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 (or Bryllupskake), 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.
We found these photos on Flickr. You are invited to send us your recipe and photos, and we'll share them here.
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.
We found this lovely article and photo, that may be of interest to you! Peruvian Wedding Cake
The Exotic Kitchens of Peru
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. The bread has great symbolic meaning, and has remained part of the wedding tradition in Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora.
Coming from the pagan belief in the magical properties of grain, Korovai was a large round shaped braided bread, traditionally baked from wheat flour and decorated with symbolic flags and figurines, such as suns, moons, birds, animals, and pine cones. Wheat stalks, herbs, nuts, flowers and fruit were used to embellish the korovai. The style and ornamentation of the korovai varies by region, although colors red, gold and silver were most commonly employed in decoration. The bread has no exact design.
Traditionally, the bread was prepared in the home of the bride by women (korovainytsi) who sang traditional songs to guide them through the making. Interestingly, they were most often invited in odd numbers to do the job of bread making, usually seven women.
You can read more about this wonderful Ukrainian tradition at Wikipedia.org.
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
Irish Wedding Traditions
The use of Irish wedding traditions is a beautiful way for the bride and/or groom to celebrate their Irish heritage.
What’s wonderful about Irish wedding traditions is that there are so many to choose from and most can be incorporated in ways that are meaningful
to the bride and groom. According to tradition, the luckiest time of year to get married in Ireland is New Year’s Eve, a chance to say goodbye to
the life you had as a single person and welcome in a new year and a new love. ‘When December’s showers fall fast, marry and true love will last.’
On the wedding day it was traditional for the bride and groom to walk together to the church. This symbolized equality in ancient Ireland that was
at the heart of the wedding ceremony. (The groom often referred to his wife as his ‘co-lord’ and women often kept their family surname) In ancient
Ireland the typical attire for the bride consisted simply of her very best dress. If the family could afford it she donned a blue dress, which was
the traditional color for a wedding dress in Ireland. In later years, brides wore white dresses adorned with beautiful Irish lace. The wedding
ceremony itself is steeped in tradition. A tradition that still exists today is the use of the unity candle. This consists of a central candle
accompanied by two slim candles which the bride and groom use to light the central candle together. This symbolizes the sacred union between the
couple. Another Irish wedding tradition is the use of the claddagh ring as a wedding ring. The claddagh ring features two hands clasped around a
heart adorned with a crown. The fourth finger of the left hand with the point of the heart worn inwards symbolizes that the wearer's heart is taken.
A groom may say "With these hands I give you my heart, and crown it with my love." Handfasting is another Irish wedding tradition with Celtic origins.
Handfasting involves the officiant tying together the hands of the bride and groom (commonly with a ribbon) as they recite their vows. Once they
have recited their vows the officiant removes the tie, thus symbolizing that the couple are now bound together in their hearts.
The traditional Irish wedding reception consists of a feast of Irish fare (common dishes are Colcannon, Irish stew, Boxty, Irish soda bread),
Irish music (the playing of the harp, fiddle and bodhrån) and of course traditional Irish dancing. Irish wedding toasts are also a key part of the
traditional Irish wedding. Some of my favorites include ‘May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my grandmother's teeth’ and ‘May your right
hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.’ Ultimately, the best thing about Irish wedding traditions is that they can be easily
adapted and used in modern wedding ceremonies today. Irish wedding traditions are used by both Irish and non-Irish couples around the world and are
legendary because of the inevitable craic agus ceol (fun and music) associated with every Irish wedding! This article is provided by Emer O’Leary,
author of Irish Wedding Secrets: The Definitve Guide to adding ‘a touch of the Irish’ to your wedding http://www.irishwedding4u.com
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 email us at linda@weddingdetails.com with any suggestions for changes, additions or deletions.
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