The
tradition of tying shoes to the bumper of the newly wed's car has various believed
origins ranging from the times of marriage by capture, with the bride's father
throwing his shoe in anger at the escaping groom and his stolen bride to the
notion that leather had the quality to protect against evil spirits and the
tying of shoes to the back of the newly wed's transport would deter them from
interference. Another belief is that shoes symbolise fertility (hence why Mother
Goose's little old woman lived in a shoe).
The exchange or throwing of shoes once symbolised the fulfilment of a bargain,
which, in the case of marriage, transferred the father's authority over the
bride to her new husband. The Bride's father would give the groom one of her
old shoes and the groom would tap the bride over the head with it, symbolising
the acceptance of his new authority.
It was also considered to bring good luck to the bride and groom if their guests
threw shoes at them, although one can only hope that their aims weren't too
accurate. If the bride throws her shoe, it was thought that the one to catch
it would be the next to marry, rather like the throwing of the bouquet. Finally,
it was also considered lucky to get married in a pair of old shoes.
Some weddings are timeless
