Wedding Traditions around
the World
Weddings are quite predictable - the bride walks down
the aisle, the couple exchanges vows, the bride and
groom kiss, the bride tosses the bouquet, and off
everyone goes to a night of partying at the reception.
Yes, you know the routine. But this is only if the
wedding is going to be held here or if the couple would
have an American wedding. This is not the case if the
couple decides to incorporate wedding traditions from
other parts of the world, more so if they decide to hold
it in a different country.
If you are getting married soon and you are thinking of
adding some international flair to your big day, let
this ultimate guide enlighten you on wonderful (and
unusual) wedding traditions from around the globe.
Italy
Wedding festivities begin in the
morning, preferably on a Sunday. Marrying on a Tuesday
or Friday is considered bad luck.
A groom carries a piece of iron on
his pocket to drive evil spirits away.
Couple arrives in the wedding venue
on foot. You can save money on fuel!
At the end of the ceremony, couple
shatters a vase or glass. The number of pieces symbolize
the number of years they will spend together.
China
Couples consult a fortuneteller or
astrologer to find the perfect date for the wedding.
Love
horoscopes
Bride usually wears a red silk dress
designed with an embroidered dragon or phoenix.
Ritual tea ceremony is held to
signify bond between the two families.
A 10 to 12-course banquet is in
order to show everyone that the couple is well-off.
Lion dance is part of the wedding
reception.
Denmark
Pine branches are built in front of
the bride’s house to symbolize fertility.
During the reception, the groom goes
away so that all the bachelors in the party can kiss the
bride. After that, the bride disappears when it is the
groom’s turn to be kissed by all the single young women
in the room.
Finland
Instead of the bouquet toss, the
bride would wear a golden crown and be blindfolded. She
would spin around while the single women would dance
around her. The one who gets crowned will be the next
one to marry.
The bride walks from house to house
carrying a pillowcase to collect wedding gifts.
The groom would stand beside her
holding an umbrella to signify shelter and protection
Sweden
The mother of the bride will
bequeath her with gold coin to be placed in her right
shoe while the father places a silver coin in her left
shoe. This is to ensure that the bride will never be
poor.
The groom will hand out three gold
rings. One is for engagement, the second is for the
wedding, and the third is for motherhood.
Indonesia
Bride and groom invites over a
thousand people, all of whom they have to greet during
the reception
Philippines
Before the wedding, the groom goes
to the house of the bride's family to ask her hand in
marriage, this is called "pamamanhikan." Sometimes, the
groom would also perform various household chores to
show the family that he is ready to take care of the
bride.
Africa
In Somalia, parents can arrange for
a girl's wedding even before she is born.
In Sudan, a groom should pay the
bride's family with cattle in replacement for loss of
their daughter's labor.
Guests are expected to wear
traditional regional costumes during the event.
The bride and groom would jump above
a brush covered with flowers to signify the beginning of
a domestic life together.
Arabia
Feet of the bride is decorated with
henna, drawing made with alhea.
Men and women are seated separately
during the reception.
England
The bride wears a horseshoe on her
arm decorated with lace to represent an amulet.
The wedding cake is a fruitcake
covered with marzipan. The upper section of the cake is
kept until the couple's first child is born.
France
On the wedding night, family and
friends would drum pots and pans to disturb the couple.
Germany
Beer, wine and marzipan are served
during the reception.
Bride arrives in the church riding a
carriage pulled by black horses.
Greece
Kaslamantiano, a dance with
handkerchiefs, is performed during the reception.
Japan
A bride wears an intricately
designed white silk dress and a special wig.
Kiogashi, which are colored sweets
in flower shapes, are part of the reception