Wedding Trends from Around the World | K. Lenox Photography

Wedding Traditions from Around the World

There are many wedding traditions from around the world. And there is hardly any part of the world where weddings are not celebrated. But when it comes to wedding traditions, there are lots of variations, from one part of the world to the other. From the activities that go on at your wedding venue to the after party activities, each location has its own unique way of celebrating the big day. Listed below are some amazing wedding traditions from around the world. They are as follows:

Mauritania’s fattening farms:

In this location, there is the wedding tradition of sending out girls to the “fat farms.” This is done between the age of 5 and 15 years. While there at the farms, the girls are fed so that they add on so much weight. This stems from the people’s belief that a woman’s weight signifies how much her husband takes care of her. In Mauritania, the fatter the bride, the better.

India’s marrying the tree:

In various parts of India, there is a wedding tradition that is carried out for women who are born as “Mangliks,” (an astrological combination when Mars and Saturn are both under the 7th house). With this, these women are believed to be “cursed” and would cause early death to any man that marries them. For this to be averted, such women are made to marry a tree first, which is then cut down to break such “curse.” They are then declared free to marry any man.

China’s shooting the bride:

This might seem terrifying but it is a culture that is observed in China. The groom is made to shoot at his future bride three times with a bow and arrow. Relax, the arrows come without arrowheads. After the shooting, the groom breaks the arrows and this is believed to seal their love forever.

Ireland’s feet on the ground:

This is another unique wedding tradition from Ireland. This tradition demands that a bride’s feet must constantly be on the floor as she dances with the groom. It is believed that if she dares to remove her feet from the floor, she will be instantly swept away by evil fairies.

Scotland’s blackening of the bride:

Scotland is not left out in the list of unique wedding traditions as they engage in blackening of the bride. In this tradition, the bride-to-be is accosted by her friends who then go ahead to pelt her with disgusting rubbish like tar, spoilt food, curdled milk, dead fish, and other unsightly matters. After this, she is tied to a tree before being released and taken out for an all-night drinking spree. This punishment is aimed at preparing for whatever hardships she might face in the course of her marriage.

Germany’s smashing of plates:

During traditional German weddings, invited guests arrive with a variety of porcelain which they smash in a bid to ward off any evil spirits lurking around. Afterward, the newlyweds are made to clear the wedding venue of all the debris from the smashing. This aims to teach them about the need to work together as a couple in order to overcome the challenges of married life.

France’s drinking from the toilet:

One cannot imagine the look on your face right now but that is a unique tradition from France. Leftovers from the wedding are poured into a toilet bowl and the newlyweds are mandated to drink out of it. Although champagne and chocolates are now used but they still have to be taken from the toilet bowl. This is believed to give the newlyweds the strength to go through their wedding night.

Korea’s gifting of geese and ducks:

In this tradition, grooms are made to gift their new mother-in-law a duck or wild goose. The duck and goose being monogamous animals is a representation of the groom’s loyalty to his bride. In this modern day, the newlyweds exchange wooden ducks and geese in place of the presentation of live ducks and geese by the groom to the mother-in-law.

Jamaica’s black wedding cake:

In this Caribbean country, there is the tradition of making the wedding cake from dark fruits and rum. This, in turn, makes the cake come out dark-colored.

Kenya’s spitting on the bride:

This is a unique tradition from this African country which leaves the bride being spit on. The tradition mandates that as the bride leaves the village with her groom, her father spits on her head and chest. This is believed to alter any jinxes to their good fortune.

The list of wedding traditions is as varied as it can be. From Poland to Guatemala, Japan, Romania, Mexico, South Africa, and other countries, you are sure to find lots of interesting and unique wedding traditions you never imagined existed.