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The Wedding Ring traditionally
plain and made of gold, is the oldest surviving symbol of
marriage. The circle represents eternity and never ending
love and the gold, purity of intent. It is placed on the fourth
finger of the left hand as it was believed that a vein called
the Vena Amoris ran straight from it to the heart. If rings
cannot be bought, it is legal to borrow them for the wedding.
Confetti,
Italian for confectionery, is a watered down version
of an ancient fertility rite and nowadays little pieces of
coloured paper or rice are thrown at the couple.
The throwing
of the Garter
by the groom to unmarried men and the Bouquet
by the bride to unmarried girls is believed to bring
good luck and marriage to whomever they are caught by.
The conventional
white Dress is
said to be a sign of purity and high virtues. Green signifies
youth, hope and happiness. Red denotes vigour, courage and
passion while a violet dress symbolizes dignity, pride and
high ideals.
"Something
old, something new, something borrowed, something blue".
Something Old could be a piece of jewellery or something
from a happily married woman as a blessing of matrimonial
bliss. This represents the married woman's links with her
family and her past.
Something New depicts the new life that the bride is
starting - usually this is her dress or shoes.
Something Borrowed is to remind the bride of the need to rely
on others for help. This is normally gold, representing the
sun, the source of life.
Something Blue (usually the garter) denotes faithfulness
and is a compliment to the moon, protector of women.
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Courtesy
of Claudia Liebenberg
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