Wedding Traditions: Why Bridesmaids, Veils, and Bells? Evil Spirits.

A happy couple gets pelted with rice as they leave the church after their wedding. Source: (gettyimages.com)

Wedding ceremonies are steeped in tradition, and let's face it, some of them are rather odd. A quick look into the origins of many of today's wedding traditions will show a common thread, and it's not love: These traditions originated as a way to ward off evil spirits who seemed literally hellbent on ruining the wedding day and stirring up bad luck in the newlyweds' marriage. Let's look at some of these wedding traditions to see how the people of the past devised ways to thwart the spirits.