We were thinking that the reason behind the veil would be a lovely tradition, but much like the reason behind why bridesmaids wear the same dresses it’s much darker than you think.
Dating back to Roman times, brides would wear a large red veil called a flammeum. This was meant to make the bride look like they were on fire and therefore was believed to ward off evil spirits.
So it wasn’t always traditional to wear white on your wedding day either! If you want to find out why, click here.
But according to Bustle, there’s also another reason the veil was made a part of the traditional wedding attire…
Floor length and covering the whole body, the flammeum made it more difficult for the bride to escape if they decided they didn’t want to get married – and also made it easier for them to be transported to their new bridegroom, who they often had seen before the ceremony!
There many other reasons as to why brides wear a veil too, as there are many cultures that have brought it into practice at one time or another.
Here's just a few of the reasons why some brides wear veils...
Some wore a veil because when fathers arranged marriages, the bride would hide her face until the last possible moment so that a less attractive woman wouldn’t spoil the agreement the father made with the groom for his daughter in exchange for money and goods.
Ouch.
Another reason is because it is believed the veil represents the bride’s virginity and their purity.
Quite a traditional one there.
However, some have their veils lifted during the ceremony to represent a sign of ownership. A father will lower the veil on his daughter’s face to ‘gift’ her to her new husband, and then the groom can lift the veil symbolising his new ownership of the bride.
How romantic…
And in the Jewish faith, veils act as a public display that the groom isn’t just marrying the bride because of her looks.
Aww!
Do you know anymore reasons why brides wear veils? Or do you have your own reasons for wearing one?
Let us know via Facebook and Twitter (@CloserOnline)!