There are tons of wedding traditions out there, and every family and region has their own. Here are a few of the most common wedding traditions that have carried over from old times.

The bride wears a veil and carries a bouquet, as wedding tradition goes. These things are of greater antiquity than her white gown. The veil, which was yellow in ancient Greece, and red in ancient Rome, usually covered the bride head to toe, and once denoted the subordination of a woman to a man. The wedding tradition of the groom lifting the bride's veil at the end of the ceremony symbolizes male dominance. If the bride takes the task of lifting her veil on herself, she is displaying her independence.

The wedding tradition of the bride carrying a handkerchief came from early farmers, who thought that the wedding day tears were lucky and brought rain for their crops. Later, the tears meant that she'd never shed another tear about her marriage, and today we carry it to dab away tears of happiness and joy.

The honeymoon goes back to ancient times. When a man felt it was time to take a bride, he would spirit away the woman he had chosen as his bride-to-be to a secret place where her relatives would not find them. They would hide there for about thirty days, while the moon went through its phases, and drank a brew made from honey called mead.

These are just a couple of common traditions, and it's wonderful when a bride can incorporate some old traditions into her ceremony.