What are weddings like in your country?

11 comments

1. I dont know, people usually just sign the papers and send them in my snail-mail to the local government for them to register the marriage. One of the few things in contact with the government you cant sort over the Internet unfortunately.

2. They can take on many forms these days, many things are shared with what we all know from american movies and tv. But some things that aren’t, and are either uniquely danish or shared with just few cultures are mainly the things that happen at the dinner after the wedding.

   So all the men cannot take of their jacket until the groom takes his off, on hotter days/warmer rooms all men will be looking anxiously for the groom to take his off.

   Whenever the bride leaves the room, for example for a bathroom visit, all the women rush up to the groom to give him a kiss, and when the groom leaves, all the men rush to kiss the bride.

   At various times guests will klang utensils on their plates in unison, the couple will then rise and kiss each other, if klanging persists, they climb their chairs to kiss..

   It’s traditional for various relations to give a speech, like one parent from each side, best man, and/or maid of honour, grandparents, aunts/uncles, there is no limit, but will vary very much on family and the people, some make an occasion-song, which everyone will sing, it will be written for a well known melody, the occasion-song is something I know we share with at least Norway. The Groom and Bride also speak.

   At the end of the mandatory part of the wedding the [bridal waltz](https://youtu.be/kwm9t6CMpQs) will be played, the couple dances while everyone gathers round them clapping in tact, after a short while the crowd will slowly, NO RUSHING, move closer and closer ans closer until the couple can’t move. The younger men will then grab the groom hoist him up, remove a shoe and cut off the end of one of his socks, today many socks for men for weddings come with “cut here” lines and scissor symbols. After this the couple will sometimes make their farewells, like if they wish to retire for their wedding night, or go on honeymoon directly, it is optional, you will however definitely see the older guests retire shortly after, and the party goes into a more standard party more suited for the young to middleaged.

3. They’re usually very very large (up to 400 people is not uncommon) and can be very elaborate. There’s usually food, dancing gift giving (to the bride and groom). They can get quite expensive.

   Nowadays though more and more people are just having an official ceremony and a reception afterwards because yeah. Expensive.

4. A marriage can be as simple as a contract signed at the magistrate’s office. I did that with my husband. You just need two witnesses.

   My sister had a traditional wedding. They were wedded at a church, then there was a party with around 200 guests. Food was buffet, drinks were outside at a tent (sahti, which is kinda like strong homebrew beer). Then there was games, music and coffee and the cake. Next day we went to clean up and ate left-overs. What lacked were “non-invited guests”, those used to be expected during old-time weddings, people just coming to eat & drink no one knew.

   The bride’s parents traditionally pay. My parents paid for my sister’s. I think that is getting rare these days.

5. one small thing that is unique for a belgian wedding is when they play “les lacs du connemara” and at the same time all guests wave their napkins in a circle above their head. This happens in both the french and dutch speaking part of the country and nobody really knows where the tradition came from

6. Traditionally weddings in Poland last two days.

   The first day:

   – At around 4pm-5pm most guests arrive at the ceremony (usually a church)

   – And now this is where the fun starts. Guests arrive at the wedding venue right after the ceremony.

   – Bride and Groom are welcomed by their parents with bread and salt to symbolize prosperity in their life

   – Guest give wedding gifts to the bride and groom. Usually money nowadays

   – Everyone sits down, sing “sto lat” (it’s a birthday song primarily but it’s modified to fit the occasion here)

   – Food. Everyone eats and get to talking.

   – At around 7pm-8pm the dance party starts. Vodka flows in copious amounts. Hot food is served throughout the party.

   – At midnight there’s something called “oczepiny”. It’s when the bride and groom choose the next bride and groom (tossing the veil and such)

   – Game time. For example, at my parents wedding participants had to spin around a broom and run to the other side of the dance floor. My mom’s uncle was already so drunk he run the other way. Winners usually receive a bottle of vodka lol.

   – Dance party resumes.

   – Your uncle is drunk out of his mind, kids sleep on the chairs. Normal wedding behavior lol.

