10 Unique Wedding Traditions from Around the Globe

The world is a melting pot of beautiful people and their colorful cultures. It is no surprise that every part of the world celebrates unique wedding traditions differently. Here are some of the most unique wedding traditions from across the globe:

1. Norway: Concealed in Cake

The Norwegians sure know how to do dessert right. ‘Kransekakes’ are conical piles of cake rings that conceal presents in their cavity. The gifts may range from bottles of wine to tiny trinkets like earrings for the bridesmaids. 

2. Germany: A Show of Strength 

In Germany, the bride and the groom bring out their chainsaws whilst still in their wedding attire and cut a log of wood in half. This tradition is known as Baumstamm Sägen. It symbolizes challenges that the young couple may face and how they can get through them together. 

3. Japan: For Sake’s Sake 

Sake is Japanese liquor made with fermented rice. One of the oldest Japanese wedding traditions is called ‘San Kudu’ which means ‘three three nine times’. In San Kudu, The bride, the groom, and their parents take three sips of sake, three times each. The first sips bond the families, the second sips represent leaving behind the past while the thirds are for good luck in the future. 

4. India: A Necklace Instead of Rings

While engagement rings are the key jewels in many wedding ceremonies, different cultures make different choices. The mangal sutra is a gold necklace the groom fastens around the bride’s neck. The necklace represents unity, devotion and love and was also believed to ward off evil spirits in the 6th century. 

5. Romania: Where’s the Bride?

If you can’t find the bride before the wedding, it’s probably because the groom’s friends and family have kidnapped her in exchange for ransom. No need to call the cops, it’s all consensual fun. The groom can have her back once he buys everyone drinks and does something incredibly romantic for his bride to be. 

6. Kenya: A Spitting Image 

While you may find spitting to be incredibly rude, some cultures in Asia and Africa actively spit in order to ward off evil. The Masaai people of Kenya take it up a notch. The father of the bride spits on top of his daughter’s head to wish her luck and to protect her from bad luck. 

7. Morocco: 7 Days of Celebration 

If you thought a single day of wedding festivities was ‘a lot’ you probably won’t survive a Moroccan wedding. The weeklong celebration includes drinking, dancing, feasting and a whole lot of hammams.

8. Congo: No Smiling Please 

Your wedding day is bound to be one of the happiest days of your whole life but if you’re getting married in Congo, you might want to keep those smiles hidden. During the wedding ceremony, a smile is seen as a sign of insincerity and the young bride and groom are expected to carry themselves with austerity. 

9. China: Pretty When They Cry 

If you thought Congolese were being a tad too serious wait till you hear about this. A month before the wedding the bride begins the Chinese tradition of Zuo Tang (sitting in the hall) and weeping for an hour every day.  10 days before the big day, the bride is joined by her mother, sisters and aunts. The crying is meant to mark the sorrow of the bride’s departure before she starts her life in a new home.

10. Spain: Till Death Do us Part 

While most weddings have some aspect of ‘together forever’, the Spaniards believe in wearing that promise. The bride dons a black dress and veil called a mantilla. The black color intentionally evokes death and reiterates the bride’s devotion to her marriage, one that can only be broken by death.