Nearly everyone knows and embraces wedding traditions like “Something old, new, borrowed, and blue.” But did you know there’s a long list of wedding traditions you’ve probably never heard of?
Take a look at a few of our favorites:
Save Some Wedding Cake for the Christening
Some couples still opt to whisk away and freeze the top tier of the wedding cake for their anniversary, but traditionally cake was saved to celebrate the birth or christening of the first child. Adorable tradition, but we think we’ll just buy a new cake to welcome baby number one.
Bury the Bourbon
Praying for perfect weather? Many in the south believe if you bury a full bottle of bourbon (no sneaking sips during the dig) upside down exactly one month before your wedding at the venue, you’ll have picture perfect weather. This is a fun one (especially cracking the bottle open with friends and family later) but make sure you ask permission before participating in this quaint tradition.
Not So White Weddings
We’re sure you’ve heard the saying, “What goes around comes around.” Well, it turns out wedding fashion is no different. We’re seeing many brides part ways with what’s portrayed as the “traditional” wedding dress, but it was actually Queen Victoria who popularized the white wedding dress in the 1840s. Before that, ladies slipped into a stunning dress in whatever color they fancied.
Clean Up Duty
The couple that cleans together, stays together. At least that’s what this German wedding tradition teaches. During a Polterabend, a couple’s friends and family come together to break porcelain in order to wish them good luck. Cleaning the detritus is the first task the couple takes on together. This bonding activity is meant to teach the couple if they work together, they can conquer any mess (or mountain).
Everyone Has A Sole Mate
Tired of the traditional tossing of the bouquet? Perhaps you’ll love Turkey’s take on declaring a new bride. Before the wedding begins, the bride has her single friends and relatives sign the bottom of her shoe. At the end of the night, the names that have faded the most are sure to get married soon. Far less competitive than the bouquet toss and it encourages you to work up a sweat on the dance floor!
There are, of course, many other wedding traditions out there that we didn’t cover ranging from strange and full-on wacky to sweet and refreshing.
