Bridal Party
According to various sources, some of the
early marriages were literally carried out
by the Groom and his "Bridesmen" (or "Bridesknights")
who would kidnap a woman (the origin of
"carrying a Bride over the threshold") from
another tribe! The Groom and his fellow
conspirators would then fight off the
female's family of tribesmen with swords
held in their right hand while the Groom
would hold the captured Bride in his left
hand, which is the origin of why a Bride
stands on the left side of the Groom
at a wedding.
Who hasn’t noticed that the maids, ushers,
and entire bridal party dress very much like
the bride and groom? It was once common for
the bride, her groom and all their friends
to walk together to the church on the
morning of the wedding. Afraid that someone,
maybe a rejected suitor, would spot the
happy couple and put a curse on them, the
groom’s friends wore clothes almost
identical to his, and the women costumed
themselves like the bride. These disguises
tricked evil wishers into letting the real
bride and groom live happily ever after.
Of course, today we dress our attendants
alike for the beauty and pageantry of the
event.
Early Brides and Bridesmaids wore similar
dresses in order to confuse evil spirits.
|
|
