In the States we have a very traditional process when it comes to weddings and marriage. We get engaged, we plan the most perfect day of our lives, we invite all of our family and friends, we go to a church, "here comes the bride", kiss, eat, speeches, dance and happily ever after. It seems so normal to us that we couldn't even imagine how possibly in other countries and cultures, people would do things much differently. Instead of doing things the old fashioned way, take a look at this list of untraditional marriage rituals from around the world for a little extra inspiration.
Who says that you can't find the man of your dreams. In Armenia it is said that if you eat a slice of extra salty bread, prepared by a married woman, when you go to sleep that night, you will dream of you future spouse. This goes for both men and women, so grab a piece and happy dreaming.
In the congo the bride and groom can not show their happiness for their marriage or for each other. Throughout the whole ceremony the couple is not allowed to smile because if they do it is a bad omen that they couple is not serious about their marriage.
Having a wedding in France might mean that you are indulging in delicious wine and chocolates, this is all very true. What you might not know is that in France the tradition is to consume these delicious items out of a toilet bowl, to have good luck on your wedding night.
In China it is tradition for a man to take a bow and arrow (without the arrowheads of course) and shoot them at his future wife. After he plays a little cupid with his fiance, the groom collects his arrows to take with him to the ceremony and break in half to ensure everlasting love.
On a beautiful island, full of gorgeous blue waters and tropical flowers, it shouldn't be surprising that in order for a man to ask for a woman's hand in marriage he must first dive into the depths of the ocean and collect a whales tooth to present to his future father in law.
In the most places in the world, wives will go on extreme diets in order to look their absolute best on their wedding day. Not in Mauritius, here women are over fed and forced to gain weights because tradition shows that the chubbier a wife, the richer the husband is.
As their first domestic act as husband and wife, the couple must sweep up piles and piles of porcelain dishes from the floor during their ceremony. The guests break the dishwater around the couple in order to ward off any evil spirits that may be surrounding the couple.
In England centuries ago it was illegal for couples under 21 years old to wed. But that didn't stop the young lovers from following their hearts. Many couples would go off the Scotland and the nearby town of Gretna Green to elope and make their love everlasting.
In the festive country of Greece, the groomsmen take their job literally. On the day of the wedding the groom BFF's take a straight razor and clean up the groom while the mother of the bride sits by his side and feeds him honey and milk for good luck with her daughter.
In the vibrant country of Guatemala, the grooms parents are allowed to act however the want because they are reception hosts. When the newlyweds arrive, it is tradition that the grooms mother break a ceramic bell filled with rice in order to bring prosperity to the couple.
In Japan, they take the tradition of wearing white to the extreme. The bride will be covered from head to toe in white including her hood and makeup. This is to represent her "maiden status", while her hood hides her "horns of jealousy" that she feels for her mother in law.
In the beautiful Caribbean island of Jamaica, the bride exits her house to walk down the street to the ceremony with a full audience observing her entrance. The watchers will shout negative comments to the bride and if the negatives outweigh the positives then the bride will go home and change.
This country knows how to start the party right! These weddings begin with a huge festive celebration. The bride and groom are showered with music and dancing and partying right away where later in the evening all the guests end up at the brides house for showers of flower petals.
In Norway it is transitional for the bride and groom to have a traditional cake called a "kransekake" which consists of a bunch of almond cake layered rings held together with icing. A bottle of wine is placed in the hollow center for the couple to enjoy together.
After you have spent the whole day getting ready, the father of the bride spits on the newlyweds as they are leaving the ceremony. Why would a father do such a thing? He is trying to not tempt fate by being too supportive of the new couple and the spitting curbs the superstition.
