Last weekend at Ducky’s bridal shower, her bridesmaid BB entertained us by crafting a beautiful paper plate bouquet out of the bows and ribbons from Ducky’s shower gifts. I always forget about this tradition during the wrapping stage of my bridal shower gift-giving: the faux floral bouquet that’s made to be used at the wedding rehearsal. While I jotted down a thank-you list for Ducky’s shower gifts, I thought about all the other funny traditions that come with weddings.

One of my favorite things about weddings is all the tradition—especially all the stuff that no one seems to know the meanings of. (I imagine the amount of time it takes just to coordinate seating arrangements probably dissuades people from researching wedding traditions for kicks).

I love the tradition that the bride has to wear something blue…the idea that the groom can’t seen the bride before she walks down the aisle…even the fake bow bouquet.

Did you know that the original purpose of bridesmaids is to ward off evil spirits? Or that fragrant flowers were originally included in wedding bouquets to mask the scent of body odor? Women getting married throughout history have come up with some awesome ideas. Certainly men could take a few cues. Take our beloved Washington Capitols for instance. They’ve had quite a week, and I bet they could use a floral arrangement in that locker room.

Ducky looked so springy in her flowery linen dress at her shower that day, and it was a little sad that all the excitement and anticipation was over in such a short time. Just hours earlier, I had been scrambling to shove a billion balloons in my backseat (I would comment on snickering drivers looking in my side windows, but I couldn’t actually see my side windows). Now the floor was covered in wrapping paper and people had pink lips from the frosting on the wedding ring cupcakes. Thanks to the trivia games we played, everyone now knew that the original purpose of the groomsmen was to help kidnap the bride, and had discovered that Professor (Ducky’s fiancé) sometimes refers to her as a “penguin in a blender.” (We also knew that Ducky now has a new kitchen appliance for making us some margaritas!) The fun and games and virtual Bed Bath and Beyond commercial were over. I guess parties always pass too quickly—but hey, it’s part of the tradition.

Katie, a local bridesmaid-to-be, writes occasionally about planning for and being part of three (and counting) friends' weddings in one year. To follow her adventures from the beginning, click here.