Are you curious to know what wedding traditions and rituals are being practice in some parts of the world? A number of these traditions are followed for many decades, while some traditional brides and grooms prefer not to stick with it. In case you come to feel stressed in planning your wedding, or feel pressured with the opportunity of getting hitched, just be delighted that lots of of these wedding customs are reasonably soften. However, if you’re not familiar with some of them, chances are you’ll feel odd about it.
Traditions and customs are not essentially required. Nevertheless, the vast majority of couples make an effort to adhere to a few of these customs with the hope to start off their marital life on the best ground. By far the most recognizable traditions can be found in the poem “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” which promises a cheerful marriage. Keep reading below for many of the oddest wedding customs and traditions from all over the world. Here are a few interesting practices you might want to add to your wedding or special event.
1. Henna Party in a Pakistan Wedding
Pakistani wedding traditions are derived from key facts which are specified inside the Holy Quran. And the Rasm E Mehndi (Henna Party) happens a day prior to the marriage ceremony. It’s a ritual mostly of ladies where they put on Mehndi (Henna) on the bride’s hands and feet in gorgeous floral design patterns. Sometime they would add the groom’s name throughout the design as they sing, dance, and bless the bride. IMAGE SOURCE
2. Stomping Glass in a Jewish Wedding
In a Jewish wedding tradition, it is customary for the groom to break a wedding glass at the end of the marriage ceremony as the wedding guests shout, “Mazel Tov!” or “Siman Tov!” There are plenty of meanings associated about stomping glass. Others view it as a note of the devastation of the First Temple of Jerusalem. Some point out that it is intended to tell all of us that marriage can be as fragile as a glass. Through this, they’re not going to let their relationship being broken quickly. IMAGE SOURCE
3. Young Bridesmaids in a Royal Wedding
In the United Kingdom, bridesmaids in Royal weddings are compose of young girls. In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II had 8 bridesmaids younger than 21 years of age. The late Princess Diana had 5 wherein the youngest was only 5 year old. While Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton had her youngest bridesmaids at 3. IMAGE SOURCE
4. Peruvian Wedding Cake
A Peruvian wedding cake has unique charms that come with ribbons hidden within the layers of the cake. As a wedding tradition in Peru, every single female wedding guest pulls a ribbon until the wedding cake is slice. One of the ribbon has a wedding ring imitation. The guest who actually selects that ribbon is considered for being next in line for marital life. IMAGE SOURCE
5. Red Carriage in Chinese Wedding
As a wedding tradition in China, a Chinese bride is shown to the groom’s family and friends in a red wedding carriage. IMAGE SOURCE
6. Gold coins in a Spanish Wedding
In a Spanish wedding tradition, the groom provides 13 Arras or gold coins signifying his loyalty to his bride. It also symbolizes his duty as a provider. These coins are blessed by the priest and handed to the newlyweds repeatedly, winding up with the bride. IMAGE SOURCE
7. Bouquet Toss in an American Wedding
In the United States, single female wedding guests take part in the bouquet toss as a wedding tradition. Capturing the bridal bouquet toss by the bride is considered to generate good luck in getting engaged next. IMAGE SOURCE
8. Zaffe in a Lebanese Wedding
A Lebanese wedding tradition called “zaffe” starts with friends, family, and in some cases with performers and dancers as they escort the groom to her bride in a shower of shouted blessings and flower petals. IMAGE SOURCE
9. No Bathroom for 72 Hours in a Malaysian Wedding
In Malaysian wedding tradition, the groom or even the bride is certainly not allowed to head out to the bathroom for 72 hours prior to the wedding. It is thought that in case the couple endures this pain, they can live an abundant life together. IMAGE SOURCE
10. Drinking Cups of Sake in a Japanese Wedding
As a Japanese wedding tradition, the bride and groom carry out the custom of drinking 9 cups of sake at the time of their marriage ceremony at a Shinto Shrine. IMAGE SOURCE
11. Wearing Crown with a Robe in an Ethiopian Wedding
As an extraordinary symbolic representation of their marriage, an Ethiopian couple wears a crown along with a robe as a wedding tradition. IMAGE SOURCE
12. Cut Off Socks in a Danish Wedding
