that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.
.
In the symbolic language of jewels, a sapphire in a wedding ring means marital happiness. (So don't worry about Kate.)
.
Snake rings dotted with ruby eyes were popular wedding bands in Victorian England -- the coils winding into a circle symbolized eternity. (Southern Pentecostals use real snakes.)
.
In Denmark, brides and grooms traditionally cross-dressed to confuse evil spirits! (I think that's being revived these days.)
.
The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers broke a loaf of bread over a bride's head for fertility's sake. (My dad did something like that at my sister's reception - only it was a whiskey bottle over the groom's head.)
.
Bonus point:
.
Grooms have very few, if any superstitious tabu since the man is the boss and calls all the shots. Bark like a dog. Kidding! (Shoulder hunch, eye squint and foolish grin.)
.
And what's with these crazy hats British women wear?
Continuity?
I wonder if this is why Harry VIII chopped off their heads?
