In medieval Germany, married couples could legally settle their disputes by fighting a Marital Duel. To even the field, the man had to fight from inside a hole with one arm tied behind his back. The woman was free to move and was armed with a sack filled with rocks. The man had three clubs […]
Some of Our Most Beloved Wedding Traditions Have Really Weird Origins
Once you’ve been to enough weddings, you just take all the traditions in stride and don’t even give them a second thought.
But where do these time-honored traditions come from? Why do women have bridesmaids? Why is there a best man?
Read on to find out the strange, but very true, origins of these wedding customs.
1. The bouquet
Have you ever caught one?
Brides in ancient Greece wore wreaths made out of mint and marigold as an aphrodisiac. Brides would also have clusters of herbs to ward off evils.
2. The honeymoon
Photo Credit: Pexels
While it’s not totally clear, i’s rumored that the honeymoon was born out of necessity, back when kidnapping a bride was a thing. The husband would hide out for about a month after the kidnapping so the bride’s family would not be able to find her.
3. The first look
In the days of arranged marriages, it was believed that if the bride and groom had the opportunity to see each other before the wedding, they would have enough time to cancel the nuptials if they didn’t like what they saw.
4. Carrying the bride across the threshold
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Supposedly, a bride needed to show that she was displeased about having to leave her father’s home, so she was carried – ie forced – across the threshold.
Another idea is that the bride was carried so evil spirits couldn’t enter her body through her feet.
Evil spirits galore, back in the day.
5. The first kiss
It old days, the priest kissed the groom, who passed on this “kiss of peace” to the bride. The priest would also kiss all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Sounds like a party!
6. Wedding rings
It’s believed the fourth finger is used for the ring because it was thought to contain a vein that leads directly to the heart.
The bride’s ring was also meant to symbolize ownership: Rings were often given to the fathers of brides as payment or collateral in ancient Roman, Greek, and Jewish cultures.
7. Bridesmaids
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Back in the day, bridesmaids were asked to wear dresses similar to the bride’s to confuse and ward off exes and evil spirits.
8. The best man
Men would sometimes steal or kidnap a bride for themselves, particularly if her family did not approve of them. The best man was originally chosen for his strength and fighting prowess to help the groom fight anyone who opposed the bride being kidnapped. And then the best man would stand next to the groom during the marriage so the bride wouldn’t run away during the ceremony.
Think about that one for a minute…
9. The white dress
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
If you thought brides always wore white, you’re wrong. Before the mid-1850s, brides typically wore red on their wedding day.
Queen Victoria wore white on her wedding day because she simply liked the color. It was shocking at first but the trend caught on – and never went away.
10. The father of the bride
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The father “giving away the bride” dates back to when women were thought of as property and the marriage was thought of as a transfer.
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20 Absolutely Shocking Confessions About Bridal Showers
Being a bride and planning your wedding is stressful AF, so you want everything that leads up to your wedding to be easy, and the bridal shower is key in that “less stress” equation.
But yeah, shit goes sideways a lot more often than you’d think and even the best planning can’t stop unforeseen problems.
These 20 people open up about the craziest stuff that took place at their bridal showers.
1. You spent an entire MONTH there?!
Photo Credit: Whisper
2. Yeah, she definitely should have waited.
Photo Credit: Whisper
3. Whoa! That’s cold.
Photo Credit: Whisper
4. Yeah, that makes no sense. Fuck her.
Photo Credit: Whisper
5. Come on grandma…
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6. No, they didn’t.
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7. Priorities…
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8. That’s petty.
Photo Credit: Whisper
9. It doesn’t always have to be bad…
Photo Credit: Whisper
10. Well, that’s a weird turn of events.
Photo Credit: Whisper
11. You probably could have, but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!
Photo Credit: Whisper
12. Ugh. Fuck that job.
Photo Credit: Whisper
13. Some problems are tougher than others…
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14. Hey niece! Be nice!
Photo Credit: Whisper
15. Sad panda is sad…
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16. Uh oh…
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17. That is a weird look for a bridal shower…
Photo Credit: Whisper
18. **sniff**
Photo Credit: Whisper
19. Everybody’s relationships are different. Don’t assume anything.
Photo Credit: Whisper
20. Starting farting now!
Photo Credit: Whisper
So not all of them were complete nightmares, but how about that MIL throwing the SIL an entire bridal shower and then showing up with a $5 gift to anonymous’ shower?
That’s some gutsy shit right there!
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10 People Share the Moment They Knew They’d Marry Their Spouse. Warning: It Got Pretty Sweet.
