such as why a wedding cake is so symbolic? Why do brides wear something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue or why they even wear white? You may find some of the answers to those questions quite alarming -- like the fact that having bridesmaid's stemmed from the need to confuse evil spirits.

Poor bridesmaids! Owner of The Wedding Salon Barbara Whitecross said people are still pretty traditional when planning their wedding.

"But a lot of brides-to-be are starting to understand that they should wear dresses that suit their complexion instead of sticking with pure white, which used to be a must,'' Ms Whitecross said.

She added: "The wedding gown does not have to be white -- it can be ivory, champagne, diamond white, pink or off white.

"The rest of the wedding seems to still be pretty traditional. Bridal parties are staying between three and six attendants as usual, and blue garters are still a must.'' Bishop Ewen Ratteray said the meaning behind wedding vows is a personal promise between two people in the presence of family and friends.

"The couple are pledging themselves to each other for life -- whatever happens whether good or bad, rich or poor etc.,'' Bishop Ratteray said.

He added that he finds couples still stick with the traditional vows instead of choosing to write their own. "I rarely see personal vows but nothing is more perfect than the vows in the Bible.'' The most significant custom that is most followed is the wearing of a `colourless' gown by the bride.

According to the book `Why in the World' by Reader's Digest "Brides wear white because this has been the tradition for centuries. White is said to signify the bride's purity, her innocence and candour.

"At one time, though rarely now, it indicated her acceptance of simple values.

"There are many superstitions that apply to coloured gowns -- married in red, you'd better be dead...married in yellow, you're ashamed of the fellow...married in green, you're ashamed to be seen...married in pink, your spirits will sink.'' And what is the reason behind a bride having `something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new'? With many women changing different aspects of their wedding, most still keep to the "centuries-old tradition''.

This grouping of superstitions is said to have originated in England. "They come from a belief in the idea that one person's luck can be readily handed on to another.

"To wear something old, particularly a mother's wedding dress, is said to confer good luck on the bride, though most modern brides put fashion first. An old garter from a happily married woman similarly passes on some of that person's good fortune.

"A borrowed item, such as a bridal veil from a blissful wife, also is said to bring happiness. `Something blue' is often a bride's only departure from all-white attire. Those that truly believe is this say the blue must be sky coloured -- the colour of the heavens which represents trueness and fidelity.'' The most interesting fact in the different traditions of a wedding is the reason for bridesmaids.

Today, a bride believes her bridesmaids consist of good friends or relatives who are close to her and can share in the joy of the wedding. But some brides will be interested to know that in ancient times bridesmaids were used as a decoy to confuse evil spirits.

"A bride would chose bridesmaids that resembled her as closely as possible, and she and her maids would dress in similar costumes.

"This contrived similarity in overall appearance was designed to confuse evil spirits, overcome with jealousy at the prospect of impending joy and good fortune.

"On the theory that numbers bring safety, and more so if you can't pick one from the another, the bride surrounded herself with lookalikes.'' When planning a wedding brides tend to pay close attention to the type and colour of flowers that will decorate the church, what kind of bouquet the bridesmaids will carry and most of all what her own will look like.

"Among ancient people, flowers symbolised sex and fertility, and became a natural part of the marriage ritual. Today, brides carry a floral bouquet in hopes of ensuring marital happiness.

"Usually the bouquet contains roses, which is a sign of love and luck.'' The book also states that the tradition of throwing the bouquet stems from the belief that the bride is passing on her lucky charm -- increasing the chances of an early trip to the alter for another young women.

Many of us have `oohed and ahhed' when the officiator of a wedding pronounces `And now you may kiss the bride' and the groom definitely jumps at the chance but why is that kiss so important? As stated in `Why in the World' the kiss as a sacred pledge, which is what it has come to signify when a groom kisses his bride, probably originated in Asia Minor.

"To show allegiance, men kissed a ruler's hand or the ground he walked on.

Today in the marriage service, when the minister says `You may kiss the bride' he is in effect announcing the end of the service. The kiss is a symbolic sealing of the wedding vows.'' When planning a wedding the bride also hunts down the perfect cake whether it has layers upon layers with cascading flowers or whether it be a small but elegant one.

And she does this for good reason, according to `Why in the World'. "No bride can be happily married, it is said, if she makes her own cake, because she will commit herself to a life of drudgery. Nor will she be happy unless she be the first to cut it -- with her husband's sword, if he has one, or otherwise with the best knife in the house.

"As as she does so she should make a silent wish. The groom places his hand on hers, not to help cut the cake but to show that he is eager to share in her good fortune.

"A piece of wedding cake can convey the bride's good luck to her friends.

That's why guests are invited to take home a portion.'' When it comes to a honeymoon many husbands and wives look at this as a way to escape all the stress circulated around the wedding planning and the actual day.

It is a time that the newly married couple use as together time, to supposedly consummate the marriage and relax.

The honeymoon custom started with the ancient Teutons, who lived in Jutland, northern Europe.

For a lunar month, or moon, after their wedding, Teutonic newlyweds celebrated their union with mead, which is a wine made from honey. This feast became known as the honey-moon, and later defined the custom of newlyweds taking a holiday immediately after marriage.

Today when a bride and groom slip away to start their honeymoon, they are repeating part of a barbarous practice of centuries past.

"In those days, a young man, usually aided by his best man, seized a wife by force, hiding her away and fighting off all attempts to recapture her.

"Later having convinced his wife that he was the perfect husband, the pair would come out of hiding, and the young man would try to placate the bride's family by offering gifts,'' as stated in `Why in the World'.... How times have changed.