5 Obscure Wedding Traditions We Should Definitely Bring Back

5 Obscure Wedding Traditions We Should Definitely Bring Back

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While we love , there are plenty of wedding traditions we're more than happy to skip (er, Garter belt, anyone?)

That's because a lot of wedding traditions are pretty deeply rooted in old-school gender norms that don't accurately represent modern relationship dynamics.

That said, there are a few forgotten weddings traditions of yesteryear that we think deserve a revival, simply because they are absolutely, positively awesome. Here are five of our favorites:


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2. Wearing a flame-colored wedding veil.

Vikings used to give new brides the best gift ever: house cats! This was done to honor Freyja, the goddess of love, who, according to legend, drove a chariot led by cats. A brand new kitten probably beats that blender you got from Bed, Bath & Beyond.


3. Going for a sauna night on the eve of your big day.
4. Honey-mooning like the ancient Teuton people.


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5. Going shopping at your neighbors' houses.

Ancient Roman brides wore veils with pictures of flames on them to ward off evil spirits. The happy side effect was looking seriously badass.

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In Finland, it was common up until the 19th century for the bride to visit a sauna the night before her wedding. Sometimes, the groom would join her, and other times she'd invite all her besties. Either way, after months of mapping out seating charts and picking napkin colors, a nice trip to the sauna seems like a great, relaxing ritual.


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In one ancient Germanic tribe, couples would marry under a full moon, and then proceed to drink honey wine together for an entire month. This became known as the "honey moon." Thousands of years and thousands of honeymoon destination options later, nothing quite beats post-marital alone time with excellent beverages.


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According to records from the 19th century, it was customary in Scotland for a couple to go "thrigging," which is like thrifting at all your neighbors' houses. They'd go door-to-door in their neighborhood and select a piece of furniture or household decoration from each home. Guess that saved them the trouble of making a registry.

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