Everyone is familiar with wedding staples, like tossing the bouquet and the first dance, but what about wedding traditions from other countries and cultures? Along with unique customs performed worldwide, wedding traditions include objects with interesting historical significance that have been used in weddings for generations. This guide will help readers understand interesting wedding traditions from around the world.
Table of Contents
Hindu Wedding Traditions
Many people think that Indian wedding ceremonies are the same across the many Indian sub-cultures. However, while there are many similarities between Hindu and Jain wedding ceremonies across India, they can vary by region. Some of the more common Indian wedding traditions are explored below.
Indian Roka Ceremony
A Roka ceremony is considered the east Indian version of “going steady” Both the families gather together to bless the happy couple and exchange Indian sweets, jewelry, nuts, and dry fruits. A Prayer (Pooja) is performed by a priest (pandit) during the Roka ceremony, according to the Indian rituals and traditions.
Mehndi Ceremony
The mehndi (henna) ceremony is the tradition of decorating the bride-to-be’s hands, arms, and feet with beautiful mehndi designs. The bride always chooses intricate designs and some brides hide the groom’s name in the design.
During the mehndi ceremony, friends and family also adorn their hands with simple henna designs to join in the fun! After removing the dried mehndi paste, the color darkness signifies the intensity of love between a couple, and some say it means your mother-in-law will adore you.
Read More: 10 Ways To Save Money On Your Wedding
Insider Tip: The mehndi artist will apply a mixture of sugar and lemon with a cotton ball to darken the color of the mehndi.
Ceremonies Before the Wedding
Sehra Bandi is a beautiful ceremony where the groom’s face is covered by tying a multi-stranded garland made up of small flowers to his turban. Sehra is the actual garland headgear, and Bandi means “to tie.” The garland is tied to the groom’s turban by the groom’s sister-in-law (bhabhi), and she also applies eyeliner (kajal) to the groom, which is believed to ward off evil spirits. The sister-in-law is then presented with money or jewelry as part of the wedding traditions.
Interesting Fact: The red bangles, known as “Chooda,” are the most important part of Indian wedding traditions for a bride. The set consists of 21 red and white bangles, which are good luck for newlyweds and symbolize marriage.
The groom traditionally wears a garland to cover his face, which is similar to the bride’s scarf (ghunghat) draping over her face; this covering symbolizes modesty. Today, most brides in North America have let go of this old wedding tradition of covering their face and instead like to walk down the aisle showing their beautiful faces and dazzling the guests.
Interesting Fact: Sindoor (red vermilion powder) is the symbol of marriage. The groom places it on the bride’s forehead. Sindoor has many health benefits and is made with turmeric and lime. It’s supposed to make the bride feel relaxed when applied.
Indian Wedding Reception
The reception is always organized by the groom’s family. All of the groom’s friends and family attend this grand party. From the bride’s side, only close family members are invited. Reception parties are full of energy, delicious food, and an open bar. The reception is accompanied by good music and a large dance floor.
Insider Tip: When the Indian wedding is done, the bride is ready to go with her husband. It’s believed that the more the bride cries during Bidaai, the happier her life will be.
Read More: 10 Delicious Indian Appetizers To Enjoy While In India
Filipino Wedding Traditions
Filipinos are usually big on weddings. Being predominantly Catholic in nature and accustomed to old-school wedding traditions, you can see Filipino culture at weddings. Everyone in the family and the community are usually involved in the preparations.
Formal Introductions and Negotiations
Known in Filipino as pamamanhikan, this is the groom and bride’s way of honoring their parents at the wedding ceremony. This tradition can take place months or weeks before the wedding ceremony, and it involves the groom’s and bride’s family meeting. This traditionally symbolizes an official proposal to the bride and the bride’s family, combining their families. Specific wedding traditions vary by region, and some involve sharing sugarcane wine and playing drinking games. Other traditions include exchanging symbolic items and presenting the bride’s parents with a dowry, while some share a small meal and discuss wedding plans.
Read More: 4 Ideas For A Simple Wedding
Interesting Fact: A cord, fashioned in the shape of an “8” or infinity sign, represents the infinite nature of marriage. The cord is placed over the heads of both the bride and groom.
Wedding Preparations
All the wedding preparations take place a day before the wedding. They are centered around the Filipino concept of Bayanihan, which involves performing small, heroic acts for the community’s good. Family members of the couple and the community chip in to decorate the reception area and cook delicious wedding dishes. Many wedding preparations can vary depending on the region, religion, and ethnic group of the families. For example, some families prepare a special sticky rice cake using specific wooden spoons and placements, while others hold traditional spiritual ceremonies.
Ceremony
During the ceremony, the bride and groom ask for blessings from their parents by kissing their hands or touching the back of the parent’s hands to their foreheads. Depending on the family’s religion, the parents will utter phrases of love in return. In Filipino-Muslim weddings, the groom will kiss his father-in-law’s hand during the ceremony. These wedding traditions make Philipino weddings very interesting to watch and get involved with.
Interesting Fact: A large veil is pinned on both the bride and groom to symbolize the unity of marriage.
