SOMETHING BORROWED ...

Remember, if you see a pig on your wedding day, cancel the wedding. And if you make your own dress you are doomed. We have been getting married for thousands of years so it's no wonder there are so many tales and myths about marriage that have developed over time. Of course, many of these are centred around the bridegroom himself and are mainly based upon folklore created to prevent innocent women making a costly mistake. Fortunately for the modern woman, as with every problem we encounter, there is one solution: the internet. With some date sites offering a tailored service of introduction, based upon years of scientific research on sexual compatibility, error margins can be vastly reduced. Yet whilst those old myths might not heed much warning anymore, a traditional white wedding still has a rich mythic history.

The ring

It is thought the wedding ring initially came from Ancient Egypt. It represented the financial sacrifice of the groom, the logic being that a groom wouldn't enter into an engagement lightly if it meant paying for a pricey ring.

The ring finger

There are many theories as to why we chose our ring finger above all the rest, but a likely one comes once again from Ancient Egypt. The Ancient Eqyptians believed that this finger was the end of the Vena Amoris, or literally 'the vein of love', the vein which ran directly to the heart.

The clothes

Many of us might know already about the sinister tradition of the veil but the full story still packs a punch. With the advent of arranged marriages, veils were used to prevent the groom from seeing the bride, so as not to be disappointed and leave her at the altar. Often veils were opaque so both bride and groom couldn't see each other, to such an extent that fathers not only walked their daughters for symbolic purposes, but also because they simply couldn't see. On the boys part however, it is far more endearing as grooms donned the same clothes as their ushers to confuse mischevious spirits.

Of course, even with the help of magic, marriage can be an intimidating thing, but with so many websites offering advice on everything from dating to the big day itself, your wedding will be certain to go down in history itself.