Wedding Traditions from Around the World

From the bride tossing her bouquet to single female guests to wearing something old, new, borrowed and blue, American wedding customs are still so popular today that even the most nontraditional brides happily take part. (Why tempt fate and start off your new marriage with anything other than good luck vibes?) But America doesn't have a monopoly on such rituals — other countries too have their own beloved wedding customs.
Some are sweet (female guests in Sweden kiss the groom when his new wife leaves the room). Some are perplexing (couples in Congo are forbidden to smile on their wedding day). And some are downright strange (engaged pairs in Mongolia must kill and butcher a chicken to find a healthy liver before being allowed to wed). But what binds these seemingly disparate customs from near and far is one simple thing: love.
If you follow this custom, the theory goes, you will find eternal joy with your soul mate. So even if certain Indian brides must first marry a tree or a South Korean groom has to tolerate getting his feet whipped by family and friends, it's all worth it in the end. When love and happiness ever after are the outcomes, it's a win-win for brides and grooms.
We've rounded up 45 of the most awe-inspiring rituals from lands far, far away to give you an idea of what's happening beyond your backyard. If you're particularly charmed by a certain custom, feel free to adopt it for your own "I dos" even if it's outside your heritage. When it comes to love and weddings, there are no borders.

Armenia: Break Bread
Want a glimpse of your future spouse? Chow down on salty bread. That's what single Armenian men and women do. According to the custom, if you eat a slice of the high-sodium specialty — which must be prepared by a happily married middle-aged woman or your grandmother — you will hopefully dream about your husband- or wife-to-be. Let's hear it for carbo-loading!

Congo: Are You Serious?
While most about-to-be marrieds brim with excitement and anticipation, Congolese brides and grooms must keep their happiness in check — during their entire wedding day, from ceremony to reception, the two are not allowed to smile. If they do, it would mean they weren't serious about marriage.

France: Potty Mouth
Good news: French brides and grooms traditionally eat chocolate and champagne after the reception.
Bad news: They must consume these treats from a toilet bowl. The point is to give the twosome strength before their wedding night; unfortunately, it might give them something else.

China: Bullseye!
Let's hope the groom remembers to remove the arrowheads. In China, a prospective husband will shoot his bride with a bow and arrow several times then collects the arrows and breaks them during the ceremony, to ensure their love lasts forever. What would Cupid do?

Fiji: Toothy Treasure
Get that wetsuit ready. In Fiji when a man asks a woman's father for her hand in marriage, he must present his future father-in-law with a whale's tooth. A nice tie would be so much easier&

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Mauritius: Go Large or Go Home
Many brides-to-be in other countries go on strict diets to lose weight before the wedding. Not so in Mauritius, where young girls are forced to pack on the pounds before their weddings. The chubbier she is, the better for the husband who is thought to be wealthy with such a well-fed wife.

China: Take a seat
A bride's family would hire a "good-luck" woman to take care of her as she traveled from her home to the groom's in an elaborately decorated sedan chair. Attendants were busy shielding the bride with parasols and tossing rice (a symbol of health and prosperity) at the chair.

Germany: What a Smash!
In their first bit of housekeeping together, German brides and grooms clean up piles of porcelain dishes that their guests threw on the ground to ward off any evil spirits. The lesson: working together, the couple can face any challenge thrown their way.

Scotland: The Way to Wed
Centuries ago England restricted marriage to couples who were 21 and over. But that didn't stop young lovers from finding a loophole, or in this case a nearby Scottish town without such limitations. Today that village, Gretna Green, is still popular for couples who want to elope.

Greece: A Close Shave
Taking the term "groomsman" literally, on his wedding day, the groom's BFF becomes his barber when he pulls out a razor and shaves his face. But the groom's day also has a sweet side: His new mother-in-law will feed him honey and almonds.

Japan: An All-White Dress Code
On her wedding day, the Japanese bride having a traditional Shinto ceremony wears white from head to toe, including makeup, kimono and hood. White denotes her maiden status; the hood hides her "horns of jealousy" she feels towards her mother-in-law.

Lebanon: Party On!
In Lebanon, the wedding celebration, the Zaffeh, gets off to a rowdy start with music, belly dancing and shouting at both the groom's and bride's homes courtesy of the couple's friends, family and occasionally pro dancers and musicians. Eventually everyone ends up at the bride's house where the couple is showered with blessings and flower petals as they leave for the ceremony.

Kenya: A New Type of Father-of-the-Bride Duty
How would you like to be all dressed up in your wedding finery and have your dad spit on you? It happens in Kenya after the ceremony when a Masai bride leaves with her new husband. The purpose is not to tempt fate by being too supportive of the newlyweds.

Indonesia: Got to Go? Um, No
Spending the first three days confined to their home together sounds kind of sweet, certainly not a hardship for Indonesian brides and grooms — unless using the bathroom would require leaving the house!

Pakistan: What a Steal
The bride's sisters and female cousins make off with the groom's shoe and, if he wants it back, he must pay ransom money for its safe return. This is one way to kick things up a notch!

Cuba: The Money Dance
It's a Cuban custom that every man who dances with the bride must pin money to her dress to help the couple pay for their wedding and honeymoon. Bank on it!

Russia: Picture This
In a gesture of respect, couples in Moscow take wedding photos at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin then lay down flowers afterward. Not exactly your typical wedding photo location but certainly one with a significant meaning.