where did the tradition of not seein the bride befor the wedding start and why?

[truefirstedition]

This is the story I've always heard:

Way back in the olden days, arranged marriages were the most common. Often, the marriages would be arranged by the fathers, and the bride and groom would never even have seen each other. And it's possible that along the way (before photos and Facebook and cell phones) that the father of the bride might have exaggerated his daughter's beauty. So on the day of the wedding, the bride and groom wouldn't be allowed to see each other until they got to the altar. And then the bride would wear a veil that wouldn't be lifted until the vows had already been said. So just in case she's a little homely, the groom won't be able to back out of the advantageous match.