Weddings, the joyous union of two people in love, are rich with sentimentality as well as centuries old superstitions.
Beyond the something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, there are many sayings, customs, and rituals that many believe will help the couple begin their new lives together with health and wealth.
When to Marry The Day: Although the majority of modern weddings take place on a Saturday, that particular day of the week was once believed to be very unlucky.
An old rhyme says to marry on a Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, and Wednesday for the best day of all.
The rhyme continues to warn that if you marry on Thursday, there will be losses, Friday is for crosses, and on Saturday for no luck at all.
The Time: For a life full of compromise, togetherness and good luck, marry when the hour hand is going upward.
If the vows are said when the hour hand is pointing downward, bad luck will plague the marriage.
The Month: In ancient Roman times, the month of May was when the Feast of the Dead took place, and was also when Pagans celebrated a festival with outdoor orgies, both highly unsuitable times to begin a marriage.
Adversely, June was considered to be the luckiest month in which to marry because it was named after the Roman god of love and marriage, Juno.
Summer in general was considered the best time to get married because of the association between the sun and fertility.
The Wedding Dress and Veil It has always been thought to be unlucky if the groom happens to see the bride in her gown before the ceremony, and equally as unlucky if the bride saw herself fully dressed in the mirror.
The truly superstitious would even leave the final hem of their dresses unstitched until just before the wedding to avoid being completely dressed.
All of this was to avoid the full anticipation of the big day so as not to risk something going wrong.
Originally worn in ancient Roman times, the veil was used to protect the bride from malevolent spirits, disguising her and keeping her from harm.
The Wedding Ring The wedding ring is said to signify continuity, love, and the universe as a whole as it is a symbol of the Earth.
The ancient Greeks believed that a vein within the left, third finger led directly to the heart, beginning the tradition of wearing the ring there.
The Receiving Line Newly married couples were thought to be very lucky, therefore anyone who touched them would also revel in that good luck, thus starting the tradition of the receiving line.
Attendants Long ago, attendants were dressed similarly to the bride to fool any evil beings who may show up and try to ruin the wedding.
Being confused, the spirits were unable to cast their spells upon the bride and she would be safe from danger.
The best man's purpose was also to protect the groom from any bad luck that may come his way before the ceremony.
What's in a name? Even the bride and groom's surnames aren't exempt from superstition.
If a woman married a man whose last name began with the same letter as hers, they would be destined to a life of unluckiness.
Likewise, women were advised not to practice writing their new, married name before the ceremony so as not to tempt fate.