What Are the Origins of the Wedding Ring?

The Ancient Egyptians

Obviously the exact beginning of the use of the wedding ring is unknown, many historians believe that the wedding ring tradition originated in Ancient Egypt. There have been archeological discoveries, some dating back well over 3,000 years ago, leading to this hypothesis.

Drawings on artifacts, such as papyrus scrolls, demonstrate a culture in which the marital couple exchanged rings made from hemp and reeds. The associated hieroglyphics explained how the Ancient Egyptian society acknowledged the ring, the circle, as a symbol of unending love between the bride and groom.

The Egyptians also wore their wedding rings on what we now call the “ring finger”, on the left hand. They believed that this finger contained a special vein, which was directly connected to the heart. The belief was embraced by other cultures, and many centuries later, it was known by the Latin term “vena amoris” or the “vein of love”.

The Ancient Romans

In Ancient Rome, marriages were recognised in different forms, and these marriages were categorised by the specific social class. They were Usus, Coemptio, and Confarreatio.

Usus was the informal marriage, reserved for the lowest class. It could be compared to today's defacto relationships.

Coemptio was the marriage that required that the bride be purchased from her family. Historians believe this “purchase” was symbolic (not really bought) but that the  fathers were paid for the marriage of their daughters.  

Confarreatio was reserved only for the elite class, and this was the only true legal form of marriage in Ancient Roman times. The groom, giving a wedding ring to the bride, confirmed this marriage. The majority of these wedding rings were made of iron, which then led to the lovely tradition of modern metal wedding rings. However, unlike the Egyptians' rings as symbols of unending love, historians have determined that the Romans viewed these wedding rings as symbols of ownership, in that the wife now belonged to the husband.


Source: http://www.jtv.com/library/wedding-ring-history.html

The Tradition of the Bridesmaid's Dress.

Why do we have bridesmaids, and why do we dress them in the manner that we do?

The earliest known tradition involving what the bridesmaids wore shows us that the bridesmaids wore exactly the same as the bride. The idea behind this was to protect the bride: that by standing the bride next to the lookalikes, any malicious ghosts or spirits at the wedding could not focus on the bride and ruin her wedded life.

That old custom eventually fell away in Victorian times (thank goodness) to dressing the bridesmaids in white dresses but with short veils, in contrast with the bride's ornate veil and wedding dress train.

Finally, when commercial dyes became more easily affordable and accessible, we saw our first contrasting bridesmaids dresses make their appearance in the bridal party. Bridesmaid dresses were then seen in colours like bright green, fuchsia, gold, tangerine. Those dresses all then ensured that the bride would be the best-looking girl in the church.

But surely, no bride would ever consciously do that right??  

A Wedding at the Bellinzona Grange.

Yesterday Joh and Nick were married, with their eldest bestest boy escorting Joh down the aisle and their youngest bestest boy sitting contentedly in his grandmother's arms. It is a beautiful setting at The Bellinzona Grange, and this time of year the garden is a rash of autumnal tones. It was a joyful day, with a focus on the children, and not just their own. I must say, I had fun with these guys, the bridal party were so warm and welcoming to me, and this is what makes weddings so great: the people I get to meet.