The kiss between the bride and groom originated in Ancient Rome, where contracts were made binding by being sealed with a kiss. Marriage is a contract of loyalty and commitment to another person, thus requiring a kiss to seal the fate of the bride and groom.

In our research, we found a few other explanations of how the first kiss came to be:

• A suspicious husband in Rome pressed his lips to his wife’s to find out if she’d been drinking wine.
• In Scotland, the pastor had to be the first to kiss the bride. According to tradition, her happiness depended on it.
• One custom says that when the husband kissed the wife, she was obligated to cry. If she didn’t, her married life would be writhed with tears.
• Another belief is that a couple exchanges spirits with their breath and part of each partner’s soul leaves to abide in the other.
• Today, the kiss is a symbolic gesture during the ceremony to seal the matrimonial vows exchanged and to present your oath of faithfulness to one another in front of your loved ones.