miller while her father totally forbade the marriage. In an attempt to dissuade her, the father refused to give the customary bridal dowry. The community came to the couple's aid and showered the new bride with the necessities for the couple's home.

Since the original purpose of a wedding shower was to help a new bride set up her first household, showers were generally not held for the second-time bride. Over time, however, this tradition has been disregarded. Although they are often simpler and less elaborate, showers for brides who are remarrying are still held in the same spirit of those for first-time brides.

Early bridal showers tended to be much more intimate than modern showers. Unlike today's showers, the first bridal showers only included guests who were very close friends or relatives. In addition, it was only women who were invited. Today, however, the participation of men in showers, and weddings in general, has significantly increased. Co-ed or "couple" showers that honor both the bride and groom are very popular.

Weddings Customs

The Wedding Gown and Veil - Wearing a wedding veil is still highly popular in the US. The traditional wedding gown symbolizes the innocence of the bride in preparation for her new husband. It is considered unlucky for the wedding dress to be fully sewn until the wedding day. Brides save the last stitch of the gown until just before leaving for the church.

The veil tradition originated in an effort to fend off evil spirits for the bride before the wedding. It is thought that evil spirits will see the veil and not be able to get to the person inside, preserving the bride for the husband.

Confetti and Rice - The throwing of confetti and rice comes from the Italian tradition of throwing candy over the heads of the bride and groom as they move out of the church. It is also considered appropriate to throw nuts or raisins, or even paper confetti. Rice is typically thrown in American weddings for fertility.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue - This is a rhyme from the Victorian era. The Something Old refers to the friends who have come to the wedding party and bring good luck to the couple. The Something New refers to the new couple's future happiness and success. The Something Borrowed comes from the bride's family. This is often an item the bride can take with her to the altar. The Something Blue refers to the blue ribbon the bride was to wear in her hair. Now this can be any item, as long as it's blue. The meaning of this rhyme is meant to bring the couple good luck.

The Wedding Cake - The custom of wedding cake originated from Rome, who shared a cake in honor of the new couple. This was to symbolize good luck throughout the marriage. Now, a tradition that has evolved has been one of the bride and groom feeding each other a bite of the first piece of cake. Again, a symbolic gesture that is meant to bring the couple luck.