Australia
Lisa Schultz shared her family's tradition:
All of the brides on my mother's side of the family have carried horseshoes for good luck
over their arms.
The horseshoes, rather than being actual metal plates, are crocheted and a long ribbon is attached in a loop from end to end. The horseshoe is worn upside down over the arm of the bride during the wedding to bring luck to the marriage.
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Bermuda
Bermuda traditions include the bride and groom walking under a moon
gate after the ceremony for good luck.
The bride and groom have separate wedding cakes. The bride's wedding cake is a tiered fruitcake covered with silver leaf and has a small cedar sapling on top that is replanted after the ceremony to symbolize the growth of the couple's love.
Gold leaf tops the groom's cake and represents prosperity.
Czechoslovakia
Sara Kindl shares this tradition:
My great grandmother had a tradition she brought with her from Czechoslovakia, which she performed at my mother's wedding and my two Aunts' weddings.
All the Czech women go out on the dance floor and surround the bride and sing a song in Czech. As they remove her veil, they put on a handmade babushka (a kind of hat). The song entails the bride is no longer a girl, she is a woman now.
Unfortunately, my great grandmother has since passed, but I am honored to have my grandmother perform this ceremony at my wedding.
India
Vijaya Warrier shared this tradition:
A newly married bride, while entering her husband's house (in-law's) for the first time, will first have to knock down a container of uncooked rice, and enter putting forward her right foot first. This is to ensure that she brings good luck to the house.
Adrienne told us of this tradition:
Brides receive many presents. First, a Tamo, which is a golden charm on a necklace (this is similar to a wedding ring). Midway through the ceremony, the bride changes into a sari given to her by the groom's mother, as a welcome into the groom's family. The women of the groom's family also present her with platters of fruit, flowers and candy, which they place at her feet.
Jamaica
The wedding style is similar to an American wedding. The bride and groom primarily handle the wedding arrangements. Everyone in the village lines the streets to see a bride. If she does not look her best she is publicly criticized.
Her father or both parents escort her down the aisle. Her face is veiled until her husband lifts her veil. During the ceremony the couple will go to the church office or rectory to sign the wedding certificate. The bride may change her attire into a formal dress or during the reception.
The bride's matron of honor is known as the Chief, the flower girl carries the train.
Curried goat and rice is included on the menu of a traditional Jamaican wedding. The goat is killed and cooked prior to the wedding celebration day. Rum punch, including a red sweet fruit syrup, rum pimento and lime is traditionally served. (A very smooth drink but quite potent.) Champagne and wine and spirits are also served.
The wedding cake, usually a dark cake, has been soaked for about a year so the fruits and bread will be flavored and moist.
The wedding reception often lasts until the sun comes up. With Jamaican hospitality, no guest is refused, even if they come uninvited.
Many thanks to Juliet Graham, a Jamaican descendent.
Norway
In Norway, Brudlaupskling, a wedding cake made of bread, dates back
to the days when white flour was rare on Norwegian farms, and foods containing it were greatly admired. The bread is topped with a mixture of cheese, cream and syrup, then folded over and cut into small squares.
Pakistan
Mariam Aziz shared this tradition with us:
A Pakistani Bride wears red on the day of her wedding because red symbolizes happiness. Another reason why red is also worn is because it is bright. No one else wears red that day except the bride.
Peru
A Peruvian custom is to include wedding charms between the layers of the
wedding cake, attached with ribbons. Before the cake is cut and served to the guests, each single woman pulls a string. This works, of course, if you have a small number of single women attending the wedding. (In several of the bridal magazines you will see ads for these charms.) The one who pulls the ribbon with the 'ring' on the end is the next one to marry within a year.
Ukraine
In the Ukraine, couples share korovai rather than a cake. Korovai is
a sacred wedding bread decorated with symbolic motifs that represent eternity and the joining together of two families.
Venezuela
Lois Pearce provided these tips for a Venezuelan wedding.
Consider that 67% of the population is of Mestizo culture, the remaining being Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, African and Amerindian. The cultural background is mixed European, African and Indian Ancestry.
A good way to incorporate ethnicity in a subtle way, is through your foods. Your caterer could serve hor d'oeuvres which are of any of the above ethnic cultures.
The Venezuelan culture is very colorful and festive, and this could be reflected in your decorations.
Most Latin American brides wear Western-style wedding apparel (i.e. major
American designers). However, the ring bearer and flower girl wear
clothing similar to the bride and groom in design.
Thirteen coins are exchanged (you could use gold foiled chocolate coins as facsimiles). They symbolize the bride's dowry if presented by the bride's father. They may also be presented instead by the groom to show his willingness to support the bride. The coins are called "aras". They are a symbol of future good fortune and prosperity.
Ireland
Resources and References
Special thanks to Lois Pearce, Master Bridal Consultant of Hamden, Connecticut, for her time and energy gathering the majority of information used here. We also wish to thank the Association of Bridal Consultants for their assistance.
Please note: The information contained in these categories should be considered general in nature. We believe it to be true and an accurate representation of some of the customs and traditions for these countries. Information provided by individuals and organizations is assumed to be correct.
You are welcome to write or e-mail us with any suggestions for changes, additions or deletions.
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