More Weird and Wacky Wedding Customs From History

At a time when brides are not always choosing the traditional white dress (I swear I saw some reality TV show the other day in which the bride wore black), they might want to heed this old rhyme:

Marry in white, you'll have chosen just right.

Marry in blue, your man will be true.

Marry in brown, live out of town.

Marry in green, ashamed to be seen.

Marry in red, wish yourself dead.

Marry in black, better turn back.

Marry in yellow, got the wrong fellow.

Marry in gray, you'll be a widow some day.

Men, if you're going to wear something other than a rented tuxedo, take care. If you put your wedding clothes away right after the ceremony and don't wear them for a while, it's bad luck. Even if you just wear them for a romantic dinner once in a while for the first few months, that's enough to invoke good marriage fortune.

A wedding that takes place at the full moon (or at least during the waxing moon or near the full moon) means that the couple will have a long and happy marriage.

Although June weddings are considered to be extremely lucky, there is apparently something to be said for January ceremonies:

Marry when the year is new,

Your mate will be constant, kind and true.

However, weddings that take place on rainy or snowy days are unlucky. I should point out that I married my husband Alex on a cold sunny day in January. So far we've had almost seven happy years!

A black cat crossing your path may be bad luck, but if you see a toad immediately after the ceremony, this is considered to be a good thing!

Brides: never, ever sell the dress you were married in. You can give it away, or save it for a younger family member or your own daughter, but selling your wedding clothes is a sure way to end your marriage in a hurry!

At one time, it was mandatory to have witnesses, not only for the wedding ceremony, but for the proposal and acceptance as well. Imagine getting down on your knees and having everyone in the restaurant get up and come over to your table so they wouldn't miss a single detail of your nervously-worded proposal and her answer!

The bed where the newlyweds were to consummate their union until the bedclothes had been nearly covered with flowers and then blessed by the priest (presumably the same one that performed the marriage ceremony), complete with candles, acolytes swinging censers, the couple anointed with holy water and served communion! Really gets you in the mood, doesn't it?

And in Shakespeare's time, if you wanted to get married, you had to plan the wedding for a Sunday. It was said that, "Sunday was of all days of the week the favourite one for marriages. Long after the theatres had been closed on Sundays, the day of rest was the chief day for weddings with Londoners of every social class." I guess if it was the only "day of rest" you had, you were forced to get married on that day!