If you do a Google search for wedding traditions you will find a million ideas pop up:

• Wearing your wedding ring on the 4th finger of your left hand
• White wedding dress
• Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
• Tossing rice as the bride and groom exit
• Bouquet/Garter toss

The list goes on and on. But have your ever stopped to think about where these traditions came from or why we do them? Is it okay to break away from tradition and do you own thing? In a new blog series I will be looking at some basic wedding traditions and breaking down the history behind them.

In this post we will be looking at the tradition of having a Wedding Party to share in your big day~

He asked!

You said YES!

The sparkle on your left hand is blinding and you can’t stop smiling.

One of the first things most couples do after getting engaged is choose their wedding party. These are the people that will stand with you as you plan, prepare and go through one of your biggest days!

But where did this tradition begin? Why do we still honor it?

During the “marriage by capture” era, close friends of the groom-to-be assisted him when he kidnapped the bride from her family. The groomsmen were more like a small army, fighting off the brides angry friends and family as the groom rode away with her. These days we hope the only fighting going on with your groomsmen is when they fight over the garter toss.

Bridesmaids and maids of honor became more common during planned weddings. For several days before the marriage, a senior maid attended to the bride-to-be. This maid or matron of honor, as we know her today, was with the bride at all times and helped her get dressed, while the bridesmaids helped the bride decorate for the wedding feast.

For a long time, bridesmaids wore dresses much like the bride’s gown, while groomsmen dressed in clothing that was similar to the groom’s attire. This tradition began for protection against evil rather than for uniformity. In the event that evil spirits or jealous suitors attempted to harm the newlyweds, they would be confused as to which two people were the bride and groom.

These days, the bride typically wears a white gown, while the bridesmaids dress in colors matching the wedding theme. The groomsmen will wear attire similar to the groom’s but with a slight variation so that the groom stands out (not that any bride would get confused….or let’s hope not).

 

Choosing your wedding party can be easy for some, and more difficult for others. Some brides choose to keep the wedding party small by only having one or two close friends stand by them. Others can’t narrow the list down and have a wedding party that extends into the double digits.

No matter the history, or how many you choose to have in your wedding party, having your close friends and family stand by your side as you say I DO is one of the best parts of your wedding day.

 

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*Kendra Swalls is the photographer behind Paisley Layne Photography, and is a boutique portrait and wedding photographer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She specializes in, beauty, senior and boudoir portraits as well as wedding photography. Kendra’s style is fun and personality-driven while still retaining the timeless features of photography that create family heirlooms. She currently lives in Justin,TX  with her family: a husband that is convinced he needs a drone, a four year old daughter who loves all things girly at the moment and a new baby girl that is the happiest baby on earth.  Kendra is currently booking 2017 & 2018 Portrait Sessions and Weddings in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Denton, Flower Mound, Southlake, Keller, Lewisville, Argyle and all of the North Texas area.

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