▁" g iving ▁the ▁b ride ▁away " ▁has ▁a ▁very ▁different ▁meaning . ▁ ▁The ▁b ride ' s ▁father ▁accompan ies ▁her ▁on ▁her ▁walk ▁down ▁the ▁a is le ▁to ▁show ▁appro val ▁of ▁the ▁gro om . ▁ ▁Cent uries ▁ago , ▁f athers ▁actually ▁did ▁give ▁their ▁daughters ▁away ▁to ▁their ▁future ▁hus b ands , ▁since ▁females ▁were ▁property ▁of ▁their ▁f athers . ▁ ▁The ▁meaning ▁and ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁cer emon ial ▁kiss ▁that ▁tradition ally ▁con cludes ▁the ▁ceremony ▁has ▁several ▁different ▁interpret ations . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Roman ▁era , ▁a ▁kiss ▁was ▁used ▁to ▁se al ▁legal ▁b onds ▁and ▁contract s . ▁ ▁A ▁marriage , ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁lif el ong ▁contract ▁between ▁two ▁people , ▁is ▁se aled ▁with ▁the ▁cer emon ial ▁kiss . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁believed ▁that ▁this ▁kiss ▁allows ▁the ▁cou ples ' ▁sou ls ▁to ▁m ing le ▁together . ▁ ▁Today , ▁the ▁wed ding ▁kiss ▁is ▁usually ▁just ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁love . ▁ ▁Wed ding ▁c akes ▁are ▁widely ▁seen ▁as ▁symbols ▁of ▁fert ility . ▁ ▁While ▁now ▁they ▁are ▁an ▁enjoy able ▁sn ack ▁for ▁the ▁wed ding ▁guests , ▁wed ding ▁c akes ▁have ▁a ▁more ▁serious ▁history . ▁ ▁Sh aring ▁the ▁first ▁piece ▁of ▁wed ding ▁c ake ▁is ▁still ▁a ▁rit ual ▁in ▁wed d ings , ▁but ▁it ▁origin ated ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁ensure ▁fert ility ▁for ▁the ▁b ride