The 13 Coins
The groom presents the bride with 13 coins called the Arrhae, which is a promise of prosperity to the bride. Depending on the region, the coins can be handed over to the bride in many creative ways. They can be tucked into a handkerchief, given individually by the wedding sponsors or godparents. The fun yet interesting practice of the coin ceremony is inherited from Spain and is common in Catholic and Hispanic wedding traditions worldwide.
Read More: Finding Your Perfect Summer Wedding Dress
Indonesia Wedding Traditions
Indonesia is a multi-cultural country with unique marriage customs that are difficult to find in other places. Indonesia has a variety of unique wedding traditions that are interesting to observe.
Planting A Tree
The community has wedding traditions that also have some benefits for the environment. One of the requirements for marriage is the couple has to plant a teak tree seed. This custom is performed in the village Bohol, Rongkop, Gunung Kidul and is referred to as the Kromojati marriage tradition. According to Factsofindonesia.com, “Every villager of Bohol who will get married must plant teak seedlings with at least five seeds in critical lands spreading in Dusun of Wuru and Gamping.”
Interesting Fact: The bride will be dressed very beautifully, complete with decoration on the head that is quite heavy. It is said that the decoration can be as heavy as around one kilogram.
Dowry
Dowries in some tribal cultures in Indonesia are mandatory, and the assessment indicators may vary for each tribal custom. The dowry varies depending on the family’s social status and the couple’s education.
Lombok: Kidnapping the Bride
One of the most unique wedding traditions involves the groom kidnapping the bride. Even today, these wedding traditions are upheld, as grooms are not expected to sincerely ask the bride’s father for his blessings or set up a formal dinner between the two families.
Nowadays, couples pre-meditate their own kidnapping schemes, with the groom waiting outside and the bride sneaks out on her own. However, in the old days, the groom quietly broke into the bride’s homes and made sure the bride wouldn’t wake up her family since a failed kidnapping scheme would mean no marriage, and the groom would be a subject of embarrassment!
Interesting Fact: In Balinese wedding customs, the groom pays the entire cost of the procession.
Bainai Night Procession
The Bainai Night Procession is the celebration of the bride’s last night; it’s one of Indonesia’s most popular wedding traditions. Fine henna leaves mixture is applied to the bride’s nails as part of this tradition. Bainai is an expression of love and blessing from the elders for the bride’s family.
Read More: 8 Tips For Planning An Eco-Friendly Wedding
Fijian Wedding Traditions
In Fijian weddings, many religious traditions are practiced. The happy couple sits on the floor during the wedding ceremony. In addition, the wedding is held either in the couple’s house, or a house loaned to them for the ceremony.
Yaqona Ceremony
Yaqona, commonly known as kava, is Fiji’s traditional ceremonial drink consumed at every Fijian wedding. It’s made from the pounded roots of a local pepper plant mixed with water. It’s consumed from a communal coconut shell in a ceremony where visitors are welcomed to participate. Whether you are a local or a visitor at a resort, you will be asked politely to sit in a circle on the floor as a local prepares kava in the tanoa bowl.
Fijian hosts chant and clap while each person in the circle is invited to sip from the shell full of kava. Kava is known to have a mild sedative effect (Fijians call it relaxation). As a result, your lips and tongue will feel slightly numb.
Interesting Fact: In Fijian culture, 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.
Fire Walking Ceremony
With origins on the island of Beqa, the fire walking ceremony is an ancient Fijian ritual. Legend says God gave the ability to the Sawau tribe to walk on fire. This ceremony is now performed to entertain visitors. Traditionally, the fire walkers must follow two strict rules for two weeks before a firewalk: They can’t contact women or eat coconuts. If these rules are not followed, the fire walkers may experience severe burns. When it’s performance time, the fire walkers walk single file across a pit of red-hot stones a few meters in length, and, surprisingly, their feet are unharmed.
Interesting Fact: Traditional Fijian wedding attire is clothing made from Tapa cloth. Tapa is the bark from an indigenous Fijian tree that is pounded into a fine cloth and hand-painted with Fiji’s traditional patterns.
Tevutevu Ceremony
Tevutevu means the “spreading of the mats,” which is an ancient Fijian wedding tradition. Traditionally, each person (usually in the order of their social standing in their families) places a mat on the floor to symbolize where the couple will sleep.
Tevutevu also symbolizes the mother making her child’s bed for the final time before he or she marries, passing the duty on to the adults in marriage to make their own symbolic beds. These days, bedding, including pillows, blankets, sheets, and mosquito nets, is given to the newlyweds. Tevutevu is a beautiful tradition filled with so much significance and emotion.
Interesting Fact: For many brides, the tradition of warriors, or the “Bili Bili,” is a fun and festive way to enter the ceremony. This is when a bride is carried to a wedding throne decorated with flowers by native Fijians wearing traditional garb.
Weddings are full of fun-filled, thrilling, and exciting ceremonies and rituals. Marriage in many cultures is something sacred and is usually celebrated with special wedding traditions. The diverse cultures around the globe result in a variety of wedding traditions that can be very interesting to learn about!
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Want to know what to do with your wedding dress? Check out What To Do With Your Wedding Dress After The Wedding.
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