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Wedding Traditions Throughout The World

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Your wedding is one of the most special, memorable, and exciting days or your life, but there’s so much to consider when planning for the big day. Will you have a cake or cupcakes? Buffet or table service? How many people will you invite? What will you wear? What traditions will you uphold? In America, we’re used to a few common wedding rituals to bring us good luck and happiness in the future.

But have you ever wondered where these traditions come from and why they are significant?

Wedding Traditions

One on the most well-known rituals — carrying something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue — originated from an old English rhyme. Something old signifies continuity; something new represents optimism for the future; something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness; and something blue represents purity, love, and fidelity.

Another common ritual, throwing the bouquet, also originated in England and dates back to the 14th century! Back then, it was common for wedding guests to rip off pieces of the bride’s dress for good luck. To stop guests from doing this, they began throwing their garter instead. Eventually, it became customary for the groom to remove and throw the garter to the male guests and the bride to throw the bouquet to the female guests.

Though there are some of the most common wedding traditions, they aren’t the only ones. Around the world, newlyweds celebrate their special day in a variety of fun and quirky ways. In Germany, the bride and groom cut a log in half after the ceremony to symbolize how by working as a team they can accomplish difficult tasks. In India, it’s customary for the bridal party to steal the groom’s shoes, which the groomsmen must find. To learn more about wedding traditions around the world, take a look at this visual created by FTD.