I guess everyone really enjoys a good love story, because there are multiple AskReddit threads all asking essentially the same question: “What made you realize that you’d marry your current wife/husband?”
For me, it was after one of our dates pretty early in the relationship. We’d been having an incredible conversation all night long, one that actually got me to make some pretty huge, powerful realizations about my life. I actually cried a little because it was so cathartic, and my now-wife never once made me feel bad about my emotions that night. She helped me grow as a person and accepted that I have feelings too (seriously, y’all, toxic masculinity is real, terrible, and way too often propagated further by well-meaning women who have bought into it). I knew instantly that this was a woman I’d be privileged to walk beside for the rest of my life.
Here are 10 of the best responses from people who could recall the exact moment they knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with someone.
1. Bae’s from the bay.
Photo Credit: Reddit, Orbiter9
2. The modern-day frog prince.
Photo Credit: Reddit, daisypushers
3. He cleaned her fridge (not a euphemism).
Photo Credit: Reddit, PoopsieDoodles
4. If you mess up this badly on your first date and she still likes you…
Photo Credit: Reddit, deviantsource
5. The way a man or woman treats a fervent Big Foot believer says everything about how they’ll treat you, apparently.
Photo Credit: Reddit, trixtopherduke
6. Love begins with Google.
Photo Credit: Reddit, orange_cuse
7. One of those actually touching moments you were warned about in the headline.
Photo Credit: Reddit, Body_Is_A_Prison
8. She’s the holy grail.
Photo Credit: Reddit, Null_Reference_
9. Gross. Nice, but gross.
Photo Credit: Reddit, TheBestWifesHusband
10. The truest love.
Photo Credit: Reddit, Pikmin64
Awwww, so lovely!
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Husband Surprises His Wife with a Trip to Disney, and Now We’re All Crying
When two people decide to spend the rest of their lives together, they can never know for sure what’s waiting for them. It’s a risk you take, but you believe you’ve picked the best person to have by your side for whatever comes next – for better or worse, sickness and health, all of that.
Kate and David Pipe met because of her parents. They encouraged her to ask a man she’d never met as a wedding date, but she refused. When he emailed her about it, though, something made her reply.
They ended up dating, and, two years later, in 2009, they tied the knot.
Photo Credit: Kate Pipe
After a year or so of marriage, Kate and David decided they were ready to have a baby, and that’s when they came face-to-face with the “worse” part of their wedding vows – they weren’t able to get pregnant on their own.
“It’s a hopeless feeling when you realize that you are the statistic that needs intervention to have children. And when that intervention fails month after month after month, it’s devastating… and all you can do is try again next month.”
Most of the burden of getting the treatments fell on Kate’s shoulder’s, a never ending and complex task that David recognized and appreciated more than he could say.
“She used to get up at 5am and drive 90 minutes each way to a clinic in downtown Toronto and get blood drawn, do some testing, and be back at work before 9am. She did this between 10-15 times per month for months and months.”
The couple went through 7 rounds of intrauterine insemination, suffered two miscarriages, and finally tried one round of in vitro fertilization that was… extra successful.
Kate got pregnant with triplets – two boys and a girl.
Photo Credit: Kate Pipe
“Once you get pregnant, that’s not guaranteed either, so you are constantly living in a state of worry, just hoping that it works out… But the thought of having three babies at the same time never scared David or me, we just wanted to make sure they were safe.”
The babies were a blessing in so many ways. They were a gift the couple had been hoping and praying for during the whole, difficult process – and they helped ease some of Kate’s pain, too.
“I always felt that we would get those babies we lost to miscarriage back, and that’s what we feel happened with the triplets.”
Their babies were born healthy and are now happy toddlers, but David never forgot the dedication and sacrifice his wife showed while they were trying to conceive. So, he decided she deserved a surprise trip to her favorite place in the world.
Photo Credit: Kate Pipe
“She really deserved way more than a trip to Disney World, but we both love it there, and I really thought she needed to get away.”
Disney was a perfect choice, though; Kate had loved it since she was a child, and she and David honeymooned there years earlier – before marriage, and all of the heartache they managed in order to get their beautiful kids.
They’ve even already taken their kiddos, and are planning to make another trip for their fifth birthday.
David really wanted the trip to be a surprise, so he went all out, contacting her boss to rearrange her schedule and working with family members to make sure the triplets would be cared for while they were gone – he even packed her bags for her and didn’t tell her they were on their way to the airport until the very last minute.
“He didn’t tell me anything until we got on the bus that takes us to the airport and he said ‘we’re going on a plane’ and that was it. He said nothing else until he took that video.”
