No matter where you’re from, one of the most important days of anyone’s life is their wedding day. Maybe when you think of a wedding, you think of a beautiful white dress and walking down the aisle to music. But around the world, not all weddings look like this.
In fact, a lot of weddings look much different than what traditionally envision. But they’re all unique and gorgeous, with details you never expected.
We’ve gathered some of the most interesting wedding traditions around the world for you to gather your own inspiration from.
15 Wedding Traditions Around The World
We all have on thing in common: we fall in love. Our ceremonies might look a little different from each other, though. Let’s celebrate the awesome and beautiful wedding traditions around the world that people take part in.
Also, keep in mind – there are many traditions for each country out there. We’re only highlighting a few. There are too many awesome traditions out there to be able to count them all.
The Philippines
Oftentimes in the Philippines, at a traditional reception, the bride and the groom release doves into the air. This represents that they’ll have a lasting and peaceful marriage together.
Guatemala
At wedding receptions in Guatemala, the mother of the groom gets to break a white bell full of grains, flour, and rice. When the newlyweds walk into the reception, the bell is broken, and they’re officially welcomed into the party. The breaking of the bell is meant to bring them luck in their marriage.
Poland
The money dance you see at many weddings originated in Poland, danced to the tune of a polka. Everyone gets to take their turn with the bride and dance, and at the end of their turn, they can give her money that’s traditionally used on her honeymoon.
China
One of the wedding ceremony traditions in China is for the bride and groom to serve their honored relatives’ tea. They serve their parents, grandparents, and other guests the hot beverage as a sign of respect for them. The tea ceremony can be seen as a way of joining the two families together.
India
Marathi weddings in India are simple, traditional, and full of cheer and wedding ceremony traditions. The bride wears a silk saree in bright colors, and the family exchanges packets of sugar with one another to represent the alliance between both of their families.
The couple touches their foreheads together to show how they will be making their decisions in life together from then forward. Sometimes, the ceremony is so full of food and celebration that it can last anywhere from two to three days.
Mexico
A marriage in Mexico is often full of flowers, just like many other weddings. But in Mexican culture, it’s not unusual for a bride to carry a bouquet of her own, and a second bouquet as well. This is to signify the flowers as a tribute to the Virgin Mary.
Norway
The Norwegians really know how to make a wedding cake. It’s called a kransekake, and it’s full of dozens of layers of iced almond cake. Built around a wine bottle, as people eat, they get closer to the drink.
Italy
At many weddings, confetti is thrown as a celebration after the vows have been made. The same goes in Italy, but the confetti is actually made out of almonds coated in blue and pink candy to represent the children the couple have together.
While they used to be thrown at the bride and groom, now these candies are usually handed out as wedding favors.
Japan
In Japan, the families symbolize that they’re being bonded together during the wedding by drinking sake. The bride and the groom each take three sips from flat sake cups, and their parents do the same thing.
Germany
On the night before their wedding, family and friends go outside the rooms of the bride and the groom and smash pots and pans. This is where stag nights and hen parties originated from – because who needs a good night’s sleep before they get married?
Korea
In Korean wedding ceremony traditions, grooms would often gift their mothers-in-law with a wild goose to symbolize his good intentions with his bride. Now, the goose that is given is more commonly a wooden goose, because people probably really didn’t know what to do with a wild goose.
Scotland
One of the more weird wedding traditions, in Scotland the bride and groom are taken outside and covered in treacle, ash, feathers, and flour, after drinking a good amount of alcohol of course. This tradition was thought to help them battle against bad spirits and bring good luck.
Pakistan
In a Pakistani wedding, it’s traditional for the groom to wear a ring made of flowers around his neck. Sometimes the bride also gets to wear a flower wreath as well.
France
In France, the guests and the bride and groom get to indulge in a fancy dessert. A croquembouche is often used as an alternative to a wedding cake, and it’s a beautifully decorated pastry tower adorned with spun sugar.
South Africa
The bride and the groom’s parents bring fire from the fireplaces in their own home to the home of the newlywed couple in South Africa. The couple then uses it to light the fire in their home for the first time. This tradition is usually carried out a week or so before the actual wedding.
Get Inspired
Now that we’ve got you thinking about weddings, why not go even further and start thinking of a location? We’ve got all the ideas you need.
These wedding traditions around the world make us excited to celebrate anyone’s big day. If you’ve got an event coming up, you’re going to want to be sure that your style is on point – don’t worry, we’ve got that covered, too.
We show you how to take control of your beauty routine, how to do your hair, and reviews on products you won’t want to miss.
