Wedding ceremonies have been around for thousands and thousands of years and include hundreds of traditions and characteristics that have come to be expected at the event. However, our Atlanta wedding photographers have also seen that weddings are like snowflakes: each one is special with details catered to the couple tying the knot. With wedding ceremonies becoming more and more focused on the individuals, it’s only natural for some of these old and ancient traditions to evolve with the times and others to disappear completely. Here are 6 wedding traditions that have disappeared or been adapted in our modern times:

1) No Seeing The Bride Before The Ceremony

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Back when marriages were arranged matches for political or business reasons, the groom wasn’t allowed to see the bride before the wedding because everyone feared he might back out of the deal once he saw the bride. Additionally, couples were superstitious about seeing each other before the ceremony because they believed it would bring them bad luck and unhappiness in the future. Today couples are less superstitious and the few who stay separated on the big day do so only to create a special and emotional moment at the altar. Most couples participate in what is called “the first look” where they meet for a private moment to see each other in their wedding attire for the first time before the ceremony. So many couples have started doing this it has almost become a new tradition, replacing the old beliefs.

2) Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

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This tradition comes from an old English rhyme that explains that every bride should have “something old” for continuity; “something new” that shows optimism for the future; “something borrowed” which symbolizes borrowed happiness; and “something blue” that represents purity, love, and fidelity. Fewer and fewer brides are following this tradition today and these gestures have become more about sentimentality and less about luck. If a bride wants something special or symbolic, they will wear a piece of jewelry from their mom or tuck a picture of their loved ones into a bouquet or something equally meaningful, but they no longer feel they need to check off the list of items.

3) Brides Wearing Veils

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The veil tradition started in Ancient Rome when marriage was closer to a business transaction. It covered the brides face, meaning she was covered from head to toe to assure the groom that she was pure when he received her. It was also believed that the veil would hide her from evil spirits wishing to doom the marriage. This tradition has had the most drastic change of any tradition, and it is almost irrelevant now that the values of the wedding ceremony have changed. Today, most veils are decorative, lightweight, and don’t cover the brides face. In fact, some modern-day brides prefer to not wear a veil, often choosing a nice headpiece or flower crown that fits their theme.

4) The Bridal Chorus

“The Bridal Chorus’ by Richard Wagner was first used at the wedding of Queen Victoria’s oldest child in 1858 and it was played as the bride walked down the aisle. Since then it has been played at that same moment at almost every wedding and has become one of the most well-known songs ever. While there’s nothing wrong with this song, taste in music has drastically changed since the 1800’s and people want to hear something new they’ve never heard before in that moment. For the walk down the aisle, many brides choose a love song that’s popular at the time, or even one that is significant to their relationship with their fiancee.

5) The Receiving Line

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The receiving line is a very old tradition that is almost non-existent today. This custom dictated that the couple and their immediate family stand in a line at the entrance to the reception hall so that they would be there to greet each and every guest as they arrived at the reception. This would ensure that the happy couple got a chance to see and thank every single guest who came to their ceremony. In most weddings today, couples don’t have a receiving line or any type of greeting station. They simply try to walk around to each table of guests or party with them on the dance floor and mingle throughout the night. This way, visiting with guests is less formal and more intimate.

6) The Rice Send Off

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This tradition began in Ancient Rome. People would throw rice, or a different similar grain, at the happy couple as a way to ensure its qualities of prosperity and fruitfulness would be passed on to the newlyweds and help them produce children. Nowadays, the symbolism behind these herbs matter less to brides and grooms. Some couples may want a more environmentally-friendly option for their send-off, like flower petals, or they may want something that better fits the theme of their wedding, like bubbles or specially colored confetti. Other couples may choose to bypass the tradition of the toss altogether, opting for ribbon wands, glow sticks, or whistles or bells.

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