Wedding attire and rings have a rich history. Did you ever wonder why Brides dress their bridesmaids alike?
For a long time, bridesmaids wore dresses much like the bride's gown, while ushers dressed in clothing that was similar to the groom's attire. This tradition began for protection against evil rather than for uniformity; if evil spirits or jealous suitors attempted to harm the newly married couple, they would be confused as to which two people were the bride and groom.
Long ago villagers gathered to show their support for the bride-to-be, and "showered" her with gifts. Today, in keeping with the times, "couples showers" are coming into vogue, where gifts are bestowed upon both the bride and groom-to-be.

Wedding gowns have not always been elaborate, as many are today. In the eighteenth century, poor brides dressed in simple robes. This symbolized to her future husband that she brought nothing with her into the marriage and would therefore not burden him with any debt. It wasn't until the mid nineteenth century that the all-white wedding dress became fashionable. Up until then a bride simply wore her best dress, regardless of its color. In 1840, Queen Victoria's pure white gown started the trend that many women follow today.

The most symbolic part of the wedding ceremony is when the bride and groom exchange their vows and wedding rings. The wedding ring is the most ancient of all marriage traditions. Nearly every civilization since the Egyptians has used the wedding ring as a symbol of the marriage agreement. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, the circle represents eternity, and the earliest rings were made of braided grass, hay, leather, bone and ivory. When metals were eventually discovered, the first metal rings were lumpy and awkward. Today wedding rings can be anything from an inexpensive, plain band to an intricate setting studded with gems.

No matter where a person chooses to wear their wedding ring, the marriage bond is complete once vows are recited. The most common placement for wearing a wedding ring is on the fourth finger of the left hand. This custom began with the Ancient Romans, who believed that a vein on the left hand was directly connected to the heart. Wedding rings have been worn on different fingers in different areas. Elizabethans wore big rings on their thumbs, in 18th century Roman Catholics wore them on their right hands, some European women still do today. In other cultures the ring is worn on the left hand during the engagement and then switched to the right after the wedding.

There are some superstitions surrounding the bride shopping for a ring on Friday. Friday was not considered a lucky day. Brides and grooms were thought to be presumptuous to wear the wedding rings before the wedding.

J. Russell, owner of Striker Unlimited Treasures, had been looking for a way to share her love of silver and crafts with others. This is when she came up with the idea to open an online jewelry store, http://www.treasuresnjewelry.com. Jewelry is her passion, where ever she is, she is looking for a good deal to pass on to her customers.