Recently we’ve discovered some of the real reasons behind certain wedding traditions that we all just seem to follow without thought. Like when we found out bridesmaids used to exist as decoys for evil spirits so as not to ruin the bride’s day – and we immediately quit our various bridesmaid roles…
And this latest revelation has turned one of our favourite wedding accessories from the most stunning, finishing touch to a bride’s wedding dress, to a bit of a spooky device once used for very ulterior motives.
It turns out that veils first became popular in the Roman times when a red sheet, called a ‘flammeum’, was used to cover the bride from head-to-toe. This was supposed to make the bride look like she was on fire which, in turn, was intended to scare off any evil spirits looking to ruin her big day.
Over time, the veil became a method to disguise the bride from evil spirits and, of course, her husband who wasn’t supposed to see his new wife until the deed was done. The un-veiling of the bride – done by the groom – was to symbolise that ownership has changed hands; from her father, to her husband.
We’d just stay under there…
And if any of this info isn’t enough to make you hate veils forever then perhaps the fact that, according to Bustle, trains and veils were designed to weigh brides down so that they couldn’t run away, will.
Still, they’re pretty though, right?
