Every wedding that we shoot is unique, individual and totally personal to the couple getting married. However having said that, there are a few age old traditions that seem to pulse through them all. Engagements, rings, speeches and favours are but just a few of the classic formalities contributing to a great British wedding.

We may no longer know where these wonderful wedding rituals came from or what any of them even mean but we sure as hell know that a wedding just ain't a wedding without them.

One of my favourite wedding customs is the institution of bridesmaids. Spending a leisurely morning getting pampered and respectably merry with your besties before the biggest party of your life… brilliant! But where does the idea of having this bridal harem originate from? And other than helping you get into your dress and carrying the contents of your purse around all day, what are bridesmaids actually supposed to do?

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History offers various theories and my preferred explanation has to be that bridesmaids traditionally accompanied the bride in their fineries to confuse the evil spirits. The demons could not stand to see anyone happy and so it was feared they would appear and attack the bride in an attempt to wreak misery. Of course. Obviously!

Similarly, some historians have argued that the bridesmaids were required to protect the bride from jealous ex boyfriends who would come to try and kidnap her and steal her away for his own!

So whether it be pysco ex partners or demons of hell, the general gist is that the bridesmaids were the original muscle behind the bridal party, protecting the bride EVEN during her honeymoon…. AWKWARD!

Oh how things have changed (thankfully)!

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