Wedding Traditions Most Practiced Today

Every bride and groom wants their wedding day to be special and memorable. And many want it to stand out from the rest by doing something different or unique. But it gets harder and harder to find the new and different because word spreads fast. For instance, I remember the first time I had carrot wedding cake. What a delicious difference. That might have been twenty years ago. Now it is common place to have wedding cakes comprised of different flavors for each layer, or even wedding cupcakes. So the traditional wedding cake is gradually becoming an obsolete tradition. 

The Evolution and Meaning of Wedding Traditions

Some wedding traditions are so ingrained in culture that they often feel like rules rather than options. How you respond to that depends on whether you’re someone who prefers to honor tradition or someone who believes traditions are meant to be reimagined. Many are followed without an understanding of their origins, while others are embraced for the personal meanings and symbolism couples attach to them. With that in mind, this post explores some of the most commonly practiced wedding traditions today.

Father giving the bride away

According to a recent Easy Wedding poll most people still think the father of the bride should give the bride away. However, people aren't so sure about sticking him with the bill for the wedding anymore.

Night before the wedding spent apart

The UK's four-star Hallmark Hotels also polled people in the UK regarding wedding traditions and 54 percent of them believe couples should spend the night before the wedding apart. In the U.S. we are even more traditional with 74 percent of us following this tradition.

 

Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue

This tradition of the bride wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue is a tradition that originates from an Old English rhyme but is still widely practiced today. 

Adding these items to what the bride wears is among wedding traditions thought to bring good luck, but each item has its own meaning. The old represents continuity, the new signifies optimism, the borrowed item stands for happiness, and the blue symbolizes love, purity, and fidelity.

Throwing the Bouquet

Throwing the bridal bouquet is another popular tradition which stems from a time when other women tried to rip pieces of the bride's dress and flowers to steal some of her good luck for themselves. Back then, the bride tossed her flowers into the air in order to make her get away while the guests were distracted. Today, the belief tied to this practice has morphed into whoever catches it will be the next to be married.

In my next blog we'll take a look at new practices that are quickly becoming traditions in their own rite.

 

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Related article: Wedding Traditions Origins: Newer Wedding Trends and Traditions

Photo credits: John Mayer, Timothy Marsee

Why brides carried a bouquet

We've seen the surprising origins of many wedding traditions on this site, and the origins of the bridal bouquet is no different. This is another ancient tradition that can be traced back to Rome. At that time, brides carried or wore flower garlands because they believed flowers signified new beginnings, fidelity and hope of fertility.

Original purposes of the bridal bouquet

Like many wedding traditions, the origin of the bridal bouquet tradition can be traced back to ancient Rome. For them, like I said, it signified new beginnings, fidelity and hope of fertility. By the Middle Ages bouquets of strong-smelling herbs and spices were carried by the bride for their magical effects to ward off evil spirits, bad luck, and sickness. 

Today, the bouquet represents happiness and satisfaction in marriage and the wedding flowers making up the bouquet are thought to have their own special meanings.

In the Middle Ages, the wedding bouquet also became a way to distract female guests who were eager to tear off a piece of the wedding dress for good luck. The bride tossed the flowers to the wedding guests who believed it would be be a talisman for good luck for the one who caught it. And so why while they were distracted as they scrambled to get their hands on the bouquet, the bride ran away with her dress in one piece. Tossing the bouquet is a tradition that is still practiced today! 

 

 

Vintage wedding bouquet ideas for the modern bride

• Consider wearing a flower garland like the ancient Romans who believed flowers signified new beginnings, fidelity and hope of fertility.
• Make up a bouquet of your favorite wild flowers, herbs and aromatic spices.
  

I'd love to hear from you. If you have a wedding story, a tradition you'd like me to blog about, a question, or have something to say, feel free to contact me. And if you enjoy reading my blog, click "follow" and you'll be notified when a new post is added to this blog. Thanks for reading.

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History of Marriage Contracts: When Marriage Was a Family Agreement

(Updated June, 2026) 

Stories of star-crossed lovers make wonderful tales, but throughout much of history marriage was not primarily arranged around romance. Instead, marriage often served as a social, economic, and political agreement between families.

According to Stephanie Coontz, author of Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage, marriage was historically “a way of getting in-laws, of making alliances and expanding the family labor force.”

The First Recorded Marriage Contracts

Marriage is one of humanity’s oldest institutions, and the earliest recorded evidence of marriage contracts and ceremonies dates back approximately 4,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. These early contracts focused on practical matters such as property, inheritance, family obligations, and social status.

