Traditions & Folklore
Wedding Superstitions & Traditions
The good luck, the bad luck and the stories behind them
Weddings are a time of joy and celebration, and they come wrapped in centuries of superstition and tradition passed down through the generations. From something old and something blue to a sixpence in your shoe, these little customs are meant to bless the couple with good luck on their big day.
As a wedding photographer, I have watched so many couples fold these rituals into their day, some for luck, some for the story, some just for fun. Here is a look at the best-known wedding superstitions and traditions, where they came from and what they are supposed to mean, so you can decide which ones to weave into your own celebration. You can see more of how I photograph weddings across the UK and beyond.
The Classic Rhyme
Something Old, Borrowed & New
One tradition stands out for its charm: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The custom traces back to the Victorian era, when superstitions were taken seriously. Something old symbolised a connection to the bride’s past and her family, something new stood for hope and good fortune ahead, and something borrowed, ideally from a happily married woman, was thought to pass on a successful marriage.
The something blue represented love, purity and fidelity. Whether or not you set much store by it, working the rhyme into your day is a lovely way to honour tradition and add a little sparkle to the occasion.
For Prosperity
A Silver Sixpence in Your Shoe
One of the best-known good luck traditions is the silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe. Tucking the coin into her left shoe was believed to bring the couple financial prosperity and keep bad luck at bay. It usually came from the father of the bride, a small wish for his daughter’s future comfort.
Sixpences are hard to come by now, so most brides use any small silver coin, or track down a keepsake sixpence made for the purpose. It slips easily into the day and makes a sweet, sentimental nod to tradition, just watch it does not scratch the inside of your favourite shoes.
An African Tradition
Jumping the Broom
Jumping the broom has become a beautiful and meaningful ritual in modern wedding ceremonies. Its roots run deep in African and African-American history, carried through the days of slavery when enslaved couples were denied legal marriage, and it endures today as a proud symbol of union and heritage.
As the newlyweds jump over the broom together, they sweep away the past and step into a new life as a married couple. It is a joyful, symbolic moment, a lovely way to honour ancestry and mark the threshold between two chapters, and it always makes for a wonderful photograph.
Who’s Next?
The Bouquet Toss
The bouquet toss is one of the most lighthearted traditions of the reception. The bride turns her back to the crowd and throws her bouquet over her shoulder, and according to folklore, whoever catches it will be the next to marry.
Some couples love the fun and the scramble of it, others skip it or hand the flowers to someone special instead. However you feel about the superstition, it is always a joyful, high-energy moment, and one of my favourites to catch as it happens.
Purity or Tears?
Are Pearls Bad Luck for a Wedding?
Pearls are one of the most debated wedding superstitions. Some say they are a symbol of purity, making them a perfect choice for a bride. Others believe pearls resemble tears, and that wearing them means a marriage touched by sadness, though there is a kinder reading of the same idea: that by wearing pearls, you shed all your tears on the wedding day and none after it.
So are pearls bad luck for a wedding? There is no single answer. It comes down to which version of the folklore you like best. Pearls have been worn by brides for generations and remain a classic, elegant choice. If they make you feel beautiful and confident, that is really all that matters.
A Blessing in Disguise
Rain on Your Wedding Day
Rain on your wedding day is a classic sign of good luck in English folklore. It is said to bless the marriage with fertility, cleansing and renewal, and there is a lovely bit of symbolism behind it: a wet knot is far harder to untie, so rain is thought to signal a strong, lasting and unbreakable marriage.
So if the skies open on the big day, do not let it dampen the mood. Grab some pretty umbrellas, pull on your wellies and lean into it. Some of the most romantic, atmospheric photographs I have ever taken happened in the rain, and your guests will love your fun-loving spirit for embracing it.
Playful & Old
The Bride’s Garter
The garter is one of the most playful traditions a bride can carry. Originally it was worn as a symbol of the bride’s purity, and was thought to bring the couple good luck. In some older customs, guests would even try to snatch a piece of the bride’s dress for luck, and the garter became a way to satisfy that superstition without ruining the gown.
These days it is far more lighthearted. The groom removes the garter and tosses it to the single men at the reception, the male counterpart to the bouquet toss. Whether you keep it, skip it or wear one purely as a private keepsake, it is a charming little nod to centuries of wedding folklore.
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Why Brides Carry a Bouquet
Brides have carried flowers for centuries, and the tradition has some surprising roots. One belief was that the bouquet warded off evil spirits and bad luck on the way to the ceremony. Another, less romantic theory is that strong-smelling herbs and blooms were once used to mask any less pleasant odours in the days when bathing was a rarer luxury.
