The word marriage means a socially recognized and approved union between two individuals of the opposite sex with the expectation of permanence and usually with the aim of producing offspring (Bahr, 1995). This definition of the word marriage is known throughout the world, but the rituals behind the wedding are not known to very many as rituals, but as tradition. Most people do not understand where wedding traditions originated from but continue to use them none the less. Such wedding rituals – wearing the white wedding dress, the cake, the flowers, throwing of the rice, wearing veils, the best man, the maid of honour (or the bride's maid), and most importantly the exchange of the wedding rings – are not known for their significance, but known only because they are tradition. This essay will help define what the significance is behind the many wedding rituals, or traditions still used today.
             There are many wedding rituals that are a very important part of the wedding itself, one of these being the wedding dress. Women would spend many weeks, sometimes even many months looking for that perfect wedding dress. It must be the perfect look and style. Women usually look for the most beautiful white wedding dress. This, however, has not always the case. Women also did not always take so much time to find the most perfect dress. Women did not have very much money to spend on a dress that would only be worn once, so they would pick out their nicest dress that they already owned. Women also did not look for white as the colour of their dress. Wearing a white wedding dress to be used only once for a wedding ceremony is a tradition that has only been around for about one hundred and fifty years. Brittany made the white wedding dress popular in 1499 (Family Education Network, Inc., 2000-2002). It was not until this time that white was seen as the traditional colour of the wedding dress. White is seen as a colour that symbolizes...