The Traditional Reason For Brides Wearing Veils Is Rather Freaky

After finding out the history behind bridesmaid dresses and why engagement rings are worn on the left hand, the veil is the latest topic of wedding conversation.

We were of the opinion that it was a lovely tradition, all to do with mystery and the like, but it turns out there's more to it. Similar to bridesmaids acting as decoys by wearing the same dresses, the practice of a veil dates also back to Roman times. Entitled a flammeum, a large red veil acted as a 'human flame' and was believed to ward off evil spirits. That's creepy enough in itself but wait for the second reason behind the huge floor-length veil. The folks over at Bustle dug a little deeper and found that wearing the flammeum meant it was more difficult for brides to escape if they decided getting married wasn't actually for them. It covered the whole body and meant that getting away from the altar was far from an easy task. Wow.