Wedding traditions from around the world

26th April 2010

Hello

As a destination photographer I travel all over photographing brides and grooms on their happy, happy day, and I thought you might find these wedding traditions from around the world interesting...

Jewish couples stand underneath a Huppah- an ornamental canopy symbolizing the nomadic tents of Israel and the new home the couple will share.

Jewish grooms smash a glass with their foot to remember the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and that sorrow always tempers joy. Couples may preserve the shards in a symbolic keepsake box

In China, brides wear red and gold

Moroccan women bathe in milk before the ceremony

At a Scottish wedding it is traditional to wash the bride’s feet on the eve of her wedding

At a traditional Italian wedding the groom carries a piece of iron in his pocket

At Egyptian weddings the bride is pinched for good luck

Swedish brides place a gold coin given by her father in one shoe and a silver coin given by the mother in the other

Peas are thrown at Czech newly weds instead of rice

Greek brides tuck a sugar cube into their glove to sweeten the union in marriage

In Holland, a pine tree planted outside the newly weds home is a symbol is a symbol of fertility

If an English bride meets with a chimney sweep en route to the church, and he kisses her it is good luck (He has a vital role in keeping the home fires burning- safely)

Ducks join Korean wedding processions, because like many other fowl, they mate for life

Traditional African parents carry fire from their homes to start a fire in the newly weds home

Mexican couples are bound in marriage with long rosary

An Indian Sikh circles the couple six times and then showers them with rose petals, to ward off evil on life’s long journey

Greek couples circle the altar 3 times for the Holy Trinity

Japanese pairs sip three times from three cups of sake, three and nine are lucky numbers

For more of my wedding pics visit my photo stream on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/peterhaarhoff
I will also be at the autumn FAB Bridal Fair at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on
1 & 2 May 2010

The way I see it...

I have photographed countless weddings, one more beautiful than the other, and I have heard all sorts of sermons from all sorts of ministers. I can’t remember any, except for one. I liked this minister, he said: “The secret to a good marriage is this: When you come home after a long hard day at work, don’t kick the dog and scream at the kids, rather sit down and have a Sundowner (or two) with your wife, and discuss your day...” Well, so far so good, we are now married for 15 years. CHEERS!

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Keep those cameras snapping, till next time.

Peter Haarhoff