Wedding dress, suits or attire; wedding party, cake, dance, and everything else… If you follow our blog assiduously, you’ve surely read a lot about it.
After all, wedding traditions are indescribably significant to us. Yet, we want to try to follow them without losing our essence.
However, we don’t always know where to get inspiration from or if the most peculiar – and thus brilliant – ideas that pop into our minds will hurt some millenary traditions from our society. And, if they do, someone will definitely notice and judge us on our big day.
Besides, there is always a custom that we don’t understand, but it feels like everyone cares about it… Is it really necessary? Isn’t there a culture that goes different?
To kill some doubts and plenty of curiosity, let’s bring countless intriguing and fun facts about cultures around the world. Then, you and your spouse-to-be can get inspired by these new ideas and justify your escape from local traditions by claiming to be following the customs from another place.
Bridesmaid dressing like the bride
This wedding tradition is still popular, but oftentimes we see bridesmaids dressing to excel the bride’s dress with contrasting colours.
Actually, it’s said matching bridesmaid brings good luck.
However, it was said once they should wear all the same in order to confuse bad spirits that would come to a wedding to curse the couple.
The bridesmaid would let those spirits muddled, and they would run away not cursing anyone since their correct target wasn’t clear.
Cakes taste great, but they have not always befriended brides
Having cakes at a wedding isn’t a new habit at all, although eating it sort of is. How come?
Well, in old Greece, and even Rome, cakes weren’t supposed to be eaten in a marriage ceremony at the start. They were used as a symbol of good luck and fertilization – and therefore broken over the bride’s head to end a ceremony. The brits went further and started throwing the cake…
Of course, they weren’t as giant and we serve nowadays…
Crossing thresholds
It is a fun fact that marriage has, most of the time, been celebrated as a happy moment, and yet treated with fear and discomfort.
Grooms had to hold brides in arms and cross the house’s threshold in order to avoid any bad spirit that would follow the bride due to a possible lack of confidence and devotion from her.
Sharing biometric phone access with your partner is a way more intense way to express confidence and devotion nowadays, and it makes evident that couples deeply trust each other.
Yet, we see grooms holding wives in arms and following the tradition – which is, by the way, a very pleasing and funny moment to observe.
June wedding... Have you thought of it?
People still talk about it, but do you know why?
Juno, an ancient Rome goddess, is equivalent to an ancient Greek goddess, called Hera.
Hera was believed to be the goddess of love and marriage, and people believed they would be happier and blessed by her if their marriage was celebrated during the month she was ruling.
Sapphire in a wedding ring
In ancient Greece, it symbolized protection; in Victorian England, royalty believed it to represent affection.
Sapphire is among the most popular choices for engagement rings since it symbolizes trust, faithfulness, and sincerity in jewelry psychology.
Brides wear an ornate silver and gold crown
For centuries, it has been a tradition for Norwegian brides to wear a crown on their wedding day, being part of a unique way to dress at a marriage ceremony, called “Bunad”.
Tying hands
In many cultures, brides and grooms literally tie hands to express their bond. This practice can be designated as “hand-fasting” or “hand-fasting ceremony”. It started with Celtic people, but it’s still present nowadays in mid-eastern cultures.
Getting married in California? Hawaii? The Caribbean?
Europe is lovely, and there are infinite places around to host an amazing destination wedding.
However, we can’t ignore the fact the Americas are also marvelous places to get married, and, actually, these three options on the title are some of the world’s most searched places for destination weddings. Keep an eye on them.
Preserve spider silks
Regardless of how scary they can be, finding a spider inside the wedding dress is believed to be a sign of good luck in English culture.
Rainy day?
Rain represents multiple things in different cultures – some include fertility, cleansing, and renewal. The Hindu marriage culture, especially, seems to treat this symbol very positively.
Collect gifts in a pillowcase
In Finland, the bride-to-be travels from door to door accompanied by an older man who has been married for a long time with an empty pillowcase on her pre-wed day. Their neighbors gradually fill it with wedding gifts.
It probably feels like trick or treat!
Have you ever planted a tree?
The tree-planting ceremony is a popular practice since it’s eco-friendly and a beautiful symbol of love, union, and fertility.
If your house’s backyard can’t afford a new tree, maybe you could follow the dutch culture, where the groom and bride used to plant together Lillies in front of the house.
No pearls on a ring!
Of course, it is just superstition. But it is also true that pearls are round and resemble the shape of tears.
Therefore, traditionally speaking, pearls are not very welcome in rings.
Dresses are OK, though: add pearls as you wish – and can afford.
A white dress is a consensus!
It’s said Queen Victoria popularized the white dress culture in the western world, and it is probably true. However, in Japan, way before in Europe, white has always been the most popular choice for a wedding dress. Since it’s considered a symbol of purity, and the Japanese culture nurses this concept as probably no other, the white color has always been associated with marriages.
Wear something old not to lose yourself
New relationship format, new duties, new perspective, new this, new that…
One thing that is consensual in all cultures is that marriage can change people.
Therefore, in order not to lose your previous self, there is this western tradition to wear a hidden old piece of cloth and preserve your soul.
Crossdress!
Back with the protection from bad spirits, here comes Dennish culture to surprise the world.
It is considered an old wives ’ tale, but it’s said there used to have several grooms and wives who would crossdress to get married and then confuse the bad spirits that would come to curse the couple!
Brazilian Bomboniere
Brazilians are famous for their resistance to sugar and really sweet sweets, that actually taste delicious, but it’s difficult to stand more than a few. Brigadeiro, Beijinho, Cajuzinho…
There is a Brazilian sweet called “bem-casado”, which literally means “well-married”. In a Brazilian marriage ceremony, plenty of those is handed out to guests once they leave. It’s a way to celebrate and pay for the guests’ collaboration in the event.
It is a symbol of good luck and union.