We’ll get to the video in a moment.
Kate was blown away by all David had gone through to plan a surprise trip just for her, even managing the kids’ schedules down to the very last detail.
Photo Credit: Kate Pipe
“He is truly an unbelievable husband and father. So many of my friends and family came together to support this surprise. It makes me emotional thinking about how lucky we are and how lucky our children are to be surrounded by so many kind and loving people.”
Her husband’s incredible act of love and kindness has left Kate on the lookout for ways to repay him, and show him how much he means to her and the kids.
“Now I just keep thinking ‘how am I ever going to top this surprise?’ It’s a challenge now that I think about often, how to create a surprise as epic and incredible as he deserves.”
She and David want you to know even though struggling to conceive is a “lonely feeling,” that “so many couples go through infertility struggles.”
Here’s that video we promised you!
I hope that all of you have such a bright, shining moment at the end of your journeys, too.
The post Husband Surprises His Wife with a Trip to Disney, and Now We’re All Crying appeared first on UberFacts.
Man Asks for Advice About His Wife “Doing Nothing” Around the House – Gets Roasted
This is one time when reading the comments on the internet is not only okay, but will make you feel as if everything is right with the world instead of the other way around.
It all started when a man posted this question on a Facebook page called Man Who Has It All.
Image Credit: Facebook
His wife doesn’t clean the house or take responsibility for the kids, and he wants to know what he should do about it?
Image Credit: Facebook
As you probably can guess, the women of the internet had a good belly laugh about how the men in their lives don’t do much to clean the house and also, even if they play with the kids, don’t take much responsibility when it comes to the heavy lifting of parenting.
Image Credit: Facebook
Imagine a world where gender roles were reversed.
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Where it was acceptable for women to behave as men do when it comes to cohabiting or parenting.
Image Credit: Facebook
That’s all we’re saying, Ben.
Image Credit: Facebook
Just stop and think about your question and why it seems acceptable to you to ask it and what that says about the world we live in.
Image Credit: Facebook
For his part, Ben did have regrets about posting his question…
Image Credit: Facebook
Which honestly just delighted everyone more.
Image Credit: Facebook
I know it did me.
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People Confess the Secrets They Keep from Loved Ones
While we all agree that honesty is very important in any relationship, but sometimes a little white lie can be useful, for instance when being 100% upfront might actually do more harm than good.
If you don’t believe that, just read these 10 secrets that partners kept from their partners – only for the sweetest and/or most hilarious of reasons.
The things we do for love.
1. Spider? I haven’t heard that name in years.
Photo Credit: Reddit
2. Wow, a true heart of gold:
Photo Credit: Reddit
3. I have absolutely no idea where the remote went!
Photo Credit: Reddit
4. Gee honey IDK why DID he cross the road?
Photo Credit: Reddit
5. It’s just water haha got you!
Photo Credit: Reddit
6. Thank God they found your necklace!
Photo Credit: Reddit
7. Wow, we forgot these bananas yet again!
Photo Credit: Reddit
8. SHE SAID YES!
Photo Credit: Reddit
9. Wow you’re so lucky!
Photo Credit: Reddit
10. Cersei just said WHAT.
Photo Credit: Reddit
See? Sometimes a lie is sweeter than the truth.
The post People Confess the Secrets They Keep from Loved Ones appeared first on UberFacts.
10+ People Share the Brutal Truth They Learned from Failed Relationships
Breakups are rough, but they can also be a valuable learning experience – they help teach us what we really need from a relationship, what our own flaws are, and even what kinds of red flags to look out for.
That said, maybe the lessons learned by these 12+ people can save you some time (and heartache) the next time around.
#1. When it comes to kids.
“You can love each other as much as you can but if you’re not compatible when it comes to kids, future goals, etc it’s just not going to work out.”
#2. Not your responsibility.
“Sometimes, their mental health is not an excuse to stay with someone. Sometimes, you just need to let that go and it is not your responsibility to keep them healthy. If something does happen to them, it’s not your fault.
You can’t fix someone’s mental health. They can only do that themselves.”
#3. Don’t date a drinker if…
“Don’t date a drinker when you’re not one yourself.”
#4. Poor boundaries.
“I have poor boundaries and I’m too eager to please while simultaneously being too demanding.
Edit: Lol I wonder if I’ll tell her I got my first 1k comment over her.”
#5. Red flags.
“Cheating is a non-negotiable red flag.
Refusing to take responsibility is a red flag.
Ignoring your s/o is worse than arguing against your s/o which are both infinitely worse than communicating with one another about the topic at hand.
