▁gro om ▁carrying ▁his ▁new ▁wife ▁across ▁the ▁threshold ▁has ▁many ▁different ▁interpret ations . ▁The ▁act ▁today ▁symbol izes ▁luck ▁and ▁the ▁b ride ▁giving ▁the ▁gro om ▁her ▁vir gin ity . ▁Similarly ▁in ▁older ▁generation , ▁br ides ▁had ▁to ▁appear ▁unw illing ▁to ▁give ▁in ▁to ▁their ▁new ▁husband . ▁The ▁husband ▁would ▁pret end ▁to ▁force ▁his ▁new ▁wife ▁into ▁giving ▁in ▁to ▁him ▁by ▁carrying ▁her ▁over ▁the ▁threshold . ▁In ▁the ▁days ▁when ▁men ▁captured ▁their ▁w ives ▁and ▁actually ▁did ▁force ▁women ▁to ▁marry ▁them , ▁she ▁was ▁also ▁forced ▁over ▁the ▁threshold ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁unw illing . ▁ ▁American ▁trad itions ▁ ▁Wed d ings ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁varied ▁and ▁flexible ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁not ▁many ▁wed ding ▁trad itions ▁that ▁are ▁unique ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁because ▁most ▁are ▁derived ▁from ▁other ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁custom s ▁stem ▁from ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Indeed , ▁it ▁is ▁considered ▁an ▁American ▁tradition ▁to ▁follow ▁the ▁trad itions ▁of ▁one ' s ▁culture ▁or ▁religion . ▁ ▁That ▁said , ▁some ▁wed ding ▁trad itions ▁remain ▁as ▁the ▁default ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁custom ary ▁to ▁give ▁newly w eds ▁g ifts ▁for ▁their ▁new ▁home ▁together ▁at ▁the ▁wed ding ▁reception . ▁ ▁To ▁prevent ▁duplicate ▁g ifts ▁and ▁having ▁to ▁return ▁g ifts ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁liked , ▁many ▁cou ples ▁" register " ▁at ▁department ▁stores