As a wedding tradition in Denmark, the groom or bride cut off the toe of their sock so that no other women or men will be attracted to them. IMAGE SOURCE
13. Hanbok in a Korean Wedding
Taerye or Great Ritual in a Korean wedding symbolizes the linking of 2 families, instead of the joining of the bride and groom. And the classic Korean costume Hanbok tend to be in a range of colors and various kinds of fabrics. and worn by Korean bride and groom as well as children for over 2,000 years. IMAGE SOURCE
14. Henna or Beberiska Party in a Moroccan Wedding
A Moroccan wedding may go on up to a week. And on the night prior to the wedding, women in the family along with their female cousins set up a Henna or Beberiska Party soon after the traditional purification milk bath of the bride. During the ritual, a “Hennaya” or Moroccan Henna artist draws symbolic elements and floral design patterns on the hands and feet of the bride like a good luck charm for her brand new life. IMAGE SOURCE
15. Broom Jumping in an African-American Wedding
In African-American wedding traditions, broom jumping originates from an African Tribal Marriage Ritual associated with putting sticks on the floor symbolizing the married couple’s new home together with each other. IMAGE SOURCE
16. Bridal Ransom in a Russian Wedding
In Russia, the groom comes up at the bride’s place prior to the wedding and requests his dearest with this bridal ransom or “vykup nevesty”. As a wedding tradition, the bride’s family along with friends will turn down the groom unless he pays up in gifts, money, or plain embarrassment. Grooms are required to do ridiculous movements, resolve riddles, and alot of hilarious things you can imagine. When the groom win over her family and friends, he is then permitted to meet up with his bride-to-be. IMAGE SOURCE
17. Street Procession in a Mexican Wedding
As a wedding custom in Mexico, the bride and her family get together for a street wedding procession. IMAGE SOURCE
18. Groom Flat on the Ground in a Nigerian Wedding
In a Yoruba wedding in Nigeria, the groom along with his friends flat their bodies towards the bride’s family just before the bride-to-be will be revealed with a veil. IMAGE SOURCE
19. Pinning Money while Dancing in a Cuban Wedding
In Cuba, pinning money on the bride is a wedding custom wherein the person who ask to dance with bride shall pin money as a gift. IMAGE SOURCE
20. Couple’s Head Soaked with Confetti in a Bolivian Wedding
As a wedding tradition in Bolivia, the bride and groom’s heads are soaked with confetti and flower petals following a marriage ceremony as the wedding party relishes a meal. IMAGE SOURCE
21. Fat Bride in an African Wedding
Here is a bizarre wedding tradition in Africa wherein as young as 5 years old, girls were sent off to a fat farm where they are forced to eat too much food so that they will be considered attractive to their future mates. This practice is called Leblouh in which men in some parts of Africa are attracted to fat women. IMAGE SOURCE
22. Blackening of the Bride in a Scottish Wedding
Blackening of the bride and groom is a Scotland wedding tradition wherein the ritual is accomplished to ward off evil spirits. The bride or the groom will end up being covered by such nasty and terrible rotten ingredients. It is believed that if they can withstand it, they can handle their marriage as well. IMAGE SOURCE
23. Crying Bride in a Chinese Wedding
An ethinic minority in China has a weird wedding tradition wherein they cry during weddings despite of the event being a joyful occasion. Here, the bride will cry close to an hour, just 30 days prior to the marriage ceremony. She will be accompanied by her mother after ten days. And then other female relatives will come and join. IMAGE SOURCE
24. Croquembeuche Cake for a French Wedding
Croquembeuche is a traditional wedding cake with a grand tower of cream puffs served in various wedding occasion in France. IMAGE SOURCE
25. Barong Tagalog in a Filipino Wedding
In the Philippines, wearing a Barong Tagalog is a traditional Filipno formal attire in a wedding. It is worn untucked, over a pants along with a white t-shirt underneath. IMAGE SOURCE
There are various cultures in the world with many wacky and odd wedding traditions. If you intend to use any of these odd wedding traditions, perhaps it’s best if you provide wedding cameras along with picture album party favors to your wedding guests in order to capture the enjoyment and share the fun with their families and friends who will not be able to attend.
Aurora Gatbonton and the rest of the WPD Blog Team wants you to get hitched with creativity, style, and technology.