There are many different wedding headdresses around the planet. Every corner of the world seems to have its own unique bridal headwear. But exquisite bridal crowns used in Sweden and Norway might outtop them all. These wedding accessories are not only expensive and skillfully made but look so elaborate and artful that you literally feel your eye bug out a little when you see them on local brides. Did we mention the wedding crowns are usually made from silver or gold and embellished with gems?..
A lot of women these days choose charming bridal crowns to complement their wedding gown. Such an accessory adds a queenly look to the bride and makes her stand out in the crowd. Like these elegant brides.
But in some countries, it is a centuries-old tradition to wear a large and ornate crown, sometimes even a gold one, to the wedding. Particularly, Norwegian and Swedish brides use these opulent headwear pieces. Moreover, several decades ago, if a bride didn’t wear a wedding crown, she was teased and laughed at (and there were particular reasons for it, which we will reveal later). It was a strong and honored tradition in these Scandinavian countries.
Norwegian women started to use bridal crowns in the Middle Ages. This accessory was definitely the most expensive part of a bride’s attire. It was and still is made from brass, silver, or gold, adorned with intricate patterns, gems, various decorative elements, etc. Each crown is a work of art, preserved carefully after the wedding, and often passed from one generation to the other. They can be used with or without a veil.
In the past, only virgins were allowed to wear a bridal crown for the wedding. Pregnant or widowed brides couldn’t do it – or they wore simpler and smaller versions of this headdress. By the way, this might be the reason for all that mocking of the bride who was marrying without her crown. This accessory was a symbol of purity for the blushing bride. Today though, Norwegian and Swedish women are free to choose whether they want to use a bridal crown or not.
Norwegian bridal crowns. Photo from Pinterest.com
Of course, every region of these countries has its unique design of a bridal crown, and they can vary considerably. Some are narrow and tall, others are wide and opulent, there are those which don’t resemble a crown at all. Different sizes and shapes are available. And such a great variety is actually cool.
One of the reasons why bridal crowns were so popular and almost obligatory is that this tradition was sustained by the church, and church weddings were really widespread in Sweden and Norway. Many crowns were owned by the church and brides rented them – due to this, they were affordable for practically any woman.
Today, many Scandinavian women still wish to wear a traditional bridal crown for their wedding. And who wouldn’t want to feel queenly and wealthy in a striking silver coronet?! On a Swedish or Norwegian traditional wedding, the bridal crown is a must-have and worn with beautiful bunad – local folk dress. And they value their wedding attire during the whole life, even more so than those brides who had ordinary white wedding dresses.
