Common Wedding Rituals in the USA
Being a country of diff erent cultural races, there is a great
variety of wedding styles in the United States. However, the
majority of weddings nowadays still follow a number of
traditions. One of the traditions dating back to the nineteenth
century is about what a bride should wear on her wedding
day. It is commonly believed that on her wedding day, the
bride should carry with her ‛something old, something new,
something borrowed, and something blue’. This is because
each of these things has a special meaning for the bride on
this big day.
When a bride wears ‛something old’, it reminds her of her
family and the past. Thus, some brides may wear their mother’s
wedding dress or a piece of her jewellery.
‛Something new’ that the bride wears means good luck and hope
for a happy future with her husband. This new item is usually a pair
of new shoes, or it can be the wedding dress or something else.
When the bride wears ‛something borrowed’, it symbolizes the help and
support she gets from her friends and her family whenever she needs it. An example
of ‛something borrowed’ can be a married friend’s bridal veil or a friend’s handkerchief.
‛Something blue’ means trust and faith between the bride and the groom. Nowadays, some brides are creative
with this item. For example, they may have their fi ngernails painted blue. Nevertheless, the most popular blue
item is the garter that the bride wears on her leg.
Things are changing fast these days; however, the rituals about what the bride should wear on her wedding
day remain kept strictly by a lot of women in the USA.
