Tag Archives: good luck at wedding

Friday 13th – Fear of Fiction

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Today is the first of the three “Friday the 13th’ days in 2012 so, if you’re feeling lucky today it may last the whole year. On the other hand if you are a victim of  friggatriskaidekaphobia, this is only the beginning. The origins of the fear of the number 13 and this day falling on a Friday are very sketchy and this phenomenon has only been around for about a hundred years. For me, the only thing  to fear is fear itself, as I don’t personally believe in luck (either good or bad) and this day to me is like any other with one exception; a chance to move around a little easier.

According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina,  an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. “It’s been estimated that  $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day”. 

Oddly enough, even wedding advice boards are inundated with posts warning couples that Friday the 13th is a bad day to get married. As a result, a lot of venues offer specials to those who dare to mark this as their anniversary date. FYI if you get married on Friday the 13, you will celebrate your anniversary on Friday every 7 years.

Statistically, there has never been a major weather catastrophe, a terrorist attack, an assassination attempt or anything comparable on Friday the 13th in my lifetime. I have personally never seen any remarkable occurrences or suffered any particularly unlucky events which all lead me to believe that any and all fear of Friday the 13th is completely unfounded. Unless it rains on your wedding day which is extremely good luck (wink, wink).

If you are setting your wedding date for 2012 and you are not superstitious, you can still have two chances to reverse the curse (April and July) as well as September and December in 2013. Don’t forget to ask if there is a discount for non-believers!

 

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is Your Luck Good or Bad?

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There are so many symbolic things about weddings that if you go culture by culture, every single thing from the ring to the gown can be interpreted as either good luck or bad luck. Take for instance wearing pearls: Said to be bad luck in some cultures since each pearl represents the tears the bride will she during their marriage. Of course another culture sees pearls as good luck since each pearl replaces the tears of the bride leaving her care-free and happy forever. Seriously?  Pearls represent  the beauty of nature and nothing else.

More about  tears – if it rains on your wedding day it is good luck since it washes away all the tears. If it rains on your wedding day it is bad luck, dooming your entire marriage to a deluge of tears. Actually if it rains on your wedding day it is because there is a large amount of condensation in the clouds.

It is bad luck for the bride to make her own wedding gown because every stitch represents a tear (again with the tears). The truth is that it is bad luck for a bride to make her gown because there are a million other wedding  things to do. Plus, sewing, if done properly, is hard work and the fittings are next to impossible on yourself without a dress form that is a perfect match to your body. Making your own dress is a recipe for stress, nothing else.

If the bride or groom drops the wedding ring it is good luck since it shakes off evil spirits. However, if it is dropped by anyone else, they will be the first among you to die.  This is probably why modern ring bearer pillows have long ribbon ties since this is too big a sacrifice for a wedding.

Allegedly, if the mother of the groom throws a shoe at the bride as the couple leaves for their reception, the bride and mother in law will forever be best of friends.  I would have been thrilled if all my mother in law ever threw at me was a shoe! My guess is that if she hits the bride, all bets are off.

The time of day that the couple exchanges vows should be when the clock is moving upward so you are ascending toward heaven. Attention Brides: Move the time of your wedding  from 2 pm  to 2:30 pm. If you only have digital clocks, disregard.

Sharing the same last initial is bad luck. This omen comes with a handy rhyme  “To change the name and not the letter is a change for the worse and not the better.” I personally think it makes things a lot easier; monogrammed towels, stationery, luggage tags,etc.

Last but not least it is considered bad luck for the bride to sign her married name before the wedding. But why would she? Unless you are 12 years old and you are marrying Justin Beiber, scribbling your married name on a binder  “Mrs. Justin Beiber”….nobody does this.

Society is fraught with rules and omens  that no longer have any relevance to modern society. I would bet that 300 years ago  when someone handed the groom a wedding ring, they dropped it was because they were coughing so hard  from the black plague  – of course they were the next to die! OMG nobody touch the ring – you’re all going to die!

I am sure that these explanations and theories made sense at one time but not any more. Get married at 2 pm on a sunny day, drop the ring, make your dress and sign your married name the day before the wedding….just make sure you duck if you see your  mother in law removing her shoe. 

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago