Wedding Traditions from Around The Globe
In our lengthy experience as wedding videographers, we have been fortunate enough to work with some fantastic couples from a host of different cultural backgrounds. This is part of the reason we love our job so much! From colourful Zambian customs to plate-smashing Greek traditions, we love immersing ourselves and capturing the colours and magic of all heritages. In light of a recent wedding we are just editing (we’ll lift the veil on that one soon) we’ve explored most romantic and beautiful wedding traditions from all around the world.
India
An Indian wedding can last many days, from preparing food days before to welcoming a new bride to the family home. There are many symbolic ceremonies, such as painting the hands and feet of the bride with henna – this is called a mehndi. Flowers play a big part in the celebrations, with garlands presented to guests of honour and rose petals thrown for good luck. Traditionally, the bride and groom wear red which represents romance and a new life together. Over the centuries, gold has played an integral part in Indian wedding celebrations. From sarees to jewellery, you will expect to see all members of the family, including the bride and groom to be heavily decorated with gold.
Iran
A Persian wedding (otherwise known as a Aghd) is rarely a quiet affair, with colour, music and decorations all taking centre stage. One particular Persian custom which is beautifully symbolic is the exchange of honey between a bride and groom. After they have both consented to marriage, the groom dips his finger into a jar of honey and offers it to his new wife, this represents the sweetness they will give each other during their married life together. This is soon followed by an exchange of kisses on each cheek with every member of their immediate family to congratulate the newly married couple.
Spain
A Spanish wedding will often take place in the evening, after 7pm - the party will continue to the next day. This night time celebration often makes for a visually beautiful soiree, with moonlight, candles and lanterns illuminating the party. A traditional wedding custom in Spain sees the groom presenting the bride with 13 unity coins (otherwise known as arras), which represent his commitment to support her and as a symbol of the wealth they will equally share. Spanish brides tend to choose traditional flowers for their arrangements, this often incudes orange blossoms. The white petals symbolise purity and compliment the colour of her dress.
Africa
With its many nations and tribes, weddings in Africa differ slightly from region to region – you will however see a common theme throughout which includes music, dance, flamboyant colourful dress and an infectious party atmosphere. A traditional African bride will wear a tri-colour Kente fabric – a woven cloth of gold, red and green which represents the natural plant life in Africa, sacrifice and prosperity. When two families come together, you can expect hundreds of guests to attend an African wedding – with this volume comes a great deal of preparation. This level of pre-planning can involve whole villages of people, which conjures a sense of community spirit and love for the newlyweds. Similarly to Indian traditions, you will often find an African bride beautifully decorated with make-up, henna and jewellery. We recently filmed a traditional African wedding at the gorgeous Braxted Park, and it was simply jaw-dropping. Take a look at our film below:
If you are planning a traditional wedding of your heritage then we would love to hear from you. We plan a bespoke package for couples to ensure all customs and traditions are captured on your special day. To find out more about our HD wedding videos, call us today on 01376 619517.