Here comes June again! It is a month of exchanging those sweetest “I do’s”. Why being a wedding makeup artist is one of the flourishing professions here in the Philippines is because of this much-awaited month. Five to six month before June, someone will ring them up to book them as their bridal makeup artist. But what is with June that it is considered the most chosen month of all months?

In case you’re not aware of, every nation or culture has a fair share of what comprises a wedding ceremony as of today. We list down some of the origins of each element in a wedding below:

• June weddings = this one is deity-inspired thanks to the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter and goddess of marriage and childbirth. Yep, you’ve read the obvious clue there – marriage. But maybe the media has a take on it through the movie “June Bride”, a 1948 film.

• The “I do’s” = this phrase has no romantic origins whatsoever. Originally, It is the answer of the father of the bride to the question, “Who gives this woman to this man?” During those times, fathers just gave away their daughters like a property to the man they’ve personally chosen for their daughters.

• Wedding ring = the Egyptians, Romans, and other ancient cultures believe the ring which forms a shape of a circle symbolizes eternity thus by wearing it, the newlyweds are bound together. Forever.

• Wedding dress = usually worn white that represents purity and chastity. The trend was started by the late Queen Victoria. Sometimes it has a touch of blue that symbolizes fidelity. On a “not” lighter note, the dress was once a symbol of luck, so the guests literally rip off a piece. As an alternative, the garter and bouquet were the items given away instead.

• Wed = the term itself lacks of romantic beginnings as well. According to Online Etymology Dictionary, in Old English weddian (to pledge oneself) which is closer to “pledge” in other Germanic languages such as wette(a bet or wager). It means to “make a woman one’s wife by giving a pledge or earnest money”. Weddings back then are purely a business arrangement between two families.

• Betrothals = these were so rampant in the past and either party had no say whom he/she could marry. Some were even “married” or promised while in the womb. Infant and child “weddings” were also practiced to secure the power and wealth of each family.

• The Bride = she is the “belle of the hour”. However, this is not the situation in the past. In some tribes, a woman is considered a property to be given away by her father to his chosen mate. Brides were either captured or bought.

• The Groom = the usual place of the groom is at the right side of the bride. The practice originated from the Western countries. This was toeasily draw his sword to protect the bride from possible capture so he could fight against the bad guys.

• The Best Man = The best man used to be more than a bestfriend; he was the “best” soldier of the king or prince and acted as a personal security for during the wedding. He would even stand guard outside the couple’s honeymoon room to ensure their safety.

• The Bridesmaid = today, the dress of the bridesmaid is entirely different from the bride, so the latter will surely standout. But during olden times, they were a copycat of the bride. Why? This is to cause confusion to the captors with the hopes of mistakenly seizing the poor bridesmaid instead.

As you noticed, weddings did not have romantic roots. But as humans learned to act more civilized, love or the expression of it gradually changed. An example of this was at Tours, France in the sixth century. Marriage proposals were personally handled by men. A young man gives his betrothed a ring and a pair of shoes (a sign of submission) sealed with a kiss.