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12 Vintage Wedding Traditions That It Could Be Fun To Ressurect

From wearing a snake ring to taking a month-long honeymoon

By REBECCA SHINNERS AND LAUREN MATTHEWS
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Every time a trendy new wedding idea goes viral online (ahem, geode cakes and donut walls), we revel in the modernity of it all. However, there are some relatively darling older traditions that it could also be fun to bring back.

1

Putting a sixpence in the bride's shoe

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While brides today still often make sure to have something borrowed, something old, something new, and something blue on their wedding days, the famous saying actually ends with "...and a sixpence in her shoe," a lucky coin traditionally give to the bride by her father to symbolise good health and wealth for the newlyweds. On Etsy, you can find cute sixpence charms.

2

Making a grand exit

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These days, newlyweds typically head off to the after-party once the wedding ends, but we think it's time they started decking out their cars with "Just Married" signs and tin cans again. And while we're at it, let's bring back the "going away" outfit change. There's something special about sending off the bride and groom, smartly dressed for their next big adventure, as the bride throws the bouquet to her guests. The could always sneak back for the party after a little conjugal respite.

3

Hiding a charm inside your wedding cake

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This Southern tradition dates back to Victorian times, when tiny charms with ribbons attached were placed inside wedding cakes. Charms would be decorated with a fortune for the future, and guests would then pull them out of the cake in a ceremony called a "cake pull" before it was sliced and served.

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4

Writing a letter to your spouse the night before the wedding

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It used to be common for brides and grooms to write love letters to each other, which would be placed in a box and opened on their first anniversary. 

5

Planting a pine tree outside your home

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Traditionally, pine trees were thought to symbolize new beginnings. In places like Holland and Switzerland, couples would plant a tree at their new house as part of the ceremony for good luck. 

6

Freezing a slice of wedding cake (or the entire top tier!)

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It used to be very common to freeze the top tier of your wedding cake to break out and eat together on your first anniversary.

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7

Serving a groom's cake

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Embraced by the South (we all know the hilarious red velvet armadillo cake scene from Steel Magnolias!),  groom's cakes are a tradition that was actually started in Victorian England, when there would be a wedding cake, a groom's cake (for the groomsmen), and a bride's cake (for the bridesmaids). While the wedding cake is usually vanilla, the groom's cake is a place to have fun with chocolate and other less traditional flavors. Because more cake = a better wedding. 

8

Wearing a snake ring as a wedding band

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While it may seem odd now, proposing with a ring shaped like a snake with ruby eyes was once all the rage in Victorian England after Prince Albert proposed to Queen Victoria with a snake ring featuring an emerald-set head. At the time, the coils winding in a circle symbolised eternal love.

9

Not seeing each other before the ceremony

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Couples today often make the decision to see each other before the ceremony so they can get portraits out of the way and enjoy the post-ceremony festivities. But while the tradition of not seeing your betrothed before walking down the aisle has some unpleasant origins (essentially, back when marriage was considered a business transaction, this was a way to ensure the groom didn't back out of the deal). 

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10

Taking a month-long honeymoon

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Honeymoons used to involve the couple drinking a fermented wine made from honey, called mead, for a month (a full cycle of the moon) following their wedding. We're not saying drink mead for a whole month, but the idea of bringing back the month-long honeymoon sounds pretty great.

11

Having a morning wedding

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At the turn of the century, wedding guides advised brides that the ideal time to marry was high noon, following the British practice of lunchtime wedding receptions.

12

Hosting a simple reception

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While modern weddings often involve hors d'oeuvres, full sit-down meals, dancing, open bars, and other elaborate trappings, weddings have traditionally been much simpler affairs. As late as the 1960s, couples often skipped the post-wedding reception, and if they did have one, it typically involved just cake and punch. Sounds sweet to us!

From: Country Living US
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