Have you ever wondered where certain wedding traditions come from? I have, so each month I'll research the origins of a specific wedding tradition. This month I'm discovering why we have bridesmaids.
The bridesmaid tradition is thought to originate from Roman times when law required ten witnesses, dressed in similar clothing to the bride and groom, at a wedding ceremony. This was done to confuse evil spirits, which were thought to attend marriage ceremonies.
Bridesmaids would also dress to match the bride in Anglo-Saxon times. Their job was to protect the bride from spurned suitors who might try to kidnap the bride and confuse evil spells cast on the bride.
The bridesmaid tradition is thought to originate from Roman times when law required ten witnesses, dressed in similar clothing to the bride and groom, at a wedding ceremony. This was done to confuse evil spirits, which were thought to attend marriage ceremonies.
Bridesmaids would also dress to match the bride in Anglo-Saxon times. Their job was to protect the bride from spurned suitors who might try to kidnap the bride and confuse evil spells cast on the bride.
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| Wikipedia: Wedding Ceremony Participants |
Even as late as the Victorian era, it was believed that ill-wishers could send curses and spoil the wedding. In the photograph above you can see that the bride and groom are dressed in a similar fashion as the other bridal party members.
Over time the bridesmaid’s specific job has changed, but bridesmaids have and always will be the bride’s friends and support system.
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