Get me to the Church. When it comes to weddings, every one is superstitious. But where do all these old traditions and superstitions come from?

Well, some can be traced back to Roman & Anglo Saxon times, some to Victorian rhymes and still others to folklore that has been passed down through countless generations. All of them have to do with bestowing good luck and fertility on the happy couple.

So according to superstition the best way to get to the Church is to walk. And you had better keep your peepers peeled for a lucky omen or two on the way--such as: meeting a black cat, having the sun shine on the bride, a rainbow, or meeting a chimney sweep.

But when you walked you also took a chance of running across a bad omen. You wanted to steer clear of Nuns or Monks. Seeing either of these foretold of a life dependent upon charity or perhaps of barrenness. Spotting an open grave, or having a lizard, pig or hare cross your path was also extremely unlucky.

Prior to actually getting to the ceremony the happy couple had to establish their intent if there was no special license involved. That is where publishing of the banns came into effect. There was no fee involved, but this had the longest waiting period. At least one of the couple had to have established residency of four weeks before the reading of the banns. This had to be presented to the cleric seven days prior to the first banns reading, along with their true identity, abode, and established residency. Over the next three Sundays during the church service, the names of the couple were announced and an inquiry made as to whether there was reason they should not be wed.

After the banns were published, the cleric then issued a certificate. The couple had three months in which to use the license. They could marry any given day between 8 a.m. and 12 noon in the parish chapel were the banns had been published. If one of the party came from a different parish the banns had to be read there also and a certificate sent to the performing cleric stating the marriage could proceed.

Coming home after the ceremony could be equally hazardous as getting there. To avoid bad luck, tradition dictates the new wife must enter her home by the main door and must never trip or fall - hence the custom that a bride should be carried over the threshold.