In the 1500s, June weddings were the most common because people typically took their annual bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June (relatively speaking). However, June is a whole month later and they were still pretty ripe, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide their odor. This is what started the modern day custom of a bride carrying a bouquet of flowers ... and also the (welcomed) custom of bathing more often than once a year!
Addendum:
After further research, it seems that this great story is only that...a story. Here is a bit of additional information that is quite interesting on the topic-The Bad Old Days: Weddings & Hygiene
Oh my God! Can this be true? Fascinating wedding facts. Thank you. Had a good chuckly over this one. xo Jen
ReplyDeleteAlas, upon further digging, I find that it is probably not true. Though, I know of several people now who have heard the same story. Oh well. What a great tale it makes!!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to read the interesting bit about the yearly baths...
http://historymedren.about.com/od/dailylifesociety/a/bod_weddings.htm