The part of the wedding ceremony where the young ring bearer walks down the aisle carrying the two wedding rings on the ring bearer pillow is a very important part of the wedding ceremony. And it’s not just for Western weddings either. Probably for any other culture that uses wedding rings at the ceremony, the process where the ring is brought to the bride and groom on that day will be one of great importance. And a rite this significant is sure to have an interesting history behind how it all came about.
If you notice, most of the traditions that we modern day humans practice is a throwback to the traditions which were practiced by our ancestors, and this includes weddings. Weddings were important back then, and they are just as important a tradition today. The only difference is that our ancestors probably didn’t have many of the fanciful and elaborately decorated items that we used in today’s wedding ceremonies, including the ring bearer pillows.
The reason the ring bearer pillows have been considered important at weddings is because there is an interesting history and, of course, a meaning behind it all. After all, the pillows used during the ceremony are not merely just for show. Every bit of wedding tradition always has some meaning or other behind it all, as nothing is ever practiced just for fun. Weddings are meaningful ceremonies, so what is done during the wedding ceremony has to be meaningful as well.
So the ring bearer pillows are in fact, essential items after all, large because of what will be placed on them on the wedding day. The ring bearer pillows will be carrying the two wedding rings, the symbol of the bride and grooms’ newfound bond and commitment to one another and the items that will show the rest of the world that these two are husband and wife. And for items as important as these, you certainly can’t expect the ring bearer to just carry them in the hand, can you? No, they need to be treated specially, and that’s why we have the stunningly decorated ring bearer pillow to serve such as purpose.
The use of these pillows, or rather the history of the ring bearer pillows used at weddings can be traced back as far as the ancient Roman and Egyptian times. In ancient times, it was only the society’s wealthiest people who had the privilege and comfort of owning pillows and cushions, which in those days were considered luxury items. Since pillows were such a precious commodity at the time, it was only fitting they be used at wedding ceremonies, which were considered just as important in those days as they are today. However, according to the history of the ring bearer pillows, the pillows were traditionally used to carry gold or silver stones rather than the wedding rings that they now carry today.
The history of the ring bearer pillows goes as far back as we can remember. And according to tradition, the person who carries the pillow on that day, the ring bearer, is usually a young male member of the family. He can either be from the brides’ side of the family or the grooms’. If neither the bride nor groom has a young male member of the family, a ring bearer could also then be a boy whose parents are close personal friends of the bride and groom. The boy is usually not younger than five and not older than 10 years of age. Or if they want to keep it within the family, then the ring bearer could be a young girl member of the family, although this is rare.
According to the history of the ring bearer pillows, these pillows are considered important items at the wedding only because they will be carrying the couples’ precious wedding rings on that day. On the day of the wedding, two different types of wedding ring sets can be placed on the pillows. The couple could either choose to have their real wedding rings brought to them, in which case they will be firmly secured to the pillows with a string of some sort, or the rings used on that day could be fake, and merely serve a symbolic purpose or used just for show.
So you see, nothing in the wedding is ever done just for fun. Every item has its purpose, even a seemingly insignificant item like the ring bearer pillows. They may look useless, but they serve a purpose which is the very reason they were introduced into the wedding ceremony in the first place since ancient times, and they will continue to play a part in wedding ceremonies in years to come.
About Nicole
