In the past there have been a number of customs
involving shoes which were thought to bring good luck. The best known, which is
still upheld, is to tie shoes to the back of the newlyweds' car. This has
evolved from the Tudor custom where guests would throw shoes at the newlywed
couple. It was considered lucky if they or their carriage were hit.
Less well known is for the bride's father to give the groom a pair of the
bride's shoes to symbolize the passing of responsibility for the daughter to her
new husband. A variation of the custom is for the groom to tap the bride on the
forehead with one of the shoes to assert his dominance.
The custom of the bride throwing her bouquet shoulder, described below, was
originally performed by her throwing one of her shoes over her shoulder.
