The wonderful thing about weddings is that they are incredibly reflective of the happy couple. Decorations, dresses, colors, flowers, and food all combine to paint a lovely picture of the bride and groom’s personality. From a lovely barn wedding to an up-town banquet hall, weddings represent not only what the couple love but also can reflect their heritage or ethnic background. When looking at worldwide wedding traditions, there is a wealth of beauty and even fun.
1. Jewish Weddings
It is customary for the groom (and sometimes the bride) to step on a glass wrapped in cloth. This tradition has changed over the centuries to represent everything from the destruction of the ancient Hebrew temple to the fragility of life. The breaking of the glass acts as a kind of reminder that there will be good and bad and to focus on the good.
2. Indian Weddings
Traditions are as rich as they are colorful. One of these gorgeous traditions has the bride get henna tattoos painted on her hands in an intricate design and bright colors. The tattoos are a form of celebration, inviting good luck to the bride and her husband.
3. Traditional Chinese Weddings
Lots of red! Red is a color that symbolizes luck and love and is heavily featured in the wedding ceremony. The bride, in particular, wears a red veil while an attendant holds a red umbrella over her head, encouraging luck and fertility.
4. French Wedding Traditions
The French tradition of Croquembouche is as tasty as it is lovely to look at. Croquembouche is a tower of cream-filled, round pastries that can be decorated with flowers, nuts, and glazes to create a stunning, tasty art piece in lieu of a wedding cake. The pastries are dipped in a variety of sweet sauces and consumed by the wedding party and guests.
5. South African Weddings
In South African tradition, the bride and groom start a fire in their new home. The parents of both the bride and groom bring fire from their own fireplaces and give it to the newlyweds to use together to start a fire in their own fireplace. It is a lovely symbol of the bride and groom uniting to become their own family.
When considering your own wedding, be sure to add traditions that will reflect you and your fiancé and share a little of yourself with those you love.