Strange Wedding Traditions From Around The World (And Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid To Create Your Own)
Weddings are full of traditions. Some are centuries old, and some are surprisingly recent. We can follow the logic of some, but others leave us wondering how on earth it became a thing.
Every tradition though, no matter how strange it might seem today, started with someone deciding that a particular action carried meaning. Which raises an interesting question…
If all traditions began somewhere, why shouldn’t you create your own?
We thought it would be interesting to explore some of the weirder wedding traditions…
Burying A Sausage For Good Weather (UK)
Let's start with one of our favourites.
According to a long-standing British wedding superstition, burying a sausage in your garden before the wedding is said to ward off rain and encourage sunshine on your big day. No one seems entirely sure where the tradition originated, but that hasn't stopped countless couples from secretly burying a sausage and hoping for the best.
Ridiculous? Perhaps.
Yet every wedding season, social media fills with confused wedding venues finding sausages in their flower beds and couples proudly showing off their buried bangers, proving that even the strangest traditions can survive if enough people believe in them.
Strange? Definitely. But no stranger than many of the traditions we still follow today.
Welsh Love Spoons
Carving love spoons is now considered a heritage craft, but it was once customary for young Welsh men to carve intricate wooden spoons and gift them to the person they hoped to marry.
These spoons were filled with symbolism. Hearts represented love, chains symbolised commitment, keys represented security, and wheels were said to signify a willingness to work hard and provide for a future family.
Each spoon was unique, carrying a personal message from its maker. In many ways, they were one of the earliest forms of personalised wedding gifts.
There's something rather lovely about the idea that a carefully carved spoon could once say everything that needed to be said.
The Groom's Shoes (India)
If you've ever attended a North Indian wedding, you may have witnessed one of the most entertaining traditions of all.
During the ceremony, the bride's family secretly steals the groom's shoes. Once the ceremony is complete, the groom must negotiate their return, usually through a combination of bribery, bargaining and playful banter.
Known as Joota Chupai, the tradition creates a moment of fun between the two families and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of the day.
It's a reminder that weddings have always been about more than solemn vows and formal rituals. Sometimes they're about creating opportunities for laughter too.
Beating The Groom's Feet With A Fish (South Korea)
Few traditions surprise people quite as much as this one.
In parts of South Korea, it was once customary for the groom's friends and family to remove his shoes after the wedding and gently strike the soles of his feet with a dried fish, often a dried pollack.
The tradition is thought to test the groom's strength, resilience and character before he begins married life. Exactly how anyone decided that hitting someone with a fish was the best way to achieve this is lost to us, but what is certain is that it produces some wonderfully confused reactions when people hear about it for the first time. Admittedly it’s not one we're expecting to see at the next Dark Wedding Fair.
Sugar Cubes In The Glove (Greece)
In Greece, brides have traditionally tucked a sugar cube into their glove before walking down the aisle.
The symbolism is simple and charming. The sugar cube represents sweetness and is intended to ensure a happy and joyful marriage. It's one of many wedding traditions built around the idea that symbolic actions can help shape the future.
Whether or not a single sugar cube can influence a lifetime together is debatable, but the sentiment remains wonderfully optimistic and is a lovely contrast to the fish.
El Lazo (Mexico)
Possibly on of the closest traditions to handfasting is El Lazo, a beautiful wedding tradition from Mexico and other parts of Latin America.
During the ceremony, a decorative cord, rosary or floral garland known as El Lazo is placed around the couple in a figure-eight shape. The ritual symbolises unity, connection and the joining of two lives into one shared journey.
Unlike some wedding traditions that have become disconnected from their origins, El Lazo remains deeply meaningful for many couples today.
It's also easy to see why alternative couples are often drawn to similar symbolic rituals. There is something powerful about physically representing a commitment through an action rather than simply speaking words.
Something Old, New, Borrowed and Blue
Perhaps the most familiar wedding tradition of all is:
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."
Most people know the rhyme, but fewer know what each element represents.
Something old symbolises continuity and connection to the past.
Something new represents optimism for the future.
Something borrowed is often intended to bring luck from a happily married friend or family member.
Something blue traditionally symbolises love, fidelity and purity.
It's a tradition so widespread that many people follow it without ever questioning where it came from or why.
Which perhaps says everything about how traditions work.
The Traditions We Create Ourselves
Alternative weddings have always challenged the idea that traditions must be inherited to be meaningful.
Handfastings were once considered unusual (their roots are a whole other topic). Black wedding dresses were considered unconventional. Personal vows, themed weddings and alternative ceremonies were all once departures from the norm. Yet today many of these choices have become traditions in their own right.
The truth is that traditions aren't magical because they're old.
They're meaningful because people choose to repeat them.
At some point, somebody carved the first love spoon. Somebody stole the first pair of shoes. Somebody tucked the first sugar cube into a wedding glove.
They weren't traditions yet, they were simply ideas that resonated with people.
And perhaps the traditions that matter aren’t the ones we inherit - perhaps they’re the ones we create ourselves.