In that world, marriage helped preserve family wealth and power. Among royalty and ruling families, marriages were often arranged to create alliances, secure peace agreements, gain territory, and produce legitimate heirs. A marriage could strengthen a kingdom in much the same way treaties and political agreements do today.

For ordinary families, marriage was also a practical decision. Parents looked for partners who brought valuable qualities to the household—such as good health, a strong work ethic, useful skills, and the ability to contribute to family life. Having nearby land or shared interests could be an added benefit.

Marriage Filled the Role of Modern Institutions

For much of history, marriage carried responsibilities that are often handled today by banks, businesses, and legal agreements. Marriage contracts could determine property rights, inheritance, financial obligations, and the transfer of wealth between families.

Arranged marriages were common in many cultures, and in some cases the bride and groom had little or no say in choosing their partner. Among wealthy families, a marriage could be a carefully negotiated agreement between households. While love and affection certainly existed, they were not always considered the foundation of marriage.

The Role of Dowries and Marriage Contracts

Dowries became an important part of many marriage agreements. A dowry was property, money, or goods provided by the bride’s family to help establish the new household. In some societies, dowries represented a significant transfer of wealth and could influence marriage negotiations.

Marriage contracts also sometimes included protections for women. In parts of Europe, the “widow’s third” was a provision that guaranteed a widow a portion of her husband’s estate after his death, helping provide financial security.

 

The Babylonian Bridal Auction

One of the most famous examples from the ancient world comes from Babylon. The Greek historian Herodotus described a Babylonian custom involving a bridal marketplace where women were presented for marriage. However, historians debate the details and accuracy of this account, so it is best understood as a historical description rather than a universal practice.

Love and Marriage Through History

This does not mean love was absent from marriage in ancient or medieval times. Couples certainly formed deep emotional bonds, and affection played a role in many relationships. However, for many centuries marriage was viewed as a partnership that connected families, protected resources, and created social stability.

By the late 18th and 19th centuries, ideas about marriage began to shift. Romantic love increasingly became an important reason for choosing a spouse, helping transform marriage from primarily a family arrangement into the love-based partnership many people recognize today.

Marriage contracts reveal an important part of wedding history: before the white dress, the flowers, and the celebration, marriage was often a carefully crafted agreement that shaped families and societies for generations.

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Jumping the Broom: A Wedding Tradition with Many Roots

(Updated August, 2026) 

Jumping the broom is a historic wedding tradition with origins that are still debated today. Some historians associate the custom with Wales and other Celtic traditions, while others trace it to the Romani people living in Wales. Over time, the ritual also became deeply significant in African American history, particularly during the era of slavery in the United States when enslaved couples were often denied the legal right to marry.

Because the tradition appears in several cultures and has evolved over centuries, no single origin has been universally accepted. Today, jumping the broom is practiced around the world as a meaningful way for couples to symbolize the beginning of married life together.

 

Welsh, Celtic, and Romani Traditions

One of the earliest written references to jumping the broom dates to the 18th century and is connected to the Romani people living in Wales. Others believe the custom originated with the Welsh themselves before spreading among neighboring Celtic communities. Variations of the tradition have been practiced by Welsh families, Celtic revival groups, Druids, and the nomadic Romani.

In parts of Wales, common-law broomstick weddings were known as priodas coes ysgub, a centuries-old custom that reflected the importance of the broom as a household symbol.

Jumping the Broom in African American History

Another well-known tradition associates jumping the broom with African American weddings during slavery. Because enslaved people were generally prohibited from entering into legally recognized marriages, many couples held their own ceremonies before family and friends, sealing their commitment by stepping over a broom together.

Some historians believe this custom developed independently, while others suggest it was adapted from existing British or Welsh folk traditions. Regardless of its exact origins, jumping the broom became a powerful symbol of commitment, dignity, and family despite overwhelming hardship.

 

The Besom Broom

The broom traditionally used in these ceremonies was often a besom broom, made by binding twigs or straw around a sturdy wooden handle.

During the 18th century, besom brooms were commonly placed just inside the doorway of a home with the bristles pointing upward to ward off evil spirits and protect the household. Sometimes they were hung above the doorway with the bristles facing the entrance as a symbol of good fortune. As one of the homemaker's essential tools, the broom naturally became associated with caring for the home and beginning a new household.

Today, many couples view jumping the broom as representing the start of a shared life together while symbolically sweeping away their former lives, worries, and challenges.

Four Ways Couples Jump the Broom

Although the origins of jumping the broom continue to be debated, modern couples have embraced the tradition in many different ways. Wedding planners frequently incorporate it into ceremonies or receptions as a meaningful symbolic ritual.

