With this ring...

The ring finger itself has a story-long ago, it was said that it had a vein connected directly to the heart. The wedding ring comes from colonial times, when it was custom to give an engaged woman a wedding thimble. After the wedding, the cup of the thimble was cut off and the top became a ring. Unlike modern brides, those in ancient Rome wore wedding rings on their thumbs.

Color me...

Contrary to popular belief, white hasn't always been associated with virginity and weddings. The color didn'' become popular until themid-19th century when wealthy brides showed off with a dress that would be worn just once. Before then, brides wore their best dress or the wedding costume of their country. (In Spain, it's black; in China and some Islamic countries a bride wears red, Russians traditionally wear blue; and Korean brides wear ceremonial robes with bright reds and yellows.)

And a Penny in Your Shoe...

Wanna get lucky? Do like brides in England and place a sixpence in your shoe; or copy the Canadians and use a quarter. Money is supposed to bless your married life with fortune.

Flower Child...

Traditionally, the bride is to walk on a floor strewn with flower petals to guarantee a smooth and joyous path in life. A flower girl serves just this purpose. Since petals can be slippery, modern-day girls often use paper petals as a substitute, or they just carry a basket of fresh flowers.

Break Some Glass...

Jewish custom often finds the groom, and these days some brides as well, stepping on a glass (covered in cloth so as not toinjure anyone) after vows are exchanged. The broken glass symbolizes different things to different couples: the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D.; the fragility of relationships; and the consummation of the marriage to occur later that night.

Throwing Rice...


Most cultures shower the wedding couple with food to symbolize fertility. The French throw wheat; the Sicilians throu bread and salt; and the Greeks throw dates and almonds (ouch!). Americans used to throw rice until it became not so P.C. (it's a hazard for birds). Now, birdseed, rose petals, confetti and bubbles are the fertility favor.

Jump The Broom...

In homage to an ancient African tradition in which brides swept the home of their in-laws, some African-American couples jump over a broom after they exchange vows. This tradition is also meaningful because it recalls the time when slaves substituted the jumping of the broom in lieu of an actual ceremony, which slave owners often forbade.

The Threshold...

There are two theories about the origin of the groom's carrying the bride over the threshold of their new abode - and neither is exactly pro-woman. One states that it was an opportunity for the bride to show her "reluctance" at leaving her parents' home. The other version recalls the caveman days when brides were literally carried off (as in kidnapped) by the groom.