I was thinking to myself the other day — why are some wedding traditions the way they are? Where did they come from? I really wanted to understand them and to maybe be a little nostalgic too. Here are the three that I found the most fun and hilarious!! Granted, I sort of already knew the first one, but it’s so good I just have to keep sharing it!

Seeing the bride before the wedding. 

Sure, back in the day when arranged marriages were plenty and people traded daughters like livestock…this was an acceptable wedding tradition. You didn’t want the guy backing out of a deal if he didn’t think your daughter was pretty enough, haha. So go for it. See each other or don’t see each other before the ceremony — but please — let’s remember we aren’t exchanging livestock lol. Do it for the fun, for the memories or just because!

Bouquet Toss

This one I found hilarious!!!!! So…can you believe one of the wedding traditions states that it was good luck to actually tear parts of the bride’s wedding dress and keep it for themselves. So, ladies would chase the bride trying to get themselves a piece of good luck. LOL. Could you imagine?!?!?! I think I would laugh SO hard and of course, take a TON of photos if this were to happen. Anyhow, the bride would toss her bouquet as a distraction to get the ladies to back off so that she could escape. I would LOVE to see this is some fashion. I think it would be hilarious to have a bouquet toss where the bride runs around the reception hall being chased by all the single ladies and then up goes the bouquet and whoever is closer and grabs it first gets the “good luck”. 

The Best Man – The Green Lady

Also another hilarious one, so much so that I’m including a tidbit of my own family history and culture in it too. Way way way back then. Men typically captured their brides. Yes — so it wasn’t an arranged marriage and it wasn’t mutual. It was more like…hmm…what do you call it….oh yes — kidnapping, LOL. So the groom would take his strongest friend to join him to help fight off any opposing family members etc. 

So, in Hmong wedding traditions…there is what’s called The Green Lady. The green lady is someone from the groom’s side that stays with the bride all day during the wedding day. Again, a tradition based off old school things. Back then, grooms did the same thing, they captured their brides. And when this would happen, sometimes the bride would be tempted to run away on the wedding day. So, the Green Lady is sort of like the Maid of Honor — but comes from the Groom’s family. Her job is to follow the bride everywhere and ensure she doesn’t run away. LOL!!! I’ve had to be a “Green Lady” once before and basically — it’s now just a fun game to see how drunk guests can get the “Green Lady”. Not fun for me at all, haha.