Through out the world there are numbers of wedding traditions that have emerged over the centuries.  For instance, the throwing of rice as the couple embark on their honeymoon is thought to bestow prosperity and good luck to the new family.  Others include:

1. The Bride Wears White - White has stood for purity over the last century and was a symbol of joyous celebration in the Roman Empire.
    
2. The Honeymoon - Many marriages In ancient times began when a man would carry off a woman he wanted to a hidden place where she couldn't be found by her family.  For a period of about 28 days (one moon cycle) he would woo his chosen woman and they would drink an alcoholic beverage made with honey.  Thus was born the word and tradition of the honeymoon.
    
3. The Wedding Cake - In early Rome a thin loaf of bread would be broken over the brides head to symbolize fertility.  A few hundred years later it became customary for the couple to kiss over a cluster of small cakes.  This eventually took the form of the modern wedding cake.
    
4. Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold - In ancient times when the bride was taken without her permission the groom had to carry her through the doorway.  Later it was believed this would keep demons from the brides family from entering the groom's home.
    
5. The Engagement Ring - At one time during human history a groom would acquire a bride by purchasing her from her family.  The ring served as a symbol betrothal and as a partial payment of the groom's honorable intent.  Diamonds, because they are so hard, are thought to stand for enduring love and in the middle ages were used to scratch love messages into glass panes.
    
6. Giving the Bride Away - During times when brides could be purchased, the bride was literally given by her father to the groom upon receipt of the payment that had been agreed upon.  Today it more of a symbol of blessing of the marriage by the bride's parents.

There are many more wedding traditions steeped in the beliefs from the past not mentioned here.

Engagement

An engagement today is an agreement between a couple to be married at a future date.  Normally the man is expected to provide the woman with a gold and diamond ring to symbolize his intentions.  Engagements can last from just a few days to several years before the wedding takes place.  Modern engagements are though to extend from a decree in the thirteenth century by Pope Innocent III that proposed marriages where to be announced publicly so that any impediments to the marriage could be brought forward.

 

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