Wedding Myths: Good Luck and Bad Luck

These are wedding myths that has been passed down for generations, and probably will be for many more generations to come. As many brides-to-be would want their wedding day to be perfect, since it's the most special day of their entire lives, they follow some of these myths not because their afraid of it due to the "bad luck" it brings, but because some wedding myths also brings "good luck" to newly weds.

Even though there's no scientific proof to these wedding myths and superstitions, it never hurts to try a few of them, and besides, it's for the better (or best) that both the bride and groom wishes on their day of marriage.

Here are some of the Wedding Myths and Superstitions that has both good luck and bad luck versions:

Wearing of Pearls

Many believed that the wearing of pearls represents future tears, thus if the bride wears them, she'll shed tears in her entire marriage. On the other hand, since pearls represents future tears, other people believe that by wearing them, the pearl takes the place of the bride's real tears, so she'll be living a happy, tear-free marriage.

Rain on the Wedding Day

If it rains on the wedding day, some says that it is good luck because it represents a fertile crop or the coming of children to the marriage. In contrast, some people believe that if it rains on the wedding day, it represents the tears the bride will shed throughout her married life.

Dropping of the Wedding Ring

Here's another wedding myth that has both good and bad luck attached to it. As the superstition goes, dropping the wedding ring or rings, is believed to shake off evil spirits, therefore being lucky for the bride and groom. However, others believed that who ever drops the wedding ring or rings shall be the first person to die among the people who attended the wedding, making it a very bad luck.

Below are some of the well known wedding myths that brings nothing but bad luck to the marriage:

The Wedding Dress

The bride should not make her own wedding dress, according to the wedding myth, every stitch the bride sews she will shed one tear during her marriage. Wearing the entire wedding outfit (dress, veil, shoe and jewelry) before the day of the marriage is forbidden as it will bring bad luck for the bride.

Having the Same First Letter of Surnames

"A change of name and not of letter Is a change for the worse and not the better." It is considered unlucky for the bride if she marries a man having a surname that begins with the same first letter as hers.

Lending The Wedding Ring

The wedding ring is considered sacred for the bride and groom, therefore, it must not be lent to others as is may bring bad luck to the marriage, and worse, the possibility of unfaithfulness.

Other wedding myths:

Removing the Wedding Ring

If the bride removes her wedding ring, it is believed that the groom must be the one to return it to her finger to continue the good luck.

The Shoe (Father of the Bride)

As the story goes, the way I heard it, the father of the bride will pass on one of the bride's shoe to the groom which signifies that the father is giving his daughter away in marriage.

The Shoe (Mother of the Groom)

It is considered good luck for the mother of the groom to throw a shoe at the bride as the newly weds leave the reception. That way, the mother-in-law and the bride would forever be the best of friends.

Throwing Rice

Throwing rice at the newly weds represents fertility and fruitfulness, but today, it is rarely done to weddings due to the the urban legend that the birds who eat the rice will have stomach ache and probably explode. Of course, that is not true! But there are people who uses petals, blowing bubbles, and sometimes throw bird seeds instead of rice.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe!

This wedding myth is probably still the one that most brides-to-be do at their wedding day. The "something old" is a thing that represents the bride's past or her family, wearing a jewelry of her grand mother or mother is usually chosen as something old; The "somethings new" represents the bride's adulthood, and it is the wedding dress that is usually chosen as something new; The "something borrowed," believed by many, is borrowing something from a happy married couple (usually a family member) so that good luck will be bestowed upon the wedding day; The "something blue," has been in use since Victorian times, the color blue symbolized purity, constancy and fidelity; Lastly, the "Silver Sixpence in her Shoe" represents wealth and financial security. Nowadays, sixpence is no longer common, so most brides would either purchase a symbol of this item from bridal shops or place a penny in their shoe instead.