Do you want to tempt fate?  I think not!  Here are some time honoured wedding traditions and customs for you to consider during your planning…

Why White?
Dating back to the Romans, white represented happiness and joy. Back In 1499 when most women just wore their "best dress" to their wedding, Anne of Brittany set a lasting trend by wearing a white wedding dress which has carried through to modern times. However, the idea of the white wedding dress representing purity or chastity is incorrect, instead it reflects joy. That being said, in biblical times blue represented purity. 
So, brides and grooms would both wear a blue band around the bottom of their wedding apparel – ‘something blue’ – and a tradition was born.

Wait!  You've Got The Same Dress!
Ever wonder why the bridesmaids and groomsmen all have to dress the same?  According to Roman law, you had to have 10 witnesses in order for a wedding to be considered legal.  To confuse the bad spirits that might show up, several of the witness would dress up exactly like the bride & groom to throw the bad spirits off the path.  Europeans followed along with the same traditions, and the rest is history.

Kidnap The Bride
The idea of having bridal party dates back to the Anglo-Saxon, when the groom would enlist the help of his friends to abduct his bride to make sure she arrived at the ceremony.  Those buddies were called bridesmen or brideknights.  Sometimes, the groom would have a special warrior buddy who would fight off the other suitors who were trying to actually kidnap the bride before the ceremony – his Best Man, of course.
.
If you can’t find a bride to abduct or kidnap?  How about an arranged marriage?  There was a time when the parents found the bride and informed the son about who he was to marry - but wouldn’t actually let him see the bride (just in case he didn’t like the look of her). During the wedding ceremony, the bride had to wear a veil,
so the groom didn’t get to see her until the part where he pledges to be hers forevermore.

With This Ring...
The wedding ring is placed on the third finger of the left hand as a result of an ancient Greek belief that a vein in that finger ran directly to your heart….thus joining the couple’s hearts and destinies together for the rest of their lives. 

Pretty Posies
Brides have carried flowers for centuries as they’ve marched down the aisle.  Originally, herbs were tucked beneath their veils as a symbol of fidelity.  Later, the Greeks introduced the idea of including ivy which represented never ending love.
.
In Italy, flowers are placed on the front the getaway car as a symbol of the couple’s upcoming and future happy travels together.

You may kiss the bride
Why do they get to kiss at the end of the ceremony?  From Roman times, a kiss was used to seal a contract and considered to be legally binding.

Tie The Knot
Back in Roman times the bride wore a girdle that was tied with many knots and the groom would then have to untie before…before...well, you know what I mean.  We think it should then be called “Let’s Untie the Knot” not “Let’s Tie the Knot!”

Stand To The Left Please
Brides on the left, Grooms on the right.  Just in case the groom needs to fight off warriors during the ceremony, he can hold onto the bride with his left hand while whipping his sword around with his right hand (if the groom is not left-handed, you have a problem).

Here's To You
The French used to toss a piece of bread in the bottom of the cup to add flavour to the wine, then passed around the cup for the group to sip.  The last sip was saved for the person being toasted – and he would drink it – bread and all.  So much for germs, not to mention soggy bread – but nonetheless a custom was born.

What Do Wedding Cakes Have To Do With Babies?
Just barely married two minutes and already they are thinking about babies?  Ancient Romans baked “wedding cakes” of wheat or barley and broke them over the brides head as a symbol of fertility.  This evolved into baking cakes and stacking them on top of each other – and then making the bride and groom kiss over the top of the cake without knocking it over.  If successful, they were guaranteed good fortune.  Who knows what happened
if they knocked it over!

Throwing Rice At The Wedding 
People throw rice at wedding for fertility, flowers for luck and protection and garters for luck. In days gone by, people would rip off pieces of the bride’s dress for good luck – this custom was replaced with a garter (probably so the bride wouldn’t go half naked to the reception!)

Shoe Tossing and Shoe Tying
From Tudor times, shoes represented power and authority and the guests would throw shoes at the bride and groom.  If they hit them (or their carriage) it meant good luck.  In Anglo Saxton times, the groom would wack the bride with his shoe to show his authority, and the bride would throw a shoe at her bridesmaid to see who would be next in line to marry.  Father of the brides would throw her shoes after the groom as a symbol of transferring authority to the groom.

Something Old, Something New
Do you know the whole saying?  Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed,  Something Blue, And A Silver Sixpence In Her Shoe

Dating back to Victorian days. Something Old indicates a tie to the bride’s family and the past. 
Many brides choose to wear an heirloom piece of jewellery or keepsake, or their mother or grandmother’s wedding dress.

Something New shows good fortune in the bride's new life.  Sometimes the wedding dress is considered the “new” item, or an accessory like jewellery.

Something Borrowed reminds the bride that her special group of friends and family will be there for her forevermore.  The borrowed item might be as simple as the best friend’s ear rings, the grandmother’s handkerchief or a borrowed coin in the shoe.

Something Blue ties back to biblical times and represents loyalty when blue symbolised purity.  Oftentimes the bride’s garter is blue.

A Silver Sixpence in her Shoe wishes the bride to be blessed with financial wealth and happiness forever.

Bring Cash, You're Going to Need It
In Poland, if you want to dance with the bride, it’s going to cost you!  At the reception, the guests pay to dance with the new bride and the money is used for the honeymoon. 

Forever
Birds have symbolic meaning in Korea as many of them often mate for life. Cranes represent a long life and can be found on the wedding sashes, ducks symbolise a long and happy marriage.

Skip The Gown
Instead of a white wedding gown, Hindu brides wear a sari.  When arriving at the wedding ceremony, the bride wears clothing from her parents who have cared for her; when leaving the ceremony, the bride wears clothing purchased by the groom which represents a the passing of responsibility from the bride's family to her new husband.

Clean Feet
The evening before a Scottish wedding, the bride gets her feet washed by her guests.  This symbolises getting a fresh, clean start in life together. 

Make Sure You Are Wearing Shoes
In Jewish tradition, the bride and groom stamp on a glass wrapped in cloth.  This symbolises the hardships of
the Jewish people, along with representing the mix of joy and sorrow in any given life.

Dance With A Broom?
The unmarried brothers and sisters of Cajun brides and grooms dance with a broom at the wedding reception.  This symbolises (or makes fun of) their single status.

Make Me An Offer
In olden days, if you were a Viking, then you would approach a woman’s family and make an “offer” for her which was called a bride price paid by the groom’s family.  The bride’s family provided the dowry which was given as part of the wedding ceremony. 
.
Today, Viking descendents put money in the bride’s shoe to ensure the bride will never have to “do without”.  Generally a piece of silver from her day is place in the left shoe and a piece of gold from her mother is placed in the right shoe.   
.
Watch for Swedish brides with untied shoes – it symbolises easy childbirth in the future!

Vietnamese Pink Chalk
A Vietnamese tradition, the mother-in-law gives the bride pink chalk which symbolises a rosy future for the couple.