What Does The Expression Blushing Bride Mean?

The term “blushing bride” refers to a bride who is a virgin or lacks sexual experience and is nervous about her wedding night. It captures the essence of these feelings, acknowledging the bride’s beauty, grace, and the significance of the moment. Blushing brides are often used humorously to refer to a woman on her wedding day, as seen in the phrase “on the big day the blushing bride looked absolutely stunning.”

Blushing or erubescence is the reddening of a person’s face due to psychological reasons, typically involuntary and triggered by emotional stress associated with passion, embarrassment, shyness, fear, anger, or romantic stimulation. Severe blushing is common in people with social anxiety. Blushing brides are part of the Fynbos plant species and their seeds only germinate after fire. They require two years before maturing enough to produce flowers and the new seed crop.

The common name “blushing bride” derives from the suitor’s intention being apparent to all who met him, much to the embarrassment of his bride. The deeper the pink color, the more serious the intentions of the suitor. The expression “blushing bride” originated in a 1917 song by Charles Collins, Fred W. Leigh, and Lily Morris, which asked, “Why am I always the bridesmaid, never the blushing bride?”

A blushing bride wedding dress symbolizes softness and femininity, adding a subtle touch of color to traditional white or ivory wedding dresses. The term “blushing bride” has been used since the early 20th century to describe a bride who is uncomfortable or unfamiliar with sex.