Interesting and Strange Wedding Customs From Around The Globe
Adrie on Jul 23rd 2008
With a world filled with so many different cultures, it’s no surprise that each one has their own set of wedding customs. I’ve found a few to share with you that actually made me laugh at loud. Some funny, some just kinda strange, but all intended to provide the bride and groom with good luck.
Kidnapping the Bride: In Germany, some people will kidnap the bride and then hide her away, leaving it up to the groom to find her. Turns out this seemingly scary custom is one in which the groom enlists the help if his friends and they generally converge at the local bar to plan their rescue over a few drinks!
Blackening the Bride: In Scottish tradition, the friends and family of the bride catch her off guard and cover her in a nasty mixture of eggs, sauces, creams and anything else they can get their hands on! She is then paraded around town for all to see.
Guests Stealing Kisses: There is a Swedish tradition that allows the guests to steal kisses from the bride or groom when the one is out of the room. If the bride leaves the room, all of the female guests line up to steal a kiss from the groom and if the groom steps out; all of the male guests line up to kiss the bride!
Stealing the Grooms Shoes: In India, it is customary for the bride-to-be’s family to do all they can to steal the groom’s wedding shoes which he is required to remove before entering the ceremony. The groom’s family in turn does all they can to protect the shoes and keep them from getting stolen! If the bride’s family succeeds in getting the shoe, his family is obligated to pay whatever ransom her family requests in order to get the shoe back!
Sawing the Log: Another German tradition entails the newlyweds to saw a log together! A log is placed between the two of them immediately after the wedding and the each take a hold of opposite ends of a saw and work together to cut it in half. This is supposed to be a sign of how they will deal with things together as husband and wife.
I know there are a million more out there, but these were the ones that I personally found to be the oddest/funniest customs. If you know of a good one I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your favorite wedding tradition.
Filed in Destination Weddings, For Fun, Weddings | One response so far
I have a random one. In Turkey, before the bride walks down the aisle, she asks her single bridesmaids and relatives to sign the sole of her bridal shoes. After a night of dancing and prancing, tradition states that the person’s signature who has faded the most will be the next to marry.