Marriage ceremonies take place every day all around the world, but not all ceremonies are as would expect them to be here in the UK. Here are some weird and wonderful wedding traditions from across the globe. Maybe you like one so much, you could incorporate it into your own wedding ceremony:
In the Philippines, traditional wedding ceremonies feature some rather adorable feathered friends. The bride and groom release two doves after the vows, which represent hope for a long and peaceful life together in matrimony. Check with your venue to see if such an event could take place. For stunning Hotel Wedding Venues in Gloucestershire,
In Italy, confetti didn’t traditionally mean small scraps of paper thrown at the happy couple, but rather small sugary treats, mostly sugared almonds, that is common to be given as wedding favors to the guests. Modern Italian weddings have now introduced ‘coriandoli’, small scraps of paper like our confetti.
San-san-kudo in Japan means the traditional sharing of sake at a wedding ceremony. The couple marrying each other takess several sips from each of the three sake cups, with the parents following suit. It’s a symbol of binding families together.
Fancy getting a sweat on at your ceremony? Couples in Germany must prove their ability to work together by sawing a log in half in front of the wedding guests! It is meant to represent a couple working together to overcome life’s obstacles. Phew!
A strange gift is being presented to the groom’s mother-in-law in Korea. According to Korean tradition, the groom must give her wild ducks or geese. As these animals are monogamous in life, they are used to represent the groom’s good intentions and loyalty. Thankfully, in modern ceremonies, the real animals have been replaced with wooden replicas!
Deliciously sounding croquembouches are served at French weddings. This is a tower of cream-filled pastries dipped in sweet sauces instead of a wedding cake. They look amazing as a centrepiece when decorated with fruits, glazes, and nuts. A rather less appealing tradition is that of ‘La Soupe’. Food leftovers are mixed together in a bowl, which the couple must eat as a sign of good luck!
This tradition sounds like fun – Indian brides’ sisters steal the groom’s shoes as he enters the ceremony, and he must bribe the sisters for the return of his footwear before he is allowed to leave.
This is one tradition you definitely want to avoid. In a traditional Kenyan ceremony, when the newlyweds leave the village, the bride’s father must spit on the top of his daughter’s head and then the chest so as not to invite bad fortune upon them!
At a wedding reception in Guatemala, a white bell is filled with rice and flour and broken as the newlyweds enter the party. It is a symbol of good luck, wealth, and happiness.
A beautifully romantic tradition is found after wedding ceremonies have taken place in South Africa. The parents of both the bride and groom take fire from the fireplace of their own homes and take it to the new abode of the newlywed couple. The couple then use these flames to light the fireplace in their married home together.