Wedding Traditions Explained: The Bridal Party

Photo Credit: Megan Forehand Photography

It’s that time again, time for a little history lesson about wedding traditions. Today we’re detailing the history of the bridal party, also known as the wedding party. Being asked to be part of a bridal party is truly an honor. It means you are one of the most important people to the bride and/or groom, and they want you to stand by them as they take their vows. However, hundreds of years ago, being a member of a bridal party didn’t have the same meaning.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The wedding party originated with groomsmen. Back when grooms would kidnap their brides, the groom brought along male friends and family members. They were there to assist him in stealing his bride and fight off her relatives that tried to save her. Can you imagine? This must have turned into a large fight, which we’re sure didn’t always turn out nicely for the groomsmen. These men were often referred to as “Bride’s Knights,” because they assisted in her kidnapping and protected her before her wedding day.

Brides didn’t have bridesmaids until weddings started to become planned. Traditions for bridesmaids changed over the years. Some cultures required that bridesmaids be younger than the bride and unmarried. Other traditions included the bridesmaids dressing exactly like the bride to confuse evil spirits from knowing who the bride was. A senior maid, or what we know today as a maid of honor, was often designated to tend to her in the days leading up to the wedding and help the bride get dressed on her wedding day.

Photo Credit: Toby Hoogs Photography

We can’t forget the children. Flower girls originated in the Victorian era, when they were included in wedding ceremonies to entertain wedding guests. Flower girls would carry around flowers and make the atmosphere more relaxed with their presence. Ring bearers were originally included in weddings to carry the bride’s dress train. Their role then evolved to include being in charge of carrying the wedding rings, which is still included in many weddings today. There is no doubt sometimes children may get impatient and cause some sort of trouble. We suggest you to have a play area and probably look for which ride on toy to buy? see the top list, that will entertain them for hours.

If you want to learn to more about the history behind wedding traditions, check out our other blog posts.