Ceremonies that bring together two people as a joint pair publicly, in modern culture known as weddings, have been (and still are) done in different ways around the world. From the look and feel of the wedding, the attendants and the traditions, depending on your culture, your wedding can be completely different to someone else. A lot of this is down to the circumstances of the society you live in and your religious background.
The look of the wedding
Whilst in the western culture white elegant weddings are considered the norm, this is not the case throughout the world. For example, in eastern countries such as India, it is more typical to have bright colours present at your wedding, and the bride will normally wear a bright red gown with a traditional sari and plenty of bling. The red is a symbol of good luck in this culture. In Scandinavia it was once popular to wear black on your wedding day, although it is unclear if many brides would be so brave to do this today!
Even wedding rings can vary by where you live in the world. In the west, rings are becoming more unique and custom made like the ones by jewellers Hertfordshire, Chapter 79. The way you wear the ring can also be different. Many Catholics believe that wearing it on your left hand can be associated with bad spirits, and so opt for the right hand instead!
In countries of South America, silver wedding rings with a lot of embellishments are normal to see. In the east, plain gold is still highly admired.
Wedding traditions
The most interesting difference between weddings of different cultures and societies must be the wedding customs. There are the typical customs that you might be familiar with, such as the exchange of rings and the throwing of a bouquet, but then there are many more unfamiliar ones that couples share. For example, in Mexico, a lasso of flowers and religious beads is draped over the couple during the ceremony to symbolise their union and the eternity that they should share together.
China has especially interesting traditions: the bride is often carried in a beautiful chair as she travels through her wedding day, whilst guests throw rice and well wishes up at her from below. In this huge country in the east, it is also not unheard of for the bride to be shot at! That is, the groom will shoot three bolts at the bride (without an arrow-tip, of course!) and when finished, will break the bolts in half as a symbol that their love is for eternity.
If you are going to be married in another country than your own, or have ancestorial heritage from another culture, it may well be worth doing a little research on that culture’s wedding traditions. You may find an exciting activity, item, or look to feature into your big day, that you would have never considered before.
