The Story of Bridal Combs and the Bride

There are days when the sun would be shining so happily. The clouds would be softly bobbing along against the direction of the wind. The twitters of birds can be heard blending harmoniously with the songs of the insects. This is the kind of day that everyone would want their birthdays, weddings, anniversaries to fall on. Unfortunately, today is not that day.

Instead of its normal carefree demeanor, big dark clouds can be seen instead as it slowly overshadow the whole sky. The hot sun rays are completely obscured from the view, and for the first time, it seems that the sun is terrified of them. As though there was a psychic connection between them, the wind starts to pick up its speed and began to howl. Baby trees are barely able to hold on to its roots while clothes from the laundry line seem to have picked up a life on its own.

Of all days, it was this very day which Mary Jane Watson chooses to be wed. Clad in a white satin wedding gown, it was a vision of pure white amidst the calamity. Peter Parker was waiting in the very front of the garden. He looked up and let out a sigh. Of all days, he thought, it had to rain. His neatly combed hair was a tousled mess. Even the industrial strength hair spray could not suffice the force of the wind. He looked anxiously at his bride-to-be’s. Will her hair resemble an African lion’s mane?

Ah! There she was. Surprisingly, despite the rough winds around, her hair was neatly tucked in a bun. There was not a single strand out of place. Did she use a better hairspray? He glared at the man who was giggling with the other bridesmaids. Little did Peter know that it was not the hairspray that kept Mary Jane’s hair in place. It was a tiny bridal comb that was gently tucked on her bun which held her veil and hair in place.

Who knew that this minuscule device had the power to defy the massive power of howling winds. Did you know that the comb was on e of the oldest archaeological finds? It was already in its refined form with its history dated back 5000 years ago among the settlements of Persia, probably at the height of the major Indo-European migration. Since that period of time, the comb was only made for the hair. Hair straightening and keeping the hair in place has been, is now and will be the major purpose for hair combs. However, the comb has also been used for other purposes. Of the entire most unlikely one is it was the inspiration for several musical instruments. It was discovered that hair combs that are of different length, material and weight has the ability to produce different notes and frequencies when picked. This was the mechanism behind the workings of the thumb piano and the music box.

From keeping hair in place and making music, the comb continues to fascinate us. Someone decided that since the comb was used by ladies not only to straighten any fuss, but it was also used to make sure that their hairdo is not blown apart, why don’t we make it into a bridal accessory? Traditional combs are made of wood and plastic. This would be rather unsightly for a woman to walk around with a piece of boxwood on her hair. So, the comb went through a massive makeover. Instead of using synthetic material and products from the forest, the comb’s frame was constructed from beautiful metals. Silver, platinum and gold are such examples. It was then decorated with rhinestones and gems to make it even more glamorous. Thus, the bridal comb was born.

The bridal comb has ever since been used to hold the veil. Gently tucked on the hair bun, it also serves the purpose to keep the hair strongly in place and to prevent any strands of hair from escaping. Bridal combs has an exaggerated feature which is its combs are longer than any other typical combs. This allows the bride to have a choice of either wearing it up front or in the side of a French twist. The wealthier would opt for bridal combs that resembled a wedding tiara, a thin piece of wire that is embellish with pearls and crystals. Princes and princesses from the royalty would not allow anything below diamonds or rare stones.

Mary Jane snigger to herself. Come hail, come wind, come snow. She thought. My hair will always be in place.