Have you ever wondered why a bride wears a veil? Why people throw rice at the bride & groom? Why it's called a honeymoon, when neither you nor your fiancé is named Honey? Virtually every part of a wedding, from the engagement to the honeymoon, has rich history. Cultural roots, ancestry, and religious beliefs have shaped marriages for thousands of years. The following descriptions will provide you with a brief history of various wedding elements. It's a pretty good bet you'll see some of them at your wedding. So read on to get the inside scoop on how they originated.

The Honeymoon

The bride and groom's honeymoon hasn't always been a post-wedding vacation. The word actually originated in northern Europe from a tradition involving wine made from mead and honey. In order to bring good luck, the newlywed couple drank the sweet wine, called Metheglen, for a month after the wedding. Since a month was known as a moon, this period of time acquired the name honeymoon.

Throwing Rice

The tradition of throwing rice, began in the orient. Rice (which symbolizes fertility) was thrown at the married couple in the hope that this would bring a marriage yielding many children.

 The Bridal Shower

 This custom is believed to have started in Holland. Legend has it that a disapproving father would not provide his daughter with a dowry, to discourage her from marrying a less-than-wealthy miller. Her friends provided her with the then-essential dowry by "showering" her with gifts.

The Ring Finger

The third finger on the left hand is considered the ring finger. All engagement and wedding rings are worn there because that finger was believed to be connected by a vein, directly to the heart.

The Wedding Cake

Wedding cakes originated in ancient Rome, where a loaf of wheat bread was broken over the brides head to symbolize hope for a fertile and fulfilling life. The guests ate the crumbs, believed to be good luck. The custom found it's way to England in the Middle Ages. Guests brought small cakes to a wedding; the cakes were put in a pile, where the bride and groom later stood over and kissed. Apparently, someone came up with the idea of piling all the cakes together and frosting them, creating an early ancestor of the multi-tiered wedding cakes of today.

Bride & Groom Cut The Cake, Then Feed Each Other

Feeding each other the cake symbolizes how the couple will feed and nourish the relationship for the rest of their lives. Now, this was meant as a loving and caring symbol for each other. As for smashing cake into each other's faces, no one knows how that started.

Diamond Engagement Ring

In medieval Italy, precious stones were seen as part of the groom's payment for the bride. The groom would give a gift of such stones, which symbolized his intent to marry.

 The Bachelor Party

 Known today as the bachelor party, this celebration in the groom's honor was originally called the bachelor dinner, or stag party. It first came about during the fifth century in Sparta, where military comrades would feast and toast one another on the eve of a friend's wedding. Even today, a bachelor party customarily takes place quite close to the actual wedding date, as it has become known as the groom's last taste of freedom.

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