Hey Happy Addict,Would you like to spice up your wedding day with unique & sentimental wedding traditions from around the world?
Lets face it we live in a multi-cultural world, in cities around the globe any given day of the week you can find people indulging in a melting pot of delicious delights from freshly made sushi, aromatic tagines of curries, authentic Vietnamese dishes and much more. Our sports, arts, dance, culture and clothing styles reflect a multitude of cultures.
Why not inject multiculturalism into your wedding day to create something unique and fun. If you want to include a tradition that may not be familiar to all of your guests, keep them informed of what’s happening. Include a blurb in the wedding program that explains the tradition.
At your reception, have a framed note on each table or ask your entertainment to make a special announcement. If you want to prepare guests for something ahead of time you can include an insert to be mailed with your invitation or save-the-date.
Here are a few unique traditional additions to add to your wedding day that have some very touching meanings
AUSTRALIAN / ABORIGINAL
An Australian wedding ceremony might feature the tradition of a unity bowl. Guests are given stones and asked to hold them during the ceremony. At the end, guests place the stones in a decorative bowl that the couple will keep and display afterwards to remind them of the support and presence of their friends and family.
COLOMBIAN
The groom and the bride each have a candle and after the rings have been exchanged they use their candles to light a third candle together. Once the other candle is lit, they blow out their own candles. This tradition symbolizes unity and that they become one body for the rest of their lives.
CHINESE
A traditional Chinese wedding features a full procession, with the bride escorted to the ceremony in a bridal sedan (chair). Red is a powerful color in Chinese weddings, symbolising boldness, luck, and love. According to tradition, the bride wears a red veil to hide her face, and her mother or attendant holds a red umbrella over the bride’s head to encourage fertility and grow her own family.
JAPANESE
In the beloved Japanese tradition of san-san-kudo, the bride and groom take three sips each from three flat sake cups, after which their parents do the same, bonding the families together.
GERMAN
In Germany, newlyweds must instantly put their bond to the test by working together to saw a log in half in front of all their guests. The act is intended to showcase the bride and groom’s ability to work together and face the obstacles that may come throughout their marriage.
KOREAN
According to Korean tradition, grooms give their new mother-in-laws wild geese or ducks. The monogamous animals represent the groom’s pure intentions and loyalty to his bride. If you don’t live in the countryside or have room for wild geese then brides and grooms can exchange wooden geese and ducks on their wedding day as a sign of their commitment.
INDIAN
This one is really just a bit of fun. In a traditional Indian wedding, the bride’s sisters play a trick on the groom by stealing his shoes once he enters the wedding tent. The groom must bribe the sisters to return his shoes before he exits.
Henna Ceremonies are also another well-known Indian tradition. As part of the elaborate and visually stunning traditional Indian wedding, brides and other female attendees are often dyed with intricate henna designs to represent the joy, hope, and love of the occasion.
ROMANIAN / WELSH
In Romania, a mock abduction game is common before wedding ceremonies take place. The bride is kidnapped by friends, family, or hired entertainers, and the groom must come to her rescue and pay her ransom through drinks, money, or romantic gestures. Bride-napping turns out to be a common tradition across European countries, with versions in Russia, Germany, and Wales. In Wales, a Welsh best man takes the bride to the pub before the wedding, and the groom-to-be must find them and pick up the tab.
SOUTH AFRICAN
In a South African tradition, the parents of the bride and groom bring fire from their own fireplaces to the home of the newlyweds. The bride and groom use the flames provided from their childhood homes to ignite the hearth in their new home together.
The most important point to remember is that the only tradition you must have on your wedding day is LOVE.
Zen Bride xx