Cultural Wedding Traditions

We here at Smart Wedding Planning love learning about new and different wedding traditions. While we might not incorporate all of them into our own weddings, it's still nice to know how our sister brides in other parts of the world are celebrating their nuptials!

We've shared interesting and unique wedding traditions in the past, but here are a few more unusual wedding traditions from around the world to inspire you as you plan your own ceremonies and receptions!

The Greek bride will often tuck a sugar cube in her glove to "sweeten the union."

According to Hindu beliefs, rain on your wedding day is good luck. On the other hand, some western cultures believe rain is unlucky, so check those wedding forecasts!

In Holland, it is traditional to plant a tree outside the newlyweds' home as a symbol of fertility.

Finnish brides traditionally carried a pillowcase door to door, collecting gifts. (Trick or treat, anyone?) An older married man went with her, symbolizing a long marriage.

Korean brides wear red and yellow outfits for their weddings.

Danish brides and grooms used to confound the evil spirits by cross-dressing!

Egyptian parents traditionally do all the cooking for a week, so that the couple can relax. Lucky them, right?

In many cultures -- including the Hindu, Egypt, and Celtic peoples -- the hand of a bride and groom are tied together as a symbol of their new bond and commitment to the marriage. This is the origin of the expression "Tying then knot."

African-American weddings often hold to the tradition of "jumping the broom." Slaves in the United States were not allowed to marry, so they would exhibit their love by jumping over a broom to the beat of drums. It now is symbol of the couple's intention to set up a home together.

Japanese couples become man and wife when they take the first of nine sips of sake. Wow!

In the Irish tradition, once the bride and groom were in the church, the guests would lock the doors to make sure the groom couldn't back out. It was also important that a male and not a female be the first to wish joy to the newly married bride.


Click to read more about unique wedding traditions in other parts of the world

Why Are Wedding Dresses White?

Brides have always worn white, right? Not so much.

In ancient times brides wore brightly hued wedding dresses to signify their joy. In ancient Rome, yellow and red were popular colors. In other places and times, brides wore blue, as blue was associated with purity. Even now, many cultures do not see white as a color appropriate for weddings -- in much of Asia, white is a funeral color, while red is the color of weddings!

In the western world "back in the day," many brides simply wore their Sunday best -- unless she or her family was very wealthy, that meant a wedding gown that could be worn again. It might be white on her wedding day, but that dress would later be dyed (and perhaps altered) so it could be worn for other formal occasions.

White for western brides didn't become fashionable until Queen Victoria wore it at her wedding to signify her status. White wedding dresses did not signify purity until the Christian churches put that label on them.

What's that mean for you? If you are one of the unlucky gals who just doesn't look good in white -- like me -- or you simply don't care for it, you should feel free to wear any color wedding gown under the sun. Yellow wedding gowns are going to be popular in 2009, as are silver wedding gowns. But that doesn't mean you can't rock a pink wedding gown or a purple wedding gown or even a black wedding gown. It's up to you!


Click to read more about the history of the white wedding gown

Greek Orthodox Wedding Ceremonies

Maybe you adhere to the beliefs of the Greek Orthodox church. Maybe not. But whatever your religion or belief system or lack thereof, the wedding traditions of other cultures and faiths can give you some great ideas when you're planning your own wedding ceremony. You may notice that the Greek Orthodox wedding is a bit different than other weddings you've attended in the past -- that's because the traditional wedding ceremony is less about the bride and groom and more about the church itself.

The Beginning
Guests wait with the groom outside of the church until the bride arrives, though sometimes sneaky wedding guests do manage to get in. Some of the guests may actually be there to watch an earlier or later wedding, as the church can host many weddings in a single day. Those who love to look at the wedding gown will often get a treat in the form of seeing multiple brides!

Meanwhile, the groom waits for the bride at the entrance to the church, often with her bridal bouquet in hand. He gives it to her as they enter the church, where the guests sit down or stand where they like. There is no separation between the bride's side and the groom's side.

The Service
The wedding ceremony itself is comprised of two parts, the Service of Betrothal and the Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage.

The exchanging of rings is the focus of the Service of Betrothal. The priest blesses the rings by holding them in his right hand and making the sign of the cross over the heads of the bride and groom. The rings are then placed on the third fingers of their right hands. The Koumbaro, the couple's religious sponsor, then swaps the rings over between the bride and groom's fingers, three times.

The Ceremony of the Sacrament of Marriage consists of several key parts. First, several prayers are said and then as they come to an end, the priest joins the right hands of the bride and groom. Their hands remain joined until the end of the wedding ceremony, which symbolizes the couple's union.

The Crowning
The bride and groom are crowned with lovely thin crowns called stefana, which are joined by a white ribbon and have been blessed by the priest. The crowns symbolize the glory and honor that is being bestowed on them by God, and the the ribbon symbolizes their unity. The koumbaro then exchanges the crowns between the heads of the couple, three times.

The Common Cup
The crowning is followed by a reading of the Gospel, which tells of the marriage of Cana at Galilee. Wine is given to the couple and they each drink from it three times.

The Ceremonial Walk
The priest the leads the couple, who are still wearing their stefana, three times around the altar on their first steps as a married couple. The Koumbaro follows close behind the couple holding the stefana place. At this point the couple (and anyone standing nearby) is usually showered with rice, which was earlier handed out to the wedding guests. The priest will often make use of the bible he is holding to give himself some protection!

The Removal of the Crowns
When the ceremonial walk has ended, the priest blesses the couple, the crowns are removed, and he then separates their previously joined hands with the bible, reminding them that only God can break the union which they have just entered into.


Click to learn more about Greek Orthodox weddings and other wedding traditions