Wedding Traditions

Family, heritage, religious, or secular based traditions are a fun way to add an interesting element to a wedding. This can be a great way to honor where you come from and add originality to your special day. Below

 are a list of my favorites:

In Turkey, before the bride walks the aisle, all her single bridesmaids sign the sole of her heel. After a night of dancing, whoevers name has worn off the most is said to be married next.

Unity candles have long been used, but I don't like how you blow out your individual candle after lighting the shared candle... everyone needs to keep their individuality! Also, my ceremony is outdoors. That's why I like the Unity sand idea - plus you can get the sand in matching wedding colors and also get your parents to contribute a shade of your wedding colors as well. 

And of course: something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. My Dad's mom engagement ring has been turned into a tie pin (keeps the thicker and thinner parts together - I don't know the proper name). I really want Jon to wear it.

Italian heritage says it is bad luck to get married or leave for your Honeymoon on Fridays and Tuesdays!

In Mexico, a white ribbon or rosary, referred to as a "lasso" is draped around the neck of newlyweds during their vows to symbolize their joining together. The groom also presents his wife with thirteen gold coins during the ceremony, showing his commitment. When the couple leaves it is customary for red beads to be tossed at the new couple to ensure good luck (I'll stick with bubbles, thanks!).

In the US, rice is tossed at couples leaving the ceremony as a symbol of fertility.

A midwestern US tradition is the wedding reel: guests form two lines and they pay a dollar or more to dance with the newlyweds. That money is then used on the honeymoon.

In Ireland, following the wedding, the bride and groom are given a sufficient amount of mead along with speciality goblets that they could use to share the brew for a full month (or one full moon) after the wedding. Mead is made of fermented honey, and thus the term "honeymoon" was coined. This was said to promote a good beginning of the marriage and virility and fertility.

A Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father in her left shoe and a gold coin from her mother in her right shoe to ensure she'll never do without.