The history of marriage is a long and complicated one. While the general idea of marriage has remained somewhat consistent over the centuries, the wedding traditions and rituals surrounding the average ceremony have changed dramatically with each passing year. What’s more, wedding customs tend to differ greatly from culture to culture and region to region. Though you are likely already somewhat familiar with the wedding traditions and customs of your home country, you may be completely clueless about practices from elsewhere. There is a lot to be said for taking time to learn about other rituals from around the globe.
Whether you are simply looking for inspiration or you want to honor another culture by including rituals in your ceremony, there are countless ideas out there worth your time. Examine these global wedding traditions and see if any of these rituals are a good fit for your upcoming wedding.
Release the Birds
Birds are a common sight at many weddings. Though not all couples are going to utilize birds during their ceremony, it is quite normal for brides and grooms around the world to release birds as a symbol of love. In the Philippines, for example, there is a very specific ritual surrounding the release of two doves during the ceremony. According to tradition, a bride and groom must take two doves and get them to “kiss.” Of course, this is more of a symbolic gesture. The couple will usually hold the beaks of the doves near each other for effect.
Once the doves have “kissed,” they are released by the happy couple. The doves are meant to act as a symbol of peace and love. The flight of the birds during the ceremony, similarly, is supposed to be an uplifting moment. Though it is common for the birds to be released outdoors, there are also many couples who opt to release the doves indoors in a venue. Should you decide to include this ritual in your own ceremony, you might want to think long and hard about the right location to release the birds.
A Sip of Sake
Wine has long been a symbol connected to wedding traditions. Though open bars at receptions usually have a plethora of spirits available to guests, wine remains the elixir most connected to celebrations. In Japan, the act of drinking rice wine is a tradition meant to unify families. The ritual, known as san-san-kudo, involves filling three flat cups with sake and presenting the drinks to the happy couple during the wedding. The bride and groom take three sips each from each of the three cups, then pass along the cups to their respective parents, who also take three sips from each cup.
By drinking from the same cups, the families are symbolically joining together over the marriage. This is viewed as a sign of good fortune to the couples, showing their families happily come together with blessings for the future.
Watch Your Shoes
In India, there is an old tradition that involves a lot of fun. When the groom enters the wedding tent where the ceremony is held, also known as a mandap, the sisters and cousins of the bride steal his shoes. Custom dictates the groom cannot leave the tent in different shoes than he entered with, so he must bribe the relatives in order to get his shoes back. Another festive tradition in India has the bride and groom racing to their seats to see who will have the advantage in the marriage.
From releasing birds to stealing shoes, there are some fascinating wedding traditions to be discovered around the world. The more you learn about the various marital customs of other cultures, the more you may feel inspired to dig into the traditions of your own culture.