Wedding customs

Sikh Wedding Customs

The Sikh marriage ceremony usually takes place in the gurudwara, the Sikh place of worship, or at the bride's home. The Guru Granth Sahib (holy book) must be present regardless of the place where the marriage ceremony is conducted. The morning of the wedding day is marked by the gharoli ceremony at the groom's house. [...]

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Muslim Wedding Customs

Before the wedding ceremony On the day of the wedding ceremony, the bridegroom, dressed like a sultan in a turban with a floral veil (sehra) tied on the forehead, leads the marriage procession to the bride's house. The groom stops at the mosqueto offer prayers and seek the blessing of Allah. The groom is attended [...]

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Hindu Wedding Ceremonies

Most Hindu marriage celebrations are colourful occasions and start by taking place in the temple and the bride’s home both which are decorated specially for the event.  The groom dressed in traditional Indian Kurta (white trousers and a tunic) and wearing a ceremonial turban, arrives with his relatives at the bride’s or most commonly now [...]

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Wedding Customs: Before the Wedding Ceremony

Across many cultures, ritualistic acts are used to mark the import of the wedding but also to prepare and cleanse those involved. Several customs can be observed around the world that have origins in scaring away evil spirits or removing any traces of evil prior to the wedding ceremony. For example, in Nigeria it is considered [...]

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Wedding Customs: Traditional Gifts

Wedding Gift Traditions Whether they are given to the newlyweds to begin their new life, given to the guests or exchanged between the bride and groom, the giving of gifts is omnipresent in worldwide wedding customs. In China, female relatives give brides pocketbooks filled with gold jewellery. In the Philippines, the groom gives 13 pieces [...]

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Wedding customs: Food

Wedding Food Customs A consistent theme across many cultures is that of eating or giving sweet foods as wedding gifts, often to represent or wish for the sweetest moments in marriage to be plentiful. The gift of bread and salt presented to the married couple, usually by either the parent or the maid of honour [...]

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Wedding customs: The Wedding Engagement

Wedding Engagement History and Customs The custom of giving a ring to signify a betrothal is ancient, believed to have been widespread in Ancient Greece where rings were also given as a token of affection and friendship. Pliny wrote about iron rings being sent as pledges to the bride in 1st century Rome. Roman law [...]

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