WEDDING SUPERSTITIONS Did you know that it is good luck to get married when the second hand of the clock is going upward? Did you know that it is bad luck to see the bride in all her glory before she walks down the aisle? The following is a list of "wedding superstitions" compiled from brides around the nation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "BOW"-QUET Make sure you hold on to the bows and ribbons that you untie at your bridal/ wedding shower. Thread the ribbons through a paper plate (any color) and decorate the plate with all the bows to make "flowers." On the day or night of your rehearsal, utilize your "bow"-quet in place of your real floral bouquet for good luck. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEARS OF PEARLS A superstition from Mexico has it that the bride can not wear pearls in her wedding day for the pearls are the tears she will cry in her marriage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "NO KNIVES, PLEASE" In the Jewish tradition, it's bad luck to receive knives as a wedding gift. In case someone should give knives, the bride should transform the exchange into a financial transaction by giving a penny or nominal sum for the knives. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAND-IN BRIDE The bride is never supposed to practice walking down the aisle during her rehearsal or it will bring bad luck. The most popular alternative is to ask a close friend not in the wedding party to be your "Stand in Bride". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEARS OF HAPPINESS If a bride cries on her wedding day, those shall be the last tears she ever sheds over her marriage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "PENNY LOAFER" Put a penny in your shoe for wealth in your marriage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I'M ON THE LEFT AND YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT" The bride is on the left side of the groom in Christian marriages so that the groom could have easy access to his sword to defend his bride from rival suitors. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIRGIN MARY FIGURINE IN THE WINDOW I do not know if this is considered a superstition or a religious tradition, but it is one that I followed on my wedding day. If you want a sunny wedding day, it was a good idea to place a figurine of the virgin Mary in your window the week before the date. This was to help guarantee that the day would be sunny and wonderful in many ways. Hope this is one that can be shared. It worked on my wedding day and others in my circle of acquaintances. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A SPECIAL KISS It's good luck for the bride to be kissed by a chimney sweep on her wedding day. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JUST A FEW SUPERSTITIONS 1) The veil is to disguise the bride from evil spirits 2) Dressing the bridesmaids is to fool the evil spirits--so they won't know who is the bride and who is not. 3) Throwing rice is supposed to be a way of wishing fertility and prosperity to the bride & groom. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE SECOND-HAND OF THE CLOCK Rumor has it that couples should marry when the second-hand of the clock is going up instead of going down. For example, 2:30 pm or 10:45 am. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEDDING CAKE Preserve the top-most layer of your wedding cake by wrapping it with saran-wrap and aluminum foil. On your one-year anniversary, unwrap the cake and feed each other a slice of it. (We opted to forego this tradition.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BRIDE IN HER BRIDAL DRESS The groom is not supposed to see the bride in all her glory until she walks down the aisle on the day of their wedding. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEARING WHITE Only the bride should wear white on the day of the wedding. The bride should be the center of everyone's attention; therefore, guests should refrain from wearing the same color. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOUSE-CAT A week before the wedding, have a house-cat eat out of your left shoe for good luck. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rain Rain on your wedding day means you will have many children . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FULL MOON Superstition has it that if there is a full moon 1-2 days before the wedding, then your married life will be filled with luck and good fortune. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENGAGEMENT RING It is bad luck for the bride to remove her engagement ring before the day of her wedding.