And the best one: you have to love yourself more than you love being in a relationship.”
#6. More red flags…
“If she gets fired from >10 jobs in 6 years because nobody can stand working with her…
That’s a red flag…
Edit: I guess the lesson would be to notice how other people that spend 8hrs a day with her….”
#7. It takes two.
“It takes two to make it work. And I was the only one doing any work, hoping if i worked hard enough, he would love me back as much as I loved him.
Doesn’t work that way.”
#8. Take them at their actions.
“if someone acts like they don’t care, its because they don’t care”
#9. The rest of your life.
“Dont put the rest of your life aside, when they leave you are then left with nothing.”
#10. You can’t stop them.
“People are who they are, not who you wish they would be. Loving someone and wanting a future with them won’t stop them from being a toxic person. And the only good option with toxic people is to get them out of your life. Even if it hurts.”
#11. You’ll never be able to be yourself.
“If you start the relationship by editing yourself and hiding the parts of you that you think they won’t like, it’s a trap and you’ll never be able to be yourself. Tears will follow. Do yourself a favor and at a reasonable point in the early relationship, be vulnerable and tell them all the things about yourself you are afraid of admitting. They’ll find them out eventually anyway….”
#12. Not great for each other.
“Accepting that life happens and sometimes two great people are not great for each other.”
#13. You can’t love away the issues.
“You can’t love away the depression. She self medicated with alcohol, and my love wasn’t enough to make her stop drinking.”
#14. Abusive households.
“Just because you both grew up in abusive households doesn’t mean the other person will be reluctant to abuse you.”
#15. How you react to this quirk.
“Everyone has a quirk. Everyone. Even you- you just might not know what it is. Day to day survival of a relationship can depend on how you react to this quirk. I dated a lot of guys who would just annoy the piss outta me daily with their quirks, and I’m not contributing our break ups solely to these habits, but it definitely didn’t help to be annoyed or disgusted on the daily by your partner. It took me some time to realize that this is just a part of who they are and I will never be able to change that. Learn to accept people for the funny little things they do.”
Keep your eyes on the prize out there!
The post 10+ People Share the Brutal Truth They Learned from Failed Relationships appeared first on UberFacts.
Everyone Should Read This Twitter User’s Rules for a Successful Marriage
While movies and TV usually make it look like it’s just something that “happens,” the fact of the matter is that any successful relationship/marriage takes a lot of work. It’s all about communicating and understanding each other, and treating each other with respect.
Twitter user Ryan Stephens recently offered 6 rules that he and his wife try to follow to maintain a solid marriage.
Photo Credit: Twitter
Rule #1 is very important.
Photo Credit: Twitter
The second rule is crucial.
Photo Credit: Twitter
It’s important to be adventurous.
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Support each other and be each other’s biggest fan.
Photo Credit: Twitter
DON’T KEEP SCORE.
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The last item on the list might be the most important.
Photo Credit: Twitter
And keep this advice in mind.
Photo Credit: Twitter
You can read a more detailed post from Stephens’ wife about their “Six Rules to be a Good Teammate in Your Marriage” HERE.
Other Twitter users agreed with the advice.
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In fact, many people could relate.
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Photo Credit: Twitter
Photo Credit: Twitter
What do YOU think? Do you have any additional advice to make a marriage work? Share in the comments below!
The post Everyone Should Read This Twitter User’s Rules for a Successful Marriage appeared first on UberFacts.
15 People Share the Moment That They Realized “Yep, I’m Definitely Gay”
Although some folks might believe otherwise, the fact is that being gay is not a choice. It’s something you either are, or you aren’t. These AskReddit users can attest to that fact, and they shared the moment that they actually realized the truth.
#1. On a mission
“When I was a Mormon missionary in Eastern Europe. The other missionaries were tempted by the pretty girls and lingerie ads, and I was tempted by the other missionaries.”
#2. The crush
“I never had any crushes or interest in anything romantic until quite a few years after my sister and stepsister did (13 months and 22 months younger than me, respectively). Then, when I finally developed a crush, it was on a girl. Suppressed it for years after my crush rejected me, so hard even I, myself, believed it was untrue, until I got drunk around a campfire with my best friend and ended up making out with her all night.
My best friend and I have now been married for 5 months
.”
#3. That’ll do it
“When I realized I fell in love with my best friend. Also we were both on the football team and we shared a locker…”
#4. It clicked
“I liked beast boy AND raven from teen titans. it clicked when i realized.”
#5. Wait a second…
“The moment I, a male, thought “Damn, why are all the hot guys gay?” followed immediately by “Wait, what?”
