It's tradition, but where does it come from?

Some women have dreamed of getting married from a young age. The dress, the venue, the person they love. Before the marriage, comes the engagement and we're sure many of you have dreamed of that too. Where it will happen, what the ring will be like, who will be the person bending down on one knee?! Bending down on one knee has been the tradition for centuries and we've seen it both in movies and in real life... but where does it come from? In fairness, when you think about it, it's a strange tradition. Why do they have to literally go down on the ground? On their knees?! Well, wedding website Engagement Ring Bible wanted to find out exactly why it happens, and it turns out it goes back to actual medieval times.

"Knights would get down on one knee in front of their lord as a display of respect, obedience, and loyalty. It was also a common occurrence in religious ceremonies, and in those days marriage and religion were intrinsically linked.

"So when a courteous gentlemen was proposing to his lady, pledging his allegiance to her and declaring his undying love for her, getting down on one knee was the natural thing to do."

While many may choose to not go down on one knee (which is absolutely fine - they're still asking you to marry them!), if they do it's basically a very old way to show you they love and respect you.