Weddings from Around the World

Eight years ago when I married my husband – an Irish-Canadian catholic marrying an Iranian – it was a memorable mesh of cultures. We wrote our own vows and incorporated typical North American wedding elements like a flower girl, bridesmaids and groomsmen with traditional Iranian touches like a wedding spread of fruits, flowers and candles. Now, with two of my friends planning their big days, I’m inspired to explore the intricate details of various cultural weddings that could turn any wedding into a one-of-a-kind event. Here are four traditions to inspire you:

Chinese

Instead of all the stress and non-stop planning of most North American weddings, imagine having your marriage cleared from all bad luck and getting gifts of jewelry from the groom – all as part of your wedding prep! These are just some of the perks of a Chinese wedding, which traditionally includes “six etiquettes” – the formal proposal (nacai), the matching and blessing of the bride and groom birthdates (wenming and naji), sending and receiving gifts between the bride and groom (nazheng), choosing the ideal “lucky” wedding date (qingqi) and the wedding ceremony (qinying).

If you’re looking for a complete departure from the white ball gown wedding dress, then you’ll be excited by the red silk Chinese bridal dress, called the kwàhn kwáa. Adorned with floral images and embroidered dragons and phoenix, it’s a standout piece that’s still more manageable than a poofy gown. The bride truly is the centre of attention, with the ceremony room and wedding favors matching her dress, decorated in red and with images of dragons and phoenix.

As my friend Charmaine explains, you can’t include all the fabulous customs on your big day, so you’ll want to select one or two elements or ceremonies to match your wedding vision.

“We will likely have a Chinese tea ceremony.  It’s very important to pour tea for our elders and loved ones. (We would) alternate between serving the grooms side and brides side (and) receive red pockets – called ‘Lai see’ – upon serving the tea. It means older generations (are) passing on their luck.”

Iranian

At the core of any Iranian wedding is the traditional spread (sofreye aghd), a dazzling presentation with ancient Zoroastrian roots that symbolizes each facet of marriage and married life. When I was planning my own wedding, I was worried how I might incorporate this elaborate spread into a North American wedding, but it worked wonderfully as a focal point for the aisle and ceremony itself.

The concept behind the spread is similar to the “something borrowed, something blue,” where the items are symbolic and lucky. There is a mirror and two candelabras placed at the head of the spread to symbolize the light and fire of life. Seven is a lucky number in the culture, so there are seven traditional herbs and seven pastries to represent a “sweet” life. Decorated eggs symbolize fertility, coins represent prosperity, and simple feta cheese and herb sandwiches (naan-o paneer-o sabzi) represent the basic necessities of life and are offered to guests after the wedding ceremony.

One Iranian wedding tradition that might be fun to tweak for a wedding shower is that during the ceremony, female family members are asked to come up and gently grind two large sugar blocks over-top of a veil placed above the seated bride and groom – spreading their luck in love to the couple. For a wedding shower, instead of the couple, it could just be the bride-to-be and while the women grind the blocks of sugar, they can impart some wedding wisdom.

Hindu

With elements like fire, fabulous body artistry and a wedding “gown” like no other, it’s no wonder that celebrities like Katy Perry have fallen in love with Hindu wedding customs for their big day.

Hindu weddings are a feast for the senses with three main parts, Kanyadaan, Panigrahana and Saptapadi. Kanyadaan is the father giving away his daughter, placing her hand in the groom’s. Panigrahana is the bride and groom holding hands near a small fire (fire is an essential part of the Hindu wedding ceremony!). Finally, Saptapadi is the seven steps the bride and groom take around the fire.

A spectacular display of colors, the bridal wear begins with intricate henna artistry on her hands and feet. Topped with a red saree, adorned with (real!) gold jewelry, you’ll never have to worry about standing out from the wedding guests or bridesmaids. Meanwhile, the groom wears Kurta Pyjamas (a loose fitting tunic and pants in cotton or silk), often with a studded collar and cuffs. Red is considered a lucky color and is used throughout the entire wedding, for decorations, favors and flowers.

Greek

Who can forget that scene from Mamma Mia where the bride and groom are being serenaded by all the locals as they make their way to the church? Now imagine that for your own outdoor wedding! That’s one of many ancient Greek wedding traditions to choose from. Another fun custom just for the groom is the groom’s best friend helping him shave on the morning of the wedding – one less thing for him to worry about.

Almonds and honey are used throughout Greek weddings, with the mother of the bride feeding honey dipped almonds to the groom to welcome him into the family. Almonds also make for stress free wedding favors in the Greek tradition, with coated almonds, called koufeta, placed in white satchels or bowls for guests to enjoy. Interestingly, the favors are always filled with an odd number of koufeta because an odd number cannot be divided by two and so the thinking is that the couple cannot be divided.

The bride’s dress is usually the traditional white gown but as a Greek bride (or wannabe!) you get to wear a beautiful floral or bejewelled circular headpiece, called the stefana. The veil hangs down from the stefana for a unique bohemian-meets-bridal look.

Whether it’s your own culture or just one you love, you can choose any element of these traditions to incorporate into your big day. Happy planning!