Good Luck Strung About Your Wrist

It’s not at all uncommon for brides and grooms to usurp interesting or pretty traditions from other cultures when planning their wedding ceremonies. And why not? When you’ve been to enough weddings that all began and ended with the same rites and rituals, the drive to differentiate yourself can be strong. USian and Canadian brides and grooms who aren’t of Native descent also have family who once upon a time called somewhere else home, and they may find the traditions of their heritage fascinating and beautiful.

Most recently I came across the wedding horseshoe, which according to different web sites is common in the UK, not at all common in the UK, frequently carried by brides, now almost never carried by brides, made of wood, made of lace, or most definitely a real horseshoe that must have been worn by an actual horse. That’s the Internet for you! Ah, well… it’s still a lovely idea. And I do think that all that good luck that can be found in an upturned horseshoe will probably still be accessible to the bride in the form of a charm or a wedding cake topper or bridal bouquet embellishment. No need to sprain your wrist or run the risk of knocking out your ring bearer!

But for the purists, here’s the skinny on wedding horseshoes.

The Irish Jewelry Company: The Scottish horseshoe is a good luck charm that is to be given to the bride after the ceremony. It is considered bad luck is the bride take the good luck charm into church before she is married. Any child may hand over the horseshoe the bride not just the wedding party children. This Scottish tradition is for a small child or toddler even to hand a horseshoe to the bride as she walks out of the church with her husband.

Bliss Weddings: In Britain, and many other countries, a Bride carries a replica of a horseshoe on her wedding day for good luck. There is a ribbon attached to the shoulders of the horseshoe and it is carried on the wrist. Irish brides used to carry a real horseshoe for good luck. (With the points turned up so the luck won’t run out). Today, most Irish brides carry a horseshoe made out of porcelain or fabric.

Blackberry Wedding Designs: Horseshoes are traditionally given to the bride as she emerges from the church and are said to bring good luck. The bride usually carries it looped over her wrist for the photographs and later it is often placed in front of the wedding cake or displayed on the main table along with the bouquets.