Some common variations include:

• Place the broom at an angle near the rear door of the church. The groom jumps first, followed by the bride.
• Lay the broom on the floor, allowing the bride and groom to jump over it together while holding hands.
• Place the broom across the threshold of the couple's new home, with each spouse taking turns stepping or jumping over it.
• Have the groom carry the bride over the broom as they enter their home together.

Another historic variation involved the couple jumping over a crossed broom and sword held by the best man and maid of honor. The sword symbolized cutting ties with the past, while the broom represented sweeping away former obligations as the couple crossed into a new stage of life.

Tajiri 36" Jump Broom for Wedding

Jumping the Broom Today

Many modern couples personalize their ceremony by decorating a broom to match their wedding colors or reflect their family heritage. Others purchase handcrafted ceremonial brooms created specifically for weddings.

Some couples who wish to avoid the broom because of perceived Wiccan associations choose instead to step over a ceremonial sword or another meaningful object that better reflects their beliefs.

Whether viewed as a Welsh folk custom, a Celtic tradition, a Romani practice, or an important part of African American wedding history, jumping the broom continues to symbolize leaving the past behind and beginning a new life together. Its enduring appeal lies in its simple yet powerful message: two people crossing a threshold into marriage, united in hope for the future.

If you enjoy learning about historic wedding customs, you may also enjoy our article on Barefoot Weddings: An Ancient Celtic Wedding Tradition, which explores another fascinating marriage tradition rooted in Celtic history.

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The Nurnberg Bridal Cup: A German Wedding Tradition of Love and Luck

(Updated December 2025)

For centuries, the German Bridal Cup has been a powerful symbol of unity, devotion, and good fortune. Couples all over the world still use this charming two-part chalice in their ceremonies or receptions, but the tradition began with a love story that is just as captivating today as it was hundreds of years ago.

Before sharing how the cup works and how you can incorporate it into your wedding, here’s the legend that gave rise to the tradition.

 

   

The Legend of the Nürnberg Bridal Cup

Long ago in Nürnberg, Germany, a wealthy nobleman lived with his daughter, the beautiful and strong-willed Mistress Kunigunde. She fell deeply in love with a young goldsmith — a talented, ambitious craftsman with little wealth but a great deal of heart.

Her father, however, had already envisioned a more “suitable” match. One wealthy suitor after another came to ask for her hand, and one after another she refused them, holding firmly to her love for the goldsmith.

Enraged by her defiance, the nobleman ordered the young goldsmith to be thrown into the darkest dungeon in the city. Kunigunde wept endlessly, but her father remained unmoved. As the days passed, her heartbreak began to show; her complexion grew pale, her spirit dimmed, and the nobleman could no longer ignore her grief.

Finally, at his wits’ end, he offered a challenge he believed to be impossible:

"If your goldsmith can create a chalice from which two people can drink at the same time without spilling a drop, I will set him free — and you may marry him."

The Goldsmith’s Masterpiece

Driven by love and hope, the goldsmith poured all his skill into the task. What he created was nothing short of extraordinary:

• A beautifully sculpted young maiden — her smile said to resemble Kunigunde’s.

• Her skirt formed a hollow cup.

• Above her head she held a small, swiveling bucket, crafted so that it moved freely as she was lifted.

The design allowed two people to drink at once, each from a different cup, without spilling a single drop.

Against all expectations, the goldsmith triumphed. The nobleman kept his word, the young couple married, and they were said to have toasted their union with the ingenious chalice now celebrated as the German Bridal Cup.

Handcrafted bridal cups can still be purchased today.

The Bridal Cup as a Modern Wedding Tradition

Today, the Bridal Cup remains a cherished symbol of:

• Love

• Good luck

• Faithfulness

• Unity between partners

Using it during your wedding adds a touch of Old-World romance and often becomes one of the most memorable moments of the celebration. Couples typically drink simultaneously, one from the skirt cup and one from the smaller bucket cup, making for a wonderful photo opportunity and a delightful shared laugh.

Handcrafted bridal cups are still made today, often by artisans who honor the traditional Nürnberg design. They make beautiful keepsakes and can be displayed proudly long after the wedding day.

Tips for Using the German Bridal Cup

Drinking from a Bridal Cup does take a bit of practice! Consider:

• Doing a quick test-run before the ceremony or reception

• Letting your officiant explain the tradition to your guests

• Having your photographer ready — the moment is always camera-worthy

If you love the idea of incorporating a meaningful drinking vessel but want something slightly easier to manage, the Scottish quaich is a lovely alternative. It also carries a rich history and symbolizes hospitality, friendship, and unity.

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