Traditions European Women Do on Their Wedding Day

Weddings are fun. Really fun. Sometimes stormy but luckily, the storm always passes before the main event. For the last three months, I travelled across Europe and on three different occasions I had the chance to be a part of three wedding ceremonies that were completely different but equally exciting. So, that is what inspired me to do a little bit of research about different European traditions that unique and interesting. Here are my top ones.

England

Very similar to US weddings, the Englishmen have wedding traditions which are pretty much the same. The English brides wear something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. They also put a silver sixpence in their shoe on the day of their wedding. They believe that this will bring them happiness and prosperity in their marriage.

Greece

When the wedding takes place, the bride and groom are linked together by a ribbon on their crowns. This means that they are vowed before God to stay forever together. Also, an interesting custom on Greek weddings is gifting a dowry by a female member of the bride’s family and it should include bed linen, tableware, embroidery and household items.

France

In France, the bride wears a garter on her leg which during the reception is auctioned so that the couple can save some money for their nest egg and for beginning their new life together. Also, the French brides consider the bouquet a must-have accessory.

Ukraine

It’s a day full of customs and traditions at a Ukrainian wedding. One of them is the groom paying ransom money to the bridesmaids when he arrives at her house to get her. Ukrainian girls take their role seriously so they try to get as much money as they can before letting the groom see his wife-to-be. Also, once the groom takes his bride they need to step on a traditional embroidered cloth before they take their vows. The person who steps on first is believed to be the head of the family, and almost always the groom lets the bride be that person, a gesture which is respectful to her.

Germany

German wedding traditions are really interesting. On the wedding reception night, the bride and the groom have to break as much tableware as they can because it is believed that this chases off bad spirits. Plus, the German brides are supposed to buy their wedding shoes from the money they saved when they were little girls. And, at the end of the wedding reception, the bride tears us the veil and gives a piece to all of the single guests.

Spain

While in Germany, the veil of the bride is torn up, in Spain that is the groom’s tie. It is cut into pieces and then sold piece by piece, so the money they collect is for a fresh new beginning of the spouses. The bride on the night before the wedding receives 13 silver coins that symbolise the engagements. These 13 coins are used to form the bride’s trousseau.

Portugal

In Portugal, Portuguese brides are very careful not to tear their wedding dress accidentally because this is considered a symbol that one of the spouses will die. So, quality wedding dresses are a very important part of Portuguese weddings.

Belgium

Veils are the most important part of the wedding attire of the bride as it is used to chase away bad luck. Plus, it symbolizes virginity. Also, Belgian brides wear a garter, too and they auction it on the reception to create a little nest egg for a happy beginning.

Denmark

Danish grooms make holes in their socks during the wedding party and this silly act symbolises a promise of fidelity to his bride.

Some Final Words
Weddings are a joyous occasion. It is a celebration of love and it is always heart-warming to celebrate the love of two people. Fortunately, the traditions are there to keep the fun on a high note and to transfer legacy from the ancestors.