Wedding Superstitions

A bride who breaks a dish in the course of a wedding feast may expect bad luck in her marriage.

A bride entering her new home must tale a piece of rosemary from her bridal wreath and plant it at the front door for good luck.

A bride must also be carried over the threshold of her new home in hope of avoiding harm from malignant threshold gremlins.

A necklace of amber is a traditional wedding gift from a mother to a daughter, as amber was once thought to make a woman smell more desirable to her lover.

It is extremely unlucky for a couple to hear their wedding banns being read; it will likely cause ill luck to befall their future children. Hence, banns should be read in the church prior to the couple entering for the ceremony.

The custom of "barring the way" should be enacted as a newly wed couple leaves the churchyard - a rope or barrier of some sort must bar their path until a toll is paid by the groomsmen; the money is to be spent on a drink toasting to good health.

Of course, the rhyme "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" should be followed to the letter, when choosing the bride's attire, to ensure a prosperous marriage.

A bat found in the church during a wedding ceremony is considered an ill-omen, as is the tolling of a bell before the ceremony has closed.

Anything with an emerald in it is a good choice for a wedding gift, as it bestows good luck on the married couple.

It just about goes without saying, that if a wedding ring is lost or broken before the ceremony, the marriage will be ill-fated, so guard your rings carefully!

On the wedding night when the couple go to their room, it must be the groom who locks the door; if the bride locks it, an argument will ensue.

A woman should never use her married name before the wedding takes place ~ this will bring bad luck to her future under that name.