The Story Behind Wedding Myths

There are many wedding myths and superstitions, most are passed down through families and others originate from years ago. Like all superstitions, wedding myths have no scientific basis; however, it never hurts to keep them in mind just in case!

Dropping the Wedding Ring:

This wedding myth is very contradictory. On one hand, dropping the wedding ring during the actual ceremony was seen as lucky because it shakes the evil spirits out of the ring. On the other hand, dropping the wedding ring is bad luck because whoever drops the ring was said to be the first to die.

Rain on the Wedding Day:

The good luck version of this wedding myth is that rain is said to foretell the coming of Children, just as rain promotes growth in the farmers fields. In the unlucky version of this wedding myth, rain represents the many tears a bride will cry throughout her marriage.

Tears on the Wedding Day:

It is considered good luck for the bride to cry during the wedding ceremony. One theory says that she will have cried all of her tears and have none left for the marriage. The other theory says that a bride's tears are good luck as they bring rain for the crops.

Time of day to get married:

The couple should exchange their vows as the clock's minute hand is moving upwards, therefore any time half past the hour, for example 2:30 or 4:45. The upward movement is said to bring blessings upon the couple as the minute hand is "ascending towards heaven."

Surname of the same first letter:

It is considered unlucky for the bride to marry a man with a surname that begins with the same first letter as hers. This wedding myth is summarized in the following Victorian rhyme: "To change the name and not the letter; is to change for the worst and not the better."

Sign your married name before the wedding:

It is considered bad luck for the bride to sign her married name before the wedding as it tempts fate. For the same reason, the bride should avoid wearing her entire bridal outfit (wedding dress, bridal veil, shoes and jewelry) prior to her wedding day.

Wearing pearls:

This is one of those wedding myths with both bad luck and good luck meanings. The ominous version of this myth holds that pearls represent future tears; thus wearing them will bring many tears and heartache in the marriage. The luckier version of this implies that the pearls take the place of the bride's real tears, thus she'll have a happy, tear-free wedding.