"May you bear 12 children with him"

This weekend I celebrated my friend Daphne's upcoming wedding with a trip to Ocean City, Maryland. Daphne's bridesmaids planned a variety of games and activities. The weather was dismal but we splashed in the puddles, giggled over stories, and lounged in the hotel hot tub. I love the kindred feeling of being around a group of girls, all there to celebrate a dear friend. 

This coming weekend, I'll be a bridesmaid in my cousin Kelsey's wedding. The wedding date seemed so far away when it was first announced, and it's hard to believe it's almost here! I can't wait!! All these festivities have wedding on the brain, so I looked up a few fun facts about the origin of wedding traditions. Enjoy!

Fun wedding facts:

1. Wedding rings are typically placed on the third finger of the left hand because ancient Egyptians believed the vein in that hand ran directly to the heart. Romans also called this the "vein of love".

2. Modern-day groomsmen come from the historical tradition of the groom and his friends actually kidnapping the bride. Also, the groom always stands on the bride's right side at the altar so that his right hand (sword hand) will be free to fight off a jealous rival.

3. The tradition of the garter and bouquet comes from when guests in ancient times would tear off part of the bride's gown as a token of good luck. Better to throw them something before they can rip apart your gown, eh?

4. The phrase “tying the knot” comes from an ancient Babylonian custom in which threads from the bride and groom's clothes were tied in a knot to symbolize the couple’s union. A bit more literal than the colored sand ceremony, I guess.

5. In some African ceremonies, guests offering well wishes would greet the new bride with the words: “May you bear 12 children with him." Yikes.

For a full list of 77 wedding facts, check out the website below!

XOXO,
Maria

 Source: https://www.factretriever.com/wedding-facts

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