Symbols of Marriage And Their

Meanings
 Wedding
Marriage is a term that signifies an agreed union or
vow between two consenting adults who signified
intentions of living together within the conditions
stipulated in their religious, civic, or cultural affinities.
As could be deduced, since people come from
diverse cultural, ethnic, racial and religious
orientations, the beliefs and value systems
incorporated within the matrimonial vow or ceremony
differs accordingly. For one’s personal understanding
and perspective, marriage is conceptualized as one of
the sacraments of the Catholic Church that unites
man and woman from the time of the matrimony until
their demise – or the famous words: until death which
is the only rational and justified reason for the
dissolution of this sacrament.
 1. Bridal Veil
The bridal veil has had several symbolic meanings. These include:

Protection: Some people believe that the veil acts as a promise from the
groom that he will protect and provide for her.

Status Symbol: The bridal veil was a marker of social status in the Victorian
era. A bride’s wealth was determined by the weight, length, and material of
her veil.

Everlasting Love: The groom covers the brides face with a veil to express
that he is not marrying for her outer beauty, and that appearance is
insignificant in comparison with the love and affection he feels for her.

Trust: In some very orthodox communities, the bride adorns a heavy veil to
cover her face. This symbolizes that she is certain about the man she is
about to marry, and therefore, has no need to glance upon him.

Chastity:Lifting the veil means that the couple can now enter into a
physical relationship. It symbolizes a breach of the bride’s chastity and
purity.

Fashion Accessory:In modern weddings, the veil is worn for fashion and not
for its symbolic meaning. Many modern women consider it discriminatory to
wear a veil as a symbol of their chastity and purity.
 2. Wedding Rings
Wedding rings symbolise eternal love and
commitment within a relationship. This emblem of
love is exchanged between two people on their
wedding day and worn to show the world they are
married. During the wedding service, the couple will
say their vows to each other while exchanging rings.
The vows include a promise to love each other no
matter what and to be faithful and committed
forever, and a wedding ring symbolises that promise.
Some couples choose to engrave their wedding rings
to incorporate a personal message.
 3. Wedding Gowns
Within the wedding symbolism, the white dress is
another element of which almost everyone knows the
meaning: purity. It is no mystery that historically the
bride must walk down the aisle chaste. It is precisely this
virginity that is highlighted by the white colour of the
dress.

It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood,

and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen
one.” Victorian ideals of weddings, romantic love, and
purity were projected backwards to rewrite the white
dress as a symbol of innocence and virginity rather than
wealth.
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 4. Bridal Bouquet
Wedding bouquet is considered to bring
happiness and satisfaction in marriage, while the
ribbon with which the bouquet is tied with
symbolizes fellowship. Tradition of wearing
decorations (usually made of same flowers) on
groom's lapel first appeared in the Middle Ages.
 5. Wedding Cake
The wedding cake symbolizes prosperity, good
luck and fertility and is made of the best
ingredients available so that the marriage will
be long lasting, happy and with many offspring.

A wedding cake is often seen as a symbol of

celebration. The cake can represent many
different things, but it is typically seen as a
symbol of love and marriage. A wedding cake
can also be seen as a sign that the wedding is
over and the newlyweds are ready to start their
lives together.
 6. A Buttonhole
A buttonhole, also known as a boutonniere
is a floral decoration traditionally worn at
weddings by the Groom, Groomsmen,
Ushers, Father of the Bride, and Father of
the Groom. They can be worn in the lapel
of the men's suits or attached to the
outside of suit blazers using pins, always on
the left hand side.
 7. Bridesmaids
The role of a bridesmaid is to support
and assist the bride prior, during and just
after the wedding. A bridesmaid is the
sounding board for any bride to bounce
off their ideas, worries and successes. It
can be a tough, but rewarding gig. As a
bridesmaid, the main responsibility that
you have is assisting the bride.

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 8. Flower Girls
In modern times, a flower girl may indeed
symbolize wishes for fertility and the forming
of a new family. However, it seems that today,
most couples include a flower girl in the
wedding party to honor a little one who is
close to the family.
 9. Walking down the Aisle
Fathers walking their daughter down the aisle and
giving their daughter, the bride, away represented a
transfer of ownership
from her father to her new husband.

In “the old days” the idea stood that as a bride you

were your father’s property. At the altar he would
‘hand you over’ to your spouse. Nowadays the
tradition has become a symbol for saying goodbye to
your family, and starting a family of your own.
 10. Dove
Traditionally, a pair of doves (male and
female) are released to symbolize harmony
and peace. They may be placed in a cage
which can be opened by the wedding
couple pulling on a cord together. The
person who catches the doves after they
are released may take them home and keep
them as pets