Traditions #18 – bride on the left
On Thursday I post a wedding tradition. I have two more left, so hope you have been enjoying, and learning from these postings.
Why the Bride stands on the Groom’s left – Since grooms in early Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides during the wedding ceremony, the lady would stand to the left of her future husband so that his sword arm would be free. It was also customary for the groom to hold onto his bride with the left hand, thus, by association, the bride’s family sit on the left side of the church.
Why the Bride stands on the Groom’s left – Since grooms in early Anglo-Saxon England often had to defend their brides during the wedding ceremony, the lady would stand to the left of her future husband so that his sword arm would be free. It was also customary for the groom to hold onto his bride with the left hand, thus, by association, the bride’s family sit on the left side of the church.
