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Wedding Traditions

British wedding traditions might be something you have thought of as part of the proceedings if you are planning a wedding here in the United Kingdom. And why not? They can be a lot of fun and many brides and grooms wouldn’t dream of going ahead with the ceremony without them!

After all, why tempt fate and start off your new marriage with anything other than good luck vibes to set you on your way to married life?

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You’ve probably heard of something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Or tossing the bridal bouquet, throwing confetti, giving the bride away – all of these started as customs in the dim and distant past, some of them hundreds of years ago.

Even the exchanging of wedding rings can be dated back to ancient Egypt!

Weird Wedding Traditions

Britain isn’t alone in adhering to wedding rituals, almost every country in the world has some kind of tradition that their newlyweds embrace. Here are some of the weirdest we have found from 10 different countries around the world.

While most of these customs are charming, and others are a little alarming, we think it only goes to show that there’s more than one way to say, “I do”.

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lucky penny vintage wedding transport wedding traditions
lucky penny vintage wedding transport wedding traditions

Traditions Across Cultures

10 Weird and Wonderful Wedding Traditions From Around the World

  • Scotland

The Wedding Scramble

The wedding scramble is a little like throwing the bouquet, except it involves children and coins. The father of the bride does the throwing, and he throws a handful of coins for children to collect just as the bride is climbing into the wedding car to make her way to the church. We love this idea and it’s something we can arrange as part of our vintage wedding car hire service – so please get in touch!

  • Germany

 Polterabend

Taking place in the weeks before the wedding, “Polterabend” refers to a party where everyone is invited, and the guests bring pieces of broken pottery, china and porcelain to smash on the ground! The party traditionally took place at the home of the bride but nowadays the location is a little more flexible, but usually takes place in the happy couple’s current hometown. The couple are responsible for cleaning up the shards, to instil in them the need for teamwork in their future married life!

  • China

A Crying Marriage

According to ancient tradition in many parts of China, every bride had to cry at her wedding, otherwise, the bride’s neighbours would look down upon her as a poorly cultivated girl and she would become the laughingstock of the village. These days the bride may cry in different ways with alternative words, which was also called the “Crying Marriage Song”; the somewhat exaggerated singing helps to enhance the wedding atmosphere. Crying at her wedding is designed to promote the bride’s happiness at getting married via falsely sorrowful words.

  • India

Stealing The Groom’s Shoes

Part of a traditional Hindu wedding and known as the “Joota Chupai Ritual”, the sisters, cousins and other female relatives of the bride steal the groom’s shoes once he takes them off as he makes his way to the Mandap (the canopy used in the ceremony). The objective is make money later on following the marriage ceremony when the groom needs to pay to get his shoes back so he can leave the venue!

  • Romania

The Bride Gets Kidnapped

This tradition dates back to antiquity, when most marriages were arranged without the bride’s consent. In the modern era during the wedding celebrations a Romanian groom has to keep an eye on his wife, to make sure she’s not stolen by his guests. If he’s not careful and the kidnapping happens, then she must be symbolically redeemed. Currently, most of the time, the bride’s kidnappers ask as reward a bottle of whiskey or champagne, or a declaration of love made in public.

  • South Korea

The Groom’s Feet Are Beaten

In South Korea, once the ceremony has taken place, in often extremely lavish fashion, friends of the groom will remove his shoes and socks. After tying a rope around his ankles, the groom’s friends then beat the soles of his feet with dried yellow corvina fish. It is believed that this practice makes the groom stronger in his marriage and family life.

  • Venezuela

The Couple Leave The Party Early

In Venezuela, it’s thought to be good luck for the wedding couple to sneak out of the reception without anyone noticing, so many couples will try their best to get out undetected. Because it’s a known tradition, guests have eagle eyes on them and it can be difficult to manoeuvre, but it’s a fun way for the newlyweds to get out a little early and it’s all part of the celebration!

  • Peru

Cake Pull For Single Women

Single ladies in Peru don’t have to jump for the bride’s bouquet to determine who will be the next one to marry. Instead, they participate in a “Peruvian cake pull”, a custom where each woman grabs a ribbon attached to the wedding cake before it’s cut. The woman who has a fake wedding ring at the end of her ribbon is the next bride-to-be.

  • Cuba

Pin Money to the Bride’s Dress

The Cuban wedding money dance allows guests to give the bride and groom a helping hand with their honeymoon and their new lives together. After the formal ceremony is over, men who wish to dance with the bride must first pin money to her dress, or put it into a purse, which she carries especially for the purpose. Some brides use the pockets of an apron she dons over her gown especially for this dance.

  • Fiji

Gift Of a Whale’s Tooth

In Fijian culture, the tradition of “tabua” is when a man asks a woman’s father for her hand in marriage, he must present his future father-in-law with a whale’s tooth. The tabua translates as “sacred” in Fijian and it is linked with good luck and supernatural powers. The tooth can vary in size from the length of a hand to the length of a forearm and can weigh around three pounds.

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Hiring a vintage wedding car is another wedding tradition that we’ll be only too happy to help with! Contact us at Lucky Penny to chat about how our vintage wedding transport can make your special day even better!
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For more information about hiring Penny and/or for your wedding, please contact us either on 07802 403 044, via email at kate@luckypennyweddings.co.uk, or use our contact form, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

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