Wedding Traditions from around the World

Are you planning a wedding and need some inspirational ideas? If you’re like most brides, you want your wedding to be flawless, memorable, and a little different than the others. Some brides choose a traditional ceremony, while others opt for a less formal event. I say, instead of choosing one or the other, why not make your big day a special one by incorporating some traditions from around the world?

Pre-Wedding Prep

On the morning of your wedding, plan to take part in a wonderful Moroccan custom where brides pamper themselves by getting massages and milk baths. Oftentimes, they also get henna tattoos (nonpermanent) to decorate their hands and feet. Once relaxed and beautified, you will be ready to take center stage.

The Gown

Forget “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” Mix things up a little! For example, if you don’t want to wear a plain white wedding gown, why not wear a Mexican-inspired ensemble? There, brides often wear colorful Flamenco-style dresses, while grooms wear what is called a guayabera—a short-sleeved shirt! In China, a bride can choose a white gown or a traditional red silk dress embroidered with a dragon. In India, brides wear red saris and as much jewelry as possible.

Transportation

Instead of the traditional limousine ride, you may choose to walk to the church alongside your groom, as Italian brides do. Or make a grand entrance! In Celtic ceremonies, pipers often lead the bride into the church, while in El Salvador, the wedding actually begins without the bride! Family and friends begin the ceremony while seven men go to the bride’s house and bring her to the church.

The Ceremony

As you walk down the aisle you may carry the traditional rose cascade, or really turn heads by carrying a bouquet of stinky weeds, a tradition in Sweden that is meant to ward off trolls! Once you get to the altar, begin your ceremony in the Latin tradition by having the groom present you with 13 gold coins symbolizing gifts for Christ and his apostles.

In Japan, the couple takes three sips of rice wine in front of the priest, symbolizing their dedication to one other. Then as the bride and groom face one another and take their vows, their families also face each other rather than watch the couple, as a way of blending together.

Did you know that the American custom of placing the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand comes from the Egyptians? They believed that the “vein of love” ran from that finger to the heart. German couples wear matching wedding rings on their right hands.

After exchanging rings, why not add a custom from Colombia? There, the bride and groom each light a candle, then take those candles and light a third candle together, symbolizing their joining as one.

And, of course, when the priest says, “You may kiss the bride,” most traditions recognize this as the symbolic joining of souls and pledging of love. In Nepal, the groom also rubs red-colored powder on the bride’s forehead, which symbolizes that she is now a married woman.

In India, the actual ceremony takes place as the father of the bride hands the bride and groom a cloth. As the couple holds the cloth, the groom walks the bride around the “holy book” four times, after which they are considered married and receive blessings by a priest.

Finally, at the conclusion of the ceremony, there is a beautiful Armenian custom in which two white doves are set free as a celebration of the couple’s love and happiness.

Your Exit

As you leave the church, your family and friends can throw sugar-covered almonds, as is the custom in Italy. The Italians believe these represent “the bitter and sweet in life,” while Moroccans consider them aphrodisiacs! Or have your guests throw nuts and money as they do in Korea.

In the Czech Republic, peas are thrown, and in Bulgaria they throw figs! In Germany, friends and family throw old porcelain kitchenware in front of the bride and groom as a symbol of good wishes for a happy life. Ouch!

So now that you’ve planned the perfect wedding, let’s throw a great reception!

Make a grand entrance by having belly dancers lead you into the reception hall, like they do in Morocco. In China, performers dressed as felines begin the festivities by doing the “lion dance” to scare away evil spirits.

Entertainment

Dancing, of course, is popular in most wedding traditions. In Italy, everyone does the tarantella—a dance that, according to legend, cured a woman bitten by a tarantula. In African wedding receptions, drums and instruments similar to our guitar make the music. And in Mexico, as the newly married couple dances, everyone gathers around them in the shape of a heart. How sweet!

Latin receptions include the “money dance,” which is also becoming popular in America, but here it is known as the “dollar dance.” That means that male guests must pay to dance with the bride! In Hungary, however, money is paid in exchange for a kiss. Interestingly, an Italian custom is for guests to pay for pieces cut from the groom’s tie, with the money going toward the honeymoon expenses.

And don’t forget the Chicken Dance! On second thought, maybe you should!

The Food

Many wedding receptions in China feature a 10-course banquet, including shark fin and bird nest soups, but in Sweden, their smorgasbord of many delights lasts for three days! In Italy, the main course is roasted pig or lamb, and in Mexico, they serve up spicy rice and beans, followed by wedding cake, which is made of nuts and fruit and soaked in rum!

Formalities

In Russia, after the main toast is made to the bride and the groom, everyone smashes their glasses to the floor, a custom that is considered good luck (but not for the cleaning crew!).

Did you know that the bride throwing the wedding bouquet over her shoulder is a Korean custom? And everyone knows that the woman who catches it will be married next!

In Italy, money is the usual wedding gift and is placed in a white satin bag called la borsa. In Portugal, the bride’s shoe is passed around for guests to put money in, as opposed to in Russia where the bride and groom give gifts to the guests in appreciation for their support and attendance!

Polish tradition is that at the end of the reception, everyone holds hands and forms a tight circle around the bride. If the groom can break through the circle, he may then take his bride away to the honeymoon (of course by then he may be too tired for anything else!). At Irish weddings, bagpipes play as the couple exits the reception to the waiting limousine.

The Honeymoon

It may be best at the end of the reception to sneak out like they do in Venezuela; if privacy is what you want, then stay away from the Chinese custom where friends and family stay in the same room with the newlyweds for days!