Symbolism of gemstones

The following is a collection of some wedding symbolism and history.

Engagement Rings

The engagement ring also holds the circular symbolism of eternity and unending love. However, it also symbolizes a promise for marriage. When men had to barter for their future brides, it was also seen as a "deposit" on the bride. During later times, gemstones were added to these rings, thus giving them greater value and security on the intended bride- a stronger promise has been made.

The first recorded account of a diamond in an engagement was in A.D. 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave one to Mary of Burgundy to seal their agreement to marry. However, at this time, diamonds were available to few and other gemstones also played an important role, each with their own special symbolism and colors. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, multiple gemstone rings were popular, with the first letter of each stone name spelling out a word or name of the giver. Other stones were used for their own meanings, such as the sapphire, blue like the heavens; and ruby, red like the heart. Today, diamonds are held as the stone of choice for the symbolism of indestructible love, and their value. Another popular ring in history was the gimmal. It was made of three parts and had two clasped hands upon it. Each part was worn by a different person during the engagement: the prospective bide and groom, and a witness. On the wedding day, they were combined to make one ring, reunited as the bride's wedding ring.

Wedding Rings

The wedding ring is in the form of a circle, which gives it the meaning of eternity or unity. This is because this circular form has no beginning nor an ending. This infinite shape thus symbolizes the everlasting bond of love between husband and wife, "'till death do us part." The modern wedding ring is made up of precious metals, such as gold, which symbolizes enduring beauty, purity, and strength.

The tradition of wearing the ring on the forth finger of the left hand is not as old as the ring itself. In fact, there are a handful of theories as to why this came about. The first one stems from the wedding ceremony itself. After touching the first three fingers while reciting "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost" the ring would then come to rest on the forth finger. A more practical approach would say that the middle fingers of the hand would give the most protection to the ring. But, the most popular (and romantic) theory is the last: the Egyptians believed the forth finger of the left hand followed the vena aroris (vein of love) giving it a direct connection to the heart.

Long before the ring itself evolved, men in ancient times practiced a custom of binding their bride's wrists and ankles with ropes of grass in order to assure their wives' spirits would not leave their bodies. This later became hemp or rush rings given to primitive brides, rings that had to be replaced just about yearly. Then, the Romans began using iron, a durable metal to symbolize the lasting quality of the marriage. Today, precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are used in both wedding and engagement rings. The tradition of wearing the ring on the forth finger of the left hand is an even more recent practice. During the seventeenth century, wedding rings were typically worn on the thumb, and placed on the "ring finger" during the ceremony.

Bridal Party

The bridal attendants used to dress all alike to the bride and groom in order to confuse evil spirits who may try to kidnap her, or even rejected suitors trying to place a curse on the happy couple. In this way, the real bridal couple could not be identified and therefore targeted. Although it could be said that Bunny's fellow Sailor Soldiers are all dressed as brides on her wedding since this is their wedding day too- as they will not ever really marry, but devote their lives to their princess/queen- I think this bridesmaid tradition may be another possible reason they dressed this way.

Bridal Gown

White is actually a fairly recent phenomenon in the color of choice for bridal wear. The ancient Romans felt white symbolized celebration and joy over two thousand years ago, but it was not until Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840, in leu of the traditional royal bridal silver, that it became the "standard" it is today. Although white meant purity and virginity in the 20th century, today it stands for happiness and celebration. The first recorded white wedding dress was worn by Anne of Brittany for her marriage to Louis XII of France in 1499. During biblical times, blue was a popular color because it symbolized purity and fidelity. (Actually, it still does today, hence the "something blue" of the famous poem.) And, before the fateful Victorian era, most women wore their best dress for the ceremony, often a yellow or red color. The best or favorite dress of early brides was also a practical choice, because of the possibility for their reuse by the wife. It was in the fashion of it's time and could consist of anything from a linen shift to a calico smock. The colonial bride usually wore pastels, or maybe even cherry red. However, in China and Japan, white has been the traditional choice of color for bridal garb, since it is their color of mourning. They feel this is appropriate since the bride is leaving her family to join her husband, thus going through a symbolic death.

Veil

The wedding veil has served multiple purposes during the ceremony. Not only does it stave off the lurking evil spirits, it symbolizes the bride's submission to her new husband, and her modesty. And, in some Middle Eastern and Asian cultures, the veil was to hide the bride's face from her groom who had never met her. (After they were married, he was then allowed to lift it and see his new wife's face.) Veils still symbolize modesty or purity, as only first-time brides will be found wearing them, according to wedding etiquette.

Traditionally, veils were red, to ward off evil, or yellow for the god of marriage, Hymen. The modern tradition of white veils stems from Martha Washington's daughter, who was the first to veil herself with a long lace scarf. Her intended groom had previously complimented her on how lovely she looked waiting for him behind the lace curtain.

The mythological story behind the wedding veil tells of an ancient goddess of love, Ishtar. She came to her beloved, with the depths of the earth and sea covering her "like a veil." And, folklore tells that the veil changed to including a blusher after Jacob was tricked into marrying the sister of his love, Rachel, since the former was disguised under the full veiling.

The Kiss

The tradition of the kiss dates back to Roman times, when it was used to seal a contract, thus making it legal and binding. This first kiss also symbolizes a bonding between the couple, and exchange of spirits between the new spouses.

Bouquet

Flowers are commonly used in wedding ceremonies due to their many meanings. They are said to represent fertility, purity, new life, and unending love, among others. Bouquets were also traditionally a mixture of flowers and herbs for added meaning and to ward off ill health and evil spirits. Dill was one of the more popular choices since it was believed to promote desire.

The bouquet in particular represents a woman in bloom, and thus fertile. It also stands for life and growth.

Bouquet Toss

The bouquet was tossed by the bride to a friend to ward off evil spirits and spread along her luck, since as a bride she is believed to be endowed with quite a bit of good luck. This has since come to mean the person who catches the flowers will be the next to marry. (Perhaps the luck of the flowers?)