Happily, today the bouquet is all about beauty and meaning. The flowers a bride chooses often reflect her personality and the feel of the day, and they make a natural focal point in photographs. Whatever its origins, a bride holding her flowers is one of the most enduring images of a wedding.
A Victorian Legacy
Wearing a White Wedding Dress
The white wedding dress feels like it has always been the default, but it is a relatively modern tradition. It took off in the 19th century, and Queen Victoria is widely credited with popularising it when she married in white in 1840. Before then, brides simply wore their best dress in whatever colour they owned.
White came to symbolise purity and innocence, and its clean, elegant look has kept it a firm favourite ever since. Today brides wear every shade under the sun, from blush to bold colour, but the white gown endures as a classic. Whatever you choose, the right dress is the one that makes you feel wonderful walking down the aisle.
Tradition or First Look?
Not Seeing Each Other Before the Ceremony
One of the most romantic wedding superstitions says the couple should not see each other before the ceremony. The old wives’ tale calls it bad luck, a hangover from the days of arranged marriages when a glimpse beforehand might prompt a last-minute change of heart. There is a practical side too: seeing each other early can bring on emotional, tearful moments that some couples would rather save for the aisle.
More and more couples are choosing a first look instead, a private, quiet moment together before the ceremony begins. It is a lovely trend that takes the edge off the nerves and often makes for beautifully intimate photographs. Whether you keep the tradition or plan a first look, there is no wrong choice, only the one that feels right for you.
Things to Avoid
Common Bad Luck Superstitions
For every good luck charm there is a superstition warning of the opposite. Breaking a mirror on or before the wedding is said to bring seven years of misfortune. Giving knives as a wedding gift is thought to symbolise a severed relationship, which is why some cultures include a small coin in return, so the gift is technically bought rather than given. Even colours carry old warnings: green was long considered unlucky for a bride in parts of the British Isles, and wearing red raised eyebrows in some traditions.
The weather has its say too. While rain is a blessing, strong winds were thought to blow away the couple’s happiness, and some believed the day of the week mattered, with the old rhyme cautioning against marrying in certain months. Whether you take any of it to heart is entirely up to you. Most couples enjoy these superstitions as folklore and a bit of fun rather than firm rules, and pick the ones that add a little charm to their day.
A Roman Custom
Carrying the Bride Over the Threshold
Carrying the bride over the threshold is a tradition as old as it is charming. The Romans believed that evil spirits could enter a bride through the soles of her feet, so lifting her over the entrance to her new home was a way to keep those spirits at bay as the couple crossed into married life together.
There is a gentler reading too, that a bride should not appear too eager to enter her new home, so her husband carries her in. Far-fetched as the old beliefs may sound now, the custom has stuck around because it is a sweet, symbolic gesture, a little moment of good luck to mark the start of a happy marriage.
Rings, Cake & Veil
Three More Timeworn Rituals
The exchanging of rings is one of the oldest wedding customs of all. The unbroken circle has long symbolised eternity and a love without end, and the ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand thanks to an old belief in a vein that ran straight from that finger to the heart.
The cake carries its own history. In Ancient Rome a loaf was broken over the bride’s head for fertility and good fortune, and in medieval England guests stacked small cakes into a tower for the couple to kiss over without toppling. The white icing we associate with wedding cakes today was popularised by Queen Victoria as a symbol of purity and wealth.
The veil, meanwhile, has roots in both modesty and superstition. In some traditions it shielded the bride from evil spirits, in others it signified her commitment to her future spouse. Fewer brides wear one now, but as a piece of history it remains one of the most evocative parts of the bridal look.
In Closing
A Little Luck for Your Wedding Day
From Ancient Rome to the Victorian era, wedding superstitions and traditions have carried couples down the aisle for centuries. Some are old wives’ tales, some are folklore, some are simply beautiful rituals, and all of them add a little charm and meaning to the day. Whether you are hoping for good luck, warding off bad, or just enjoying the stories behind the customs, there is something lovely about honouring the couples who came before you.
The best part is that none of it is compulsory. Modern couples pick and choose, keeping the traditions that speak to them, quietly dropping the ones that do not, and inventing a few of their own along the way. Take what you like from these wedding beliefs and myths and weave them into a day that feels entirely yours.
The best weddings honour a little tradition and break the rest with a smile.
However you mark the occasion, I would love to be there to capture it, the traditions, the superstitions and all the real moments in between. You can see more of how I photograph weddings across the UK and beyond.
Jordan Fox
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