One of the most incredible aspects of our planet is how the same deed or custom can be carried out so uniquely in different cultures. Consider marriage; it is practised worldwide, yet the way it is celebrated differs significantly among cultures.

Of course, not all wedding traditions around the world are the same in every country, and not everybody follows these customs to the letter. You may encounter some of these distinctions if you marry someone from another country or when attending a destination wedding. In any case, it’s unique how we individually take something like a wedding and make it our own.

At our Le Treport venues, we see and host many types of weddings from all over. Here are a few examples of how wedding traditions around the world.

Poland

Wedding rituals and superstitions are peculiar to Poland. Polish people adore parties, which may account for why many polish wedding traditions hold weddings over 3-4 days.

These four days revolve entirely around food; polish wedding traditions also involve dances, the enigmatic oczepiny rite, drinking, and playing games. Traditional Polish customs make the entire wedding meaningful, joyful, and vital to the couple and their guests.

Polish marriages generally begin with an engagement ceremony. This is a modest gathering of both families hosted at the bride’s or groom’s home. It’s usually the first chance for future in-laws to get together and help organize their children’s weddings.

As for the wedding itself, Poland is a religious country, with Catholics most of the population. Both the bride and groom value the procession to the church ceremony. Pigeons bring happiness and good luck. Therefore people should keep an eye out for them.

In a church or registered wedding, the best man and maid of honour accompany the couple as witnesses. The wedding couple is showered with rice and barley at the end of the ceremony. This represents fertility and abundance prayers. The young couple’s first united toast results in the breaking of glasses.

Polish brides typically accessorize their hair with a luscious wreath of recent flowers and rosemary. In accordance with Polish custom, as the couple leaves the ceremony, visitors throw oats and barley at them rather than rice or birdseed. Typical Polish festive fare offered at the reception includes roasted duck, veal, pickled herring, pierogies, smoked sausages, potato leek soup, almond pastries, and dried fruits.

China

As a mark of respect and honour, the couple will serve tea to their parents during a Chinese tea ceremony. A significant method for couples to express their gratitude to their parents for everything they have done is through this time-honoured custom. Red envelopes filled with cash are typically given to the newlyweds by their parents as a wedding gift and a gesture of gratitude in exchange.

Croatia

Depending on the region where the wedding is taking place, Croatian wedding traditions come in a fair bit of variety.

The “false bride” tradition is among the funniest in Croatia. In front of the bride’s home, the groom and his friends arrive, and he calls out for his bride. A male family member opens the door, but the bride is not yet married. The bride’s family tries to “cheat” the groom by providing a counterfeit bride. This can be a tough doll wearing a wedding dress, the bride’s grandmother, or even male family members. The groom finally sees his bride after being deceived, and after that, they both depart for the church together.

At the wedding itself, Barjaktar, the lead of the wedding party, is referred to as the “flag holder.” The Croatian flag is carried and waved in front of the wedding procession as it travels to the church, town hall, or reception venue. Given to persons with a lengthy history of being loud, amusing, and a little eccentric, it is regarded as an essential duty. As the procession moves from one place to another around the town, they can frequently be seen hanging out the windows of the cars.

The bride’s dance, another of the Croatian wedding traditions, typically begins at midnight. The gimmick is that you must provide cash in exchange for the opportunity to dance with the bride. When you put money in the basket that the maid of honour is holding, you get to dance with the bride. The maid of honour will choose how long your dance will be based on the size of your donation. You can dance for longer and more times if you donate more money.

Serbia

Serbia is renowned for having a rich culture and distinctive traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. This is also true of Serbian wedding traditions.

On their wedding day, some ladies carry miniature mirrors about to fend off devils afraid of their reflections. Some brides may also place a garlic clove on their chest as they get dressed to ward off bad luck.

Another Serbian wedding tradition still carried out in rural areas is apple shooting. At the bride’s home, an apple is hung from a tree. Only once the groom shoots the apple and removes it from the tree is he permitted entry into the bride’s house.

Netherlands

The Netherlands has many wedding traditions that often incorporate food. For example, the consumption of Bruid suikas, a sweetmeat, at the bride’s house before the wedding is a historical practice in Holland. Then, at the wedding, a bowl containing brandy and raisins is usually passed among the guests as singing and celebration follow. At Le Treport, our menus provide a selection from many reaches of the world, from veal parmigiana to filet of sole. Your guests will never go hungry at one of our venues. Consider us for your wedding catering in Mississauga needs.

Canada

Of course, Canada has its wedding traditions!

The custom of the bride wearing white is one prevalent example. Since many people think France is where the traditional white wedding dress first appeared, it makes sense that many French-Canadian brides also adopted this wonderful custom.

Although much of the Western world follows this custom, it has long been a component of Canadian wedding customs.

A lesser-known tradition in Canada is Trousseau Tea, which, while no longer popular or commonly performed, used to be a very common and widespread Canadian wedding custom.

The bride’s mother would host a trousseau tea where neighbours, friends, and coworkers who weren’t invited to the wedding but yet wanted to be included would congregate.

It’s a fantastic idea to keep your wedding to close friends and family while still celebrating with your wider network.

We’ve got you covered if you’re looking for a wedding venue in Mississauga, Ontario. Our venues provide elegant, modern, and timeless wedding experiences that will help make your special day unforgettable for the years to come.