The tradition of the father giving away his daughter has its roots in the
days of arranged marriages. Daughters in those times were considered
their father's property. It was the father's right to give his child to the
groom, usually for a price. Today a father giving away his daughter is
a symbolof his blessing of the marriage.

In ancient times, men sometimes captured women to make them their
brides. A man would take along his strongest and most trusted friend to
help him fight resistance from the woman's family. This friend, therefore,
was considered the best man among his friends. In Anglo Saxon England,
the best man accompanied the groom up the aisle to help defend the bride.

The origin of the tiered wedding cake also lies in
Anglo-Saxon times. Guests would bring small cakes
to the wedding and stack them on top of each
other. Later, a clever French baker created a cake
in the shape of the small cakes and covered it in
frosting, which is now known as the tiered cake.

Flowers are incorporated into the wedding ceremony as a
symbol of fertility. The first bouquets consisted of herbs, and
later, orange blossoms.

The bridal veil has long been a symbol of youth, modesty, and virginity
and was used to ward off evil.

The bridal party is a tradition that has been established for many
centuries. For a long time the purpose of the bridal party was to fool
evil spirits. The bride's friends dressed similarly to her in order to
confuse any virulent presences that may be lurking about. Today
bridesmaids are still there to support the bride during the stressful
times during the wedding.