Cultural weddings - Marry the traditional way

Ready to get married? May be sooner or later, whether a girl or a boy, rich or poor, an Asian or an American, every individual imagines his/her wedding day and all the hopes and ecstasy that come along with it. To whatever extent, we become modern and lead a digital life, even today, when it comes to “Marriage”, most of us imagine cultural weddings which involves all the beautiful and auspicious customs that are a part of the religion or the community we belong to.

Signs of blissful married life…

Marriage is a lifelong pledge, the most special and still the most basic Institution in the world over. It is celebrated in its own special ways in each part pf the world. It is indeed amusing to know that where Greek weddings take place on Sundays, marriages in India and China take place according to the Fortune-teller, whereas; in Philippines “December” is the most auspicious month for marriages! In France, the groom would escort his would-be bride to the ceremony whereas, in Mexico, grooms give their brides 13 gold coins symbolizing prosperity. Customs like lighting firecrackers after the Chinese wedding ceremony, releasing doves in Filipino, tossing a pomegranate in Greece, and throwing the traditional bouquet in America, signing a "Ketubah" in Jewish marriage, all these and many more are signs of a joyous marriage.

The wedding attire…

• What do the bride and the groom wear on cultural weddings? Again, there are varied wedding apparels all over the globe. Usually, white and red are considered auspicious. For example,
• In Japan, the brides wear a white kimono dress and the groom wears the overcoat.
• The bride traditionally wears red shoes, a red veil and with elaborate golden phoenixes in China and the groom wears a long-sleeved jacket.
• In Korea the bride wears a chogori, and a full length wrap-around skirt and the groom traditionally wears a black silk coat with dragon embroidery.
• A red saree or lehenga in Hindus and in Muslims usually a sharara for the bride and a sherwani for grooms are common.

Diverse traditions…

There are different traditions practiced in different parts of the world. Like jumping over the broom in Africa, creating a wish tree in Dutch, serving cooked goose to the groom in Irish weddings, presenting a diamond ring in Italy as a symbol of love, carrying coins in the bride’s shoes in Sweden, bestowing pink chalk to the bride in Vietnam, placing flowers in front of the statue of Virgin Mary in US, children singing the Omen of fertility in China, applying heena on the hands in Hindu and Muslim weddings, presenting the cake in the shape of Eiffel Tower and toasting the auspicious cup “Coupe de Marriage” in France…all these form a part of cultural weddings.

All wells that ends well…

Even a fusion of traditional and contemporary style of marriages is in demand today. Some customs are similar and yet some are unique to each community. Every ritual, every tradition has its own meaning, but in a nutshell they all represent peace, harmony, happiness and prosperity in the lives of the newly-wed! Needless, to say, weddings, in whatever forms are a bond of ever-lasting romance and happiness!