Forward Note:
The Virgin Islands is a crossroads of cultures.
I find myself very fortunate to get to do such a diverse assortment of weddings week after week.
Our guests come from all over the world--Europe, Asia, Austraila, Africa, The United States, EVERYWHERE!
In my years of doing this, I've seen many cool traditions from other countries.
Listed below are a few of my favorites.
Maybe you are part French? African? Or perhaps you have a little Italian heritige in your family?
Incorporate them into your event if you wish or just enjoy the differences from YOUR particular country.
Who knows maybe you'll spark an idea to add a creative idea to your event!
Good Luck and have a GREAT wedding day!
Eric
TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE
AFRICA
Jumping the broom developed out West African Asante custom. The broom in Asante and other Akan cultures also held spiritual value and symbolized sweeping away past wrongs or warding off evil spirits. Brooms were waved over the heads of marrying couples to ward off spirits.
The couple would often but not always jump over the broom at the end of the ceremony.
ARGENTINA
The wedding cake is baked with several ribbons hanging out of it. Female members of the bridal party are invited up to pull out a different ribbon. One ribbon has a wedding band attached to it. The woman who pulls that ribbon and gets the ring is suspected to be the next one married (simular to catching to boquet). There are other charms which symbolize other things--money, good health, luck, etc. The cake is specially done in a certain way (and looks great) for this to work. (call Stacy at VI Desserts www.videsserts.com if you want one made up locally. She made up the cake I saw at a reception held here recently).
FRANCE
The origin of giving this toast began in France, when a small piece of toast was literally dropped into the couple's wine to ensure a healthy life.
The couple would lift their glass to "a toast", as is common now in Western culture.
Some French couples choose to serve a croquembouche instead of a wedding cake.
This dessert is a pyramid of crème-filled pastry puffs, drizzled with a caramel glaze.
At a more boisterous wedding, tradition involves continuing the celebration until very late at night. After the reception, those invited to the wedding will gather outside the newlyweds' window and bang pots and pans.
Some say this is where the American tradition of tying tin cans onto the back of the bride & grooms "getaway" car came from.
GREECE
The rice throwing tradition at the end of the wedding ceremony (as the newly wedded bride and groom leave the church) started in Greece.
Greek guests throw rice (as well as flowers) for a symbol for fertility and felicity for the couple.
This tradition migrated to America and in recent times, the rice is sometimes switched to bird seed (or soap bubbles blown by the crowd), since--in some areas--birds eat the rice, which swells in thier stomachs and eventually kills them. (it's also known to bring rats to the church!)
Another famous Greek tradition is the pinning of money on the bride's dress or tossing it on the floor and dancing around it.
This custom originated in one part of Greece, where it is a substitute for wedding presents, however it has become more widespread recently and is often seen in America known as a "money dance" where people dance with the bride and groom and slip money to them during the dance.
INDIA
The bride (Hindu or Muslim) always wears almost always wears red clothes (never white) because white symbolizes widowhood in traditional Indian culture. In Southern and Eastern states the bride usually wears a red Sari, but in northern and central states the preferred garment is a decorated skirt-blouse and veil called lehenga.
Also Henna tattoo's are commonly applied to the hands of the bride and bridesmaids. These Tattoos are thought to: increase fertility, assist with good health, impart wisdom & enlightenment and act as a tailsman against harm. The "pottu" is another body art anointment worn by indian women to show thier martial status. The red dot worn between the eyebrows is usually created with vermillion dye.
ITALY
The color green is very important in the Italian wedding. In Italy, the tradition of some thing blue is replaced with something green. This color brings good luck to the married couple. The veil and brides maids also were important in an Italian wedding. The tradition began in Ancient Rome when the veil was used to hide the bride from any spirits that would corrupt her and the bridesmaids were to wear similar outfits so that the evil spirits were further confused. Note in the picture below of this Italian Bridal party, the color of the cake and the accents surrounding it.
In some parts of Italy, a party--known as a Serenade--is thrown outside of the bride’s home by the groom. His family and friends come and wait for the bride, entertaining themselves until she appears. The groom then sings to his bride to further seduce her. This is where Westerners got thier use of the word "Serenade".
FINLAND
Everyone has seen the tradition of "tapping the glassware" to make the bride & groom kiss during the reception. Finnish couples stand up on thier chair to do the kiss, so everyone can see. They get up and do this everytime they are "summoned" by the bridal party. Looks exhausting, having to climb up and down over and over again, but I have to say, it's a pretty cute tradition.
SCOTLAND
A sprig of white heather is usually worn as a buttonhole for good luck.
Instead of "being announced" the bridal party lines up in a receiving line and the wedding guests file past, introducing themselves as they enter the reception. We in America, tend to do it backwards with the guests in the room first and the bride and groom entering last and being "announced".
I'll keep posting more stuff here, the more I see and the more I learn through out the years!
