Why We Wed the Way We Do

The Veil

April 1, 2012 in
Etsy.com handmade and vintage goods

Lisa Butterworth
Lisa Butterworth

Lisa Butterworth is a writer and editor soaking up the eternal sunshine in Los Angeles. When she's not on the hunt for the latest and greatest in girl culture as the West Coast editor of BUST magazine, she's flea marketing, taco trucking, and generally raising a ruckus.

Though weddings are as unique as the individuals getting married, the traditions involved are unquestionably routine. Their origins, however, are quite surprising.

Though it can be a super-stylish addition to your aisle-walking attire, the wedding veil initially had an otherworldly purpose: in Roman times, it shielded the vulnerable bride from the enchantment of pesky evil spirits while simultaneously hiding her embarrassing blushing nature. Later, it took on a more practical function. When arranged marriages were de rigueur, the veil ensured that a groom wouldn’t bounce from the ceremony if he didn’t like the look of his bride-to-be upon meeting her at the altar. The veil was only lifted once the union was legal — when what the groom saw was what he already got.

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Musical stars Madge Elliott and Cyril Ritchard's wedding, September 16, 1935. The State Library of New South Wales
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