#6. Oh, maybe…
“In sixth grade, my teacher made an announcement after people had been making poor taste gay jokes. He said, “There’s a high change that one of you in here is gay, and you probably don’t know it. it might be you, so shut up” and in that moment i was like “lmfao ya ok sure i’d know if i was gay” and then two years later i was crankin it to a guy and after a while of doing that i was like “oh, maybe I am gay.” “
#7. Yep
“I was like 12 or 13. I watched the movie “But I’m A Cheerleader” because it was on tv late one night and I was like, yep, I’m gay.”
#8. An entire lesbian
“I was 12 years old. I was watching the movie Practical Magic for the umpteenth time. Sandra Bullock did something particularly attractive, and it clicked in my brain and suddenly I just knew.
I’d been wondering for a little while, after a (female) friend of mine did something unintentionally suggestive and I had a really strong reaction, but it was that particular viewing of Practical Magic that took me from “is it possible I’m gay?” to “Wow I am an entire lesbian.”
#9. That ass changed it all
“My best friend, who grew up as a good Irish Catholic schoolgirl, was walking behind a woman in an airport in the most amazing yellow dress. Just going on and on in her head about how beautifully it flowed, how it curved, how it settled on… After minutes of this, she realised that actually she was just staring at That Ass. It was an amazing ass.
“Oh shit!” She thought, as she realised, looking back down her life: “Every time I’ve admired another woman’s clothes… I’ve totally been admiring them.”
So, yeah. That Ass changed her life.”
#10. All the lesbians
“I’m so embarrassed but it was while watching that absolutely grim show ‘A shot at love with Tila Tequila’ on MTV.
I was an 18yr old girl, had never met a gay person (that I knew about) in real life, and BOOM I loved all those lesbians on the show.
Dani the firefighter, thanks for all the feelings.
Can’t believe it’s a shout out to Tila Tequila for her dumb show.”
#11. “I fall hard”
“I never knew until I started to develop feelings for my best friend. We had been close since middle school, but around 8th or 9th grade I started feeling attracted to her. Of course, since we both came from Christian backgrounds, I tried to deny it, and I even made up stories about liking guys just to seem straight in front of my peers. But when those feelings wouldn’t go away, my mind was just like. “F*ck.”
Before then I had never had any real crushes on anyone in my school, and I thought that romance was sappy and not worth my time. I still kinda feel that way today, but I realized from this incident that when I fall for a girl, I fall hard.”
#12. It’s not you! I’M GAY!
“The “hot” girl on college campus that my friends all wanted but she wanted me. I was questioning if I was gay and found guys attractive but never told anyone. I thought I just needed to have sex with a girl to prove I wasn’t gay. Went back to her room, making out, get her undressed, decide to just “go for it” and with my face literally inches from her lower lady bits I say out loud…
“I’M GAY! Sorry, it’s not you. I’m gay. Really gay!” She was pissed and confused. I got dressed and went back to my buddy’s dorm. I told him I was gay. He was shocked but supportive and happy he “has a chance with her now”. “
#13. What does that mean?
“I was at summer camp, between 7th and 8th grade. I’d made a new friend and we were talking about stuff, getting to know each other. He made an offhand comment about one of his friends who was bisexual. I was like, “What does that mean?”
I’d never even heard of the concept before then. It had never even crossed my mind that people could be romantically interested in the same sex. So he tells me what it means to be gay and bisexual. I think to myself, “Huh. Am I? I didn’t know I could be like that. Maybe I am.” Spoiler alert: I was.”
#14. OBSESSED
“Lesbian here.
When I was around 5 my brother brought home his first girlfriend. He was fifteen & she was sixteen.
I remember being OBSESSED with her. Her name was Tara & she had long brown hair & would compliment my drawings. She gave me a teddy bear & I still have it to this day. Looking back, I had a huuuuge crush on her.”
#15. It just hit me
“One of my gay friends was telling me how he realised he was gay and I found myself relating to everything he was saying. Before that, I thought I was asexual. I knew I wasn’t into girls but had never really seriously contemplated whether or not I was into guys, perhaps because I was afraid of the conclusion I’d reach, so I just settled on thinking I was asexual.
In hindsight, I’d always been into guys, I just misinterpreted all my feeling of attraction as feelings of jealousy. I’d see a hot guy and tell myself that I really wanted to look like him and that that was why I couldn’t stop staring. It made sense at the time, even though it sounds absurd in retrospect.
During that conversation, the realisation that I had been in denial for years just hit me and I knew I was gay.”
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