   – Most guest start to leave between 3am-4am.

   The second day:

   – Guest arrive at the venue for lunch around noon or later

   – Generally this day is devoted to eating the leftovers so the bride and groom don’t have to hoard it for the next few days.

   – Some more dancing (depends on hangover levels tho xd)

   – Guests leave by evening

   The end.

   Generally the traditional wedding is rather expensive as it can be very flashy and there are a tonne of guests. Today, more toned down ceremonies and weddings with only few guests are getting more and more popular.

   I mentioned that gifts are usually money. The amount is not really specified but the general rule is to sort of compensate for the cost of the seat at the venue.

7. In Romania from my experiance.

   1.A wedding is like a bussines because the gift is money.

   With all the money the couple should be able to pay for the wedding and have some left for the honeymoon or to buy a car etc.

   You get more money if you invite more people so the avarege wedding has at least 100 guests. The biggest I was at was my uncle’s with 350 people.
   In Maramures(a Romanian region) wedding are huge-1000 people, but I’m not from there and I haven’t been to one so I don’t know details.

   The amount of money given depends on how close you are to the newlyweds, how many people of your nuclear family you bring, how fancy is the place and how much money they gave to your wedding if you got married first.

   2. You can’t exclude kids. I never heard about childfree weddings here. People would be angry if someone suggested that.

   3.Weddings usually start at the groom’s house with him and his close relatives. Everybody is dress elegant. There are people who play traditional music and a guy called a grăitor who rhymes some traditional good luck messege.

   4.Then all these people go the bride’s house(the cars have some wedding decorations on them and people are honking) and the grăitor says other traditional messeges.

   5.Then the city hall ceremony, then maybe a photoshoot with the guests then the church ceremony.

   6.The party. There are day weddings (the party starts in the afternoon and ends in the middle of the night) and night weddings(the party starts in the evening a ends the next day in the morning)
   People eat lots of food-like 5 types. You can find drinks, snaks, fruits and cakes on the table the wholo time and a cake bar nowadays)

   There is music by a live band, many people(specially old) dance the whole time.
   Some couples make “the bride’s lunch” where they invite close people at their house to eat the leftovers the day after the wedding.

   Majority of guest only go to the party, close family and friends to everything else.

   My mom said that when she was young in the village wedding were 3 days and 3 nights long.

8. Weddings are a big deal here. Typically, they are big with a couple of hundred guests but smaller weddings are becoming more popular, especially since Covid. Traditionally, the ceremony is held in the bride’s home church but getting married in venues other than churches has become very popular too now.

   Usually, there’s a reception after the ceremony in a nearby hotel involving a sit-down three course meal and dancing with a live band followed by a DJ. This will go on to the early hours of the morning and is very loud and raucous. Most weddings I’ve been to have played some traditional Irish céilí music so all the guests can dance traditional dances like the Siege of Ennis or Walls of Limerick. Playing the song Rock the Boat by The Hues Corporation is ubiquitous here at weddings. All the guests sit on the floor and do movements of rowing a boat, directed by the bride who gets to stand at the front so she doesn’t get her dress dirty!

   The dress code is formal but usually not black tie. Women usually wear dresses and high heels and hats/headpieces can be worn too and a lot will get their hair/makeup/false tan done for the day. Men wear suits.

   There’s always debate about how much money is the current going rate to gift a couple for their wedding!

   Usually there will be some sort of get together with the close friends and family of the couple the day after the wedding too before they head off on honeymoon, maybe a barbecue if the weather is nice.

9. A few days/weeks before the wedding, *dekliščina* (for the bride and her friends) and *fantovščina* (for the groom and his friends) take place. Friends of the bride/groom prepare some kind of a “show”, the bride/groom usually gets dressed up funky and has to sell a certain amount of smth to the public. Then after the “show” they usually just drink and have fun for the last time before marriage

   The wedding itself usually happens on a Saturday, the ceremonial part takes place at the church where the bride got baptised while the “fun part” takes place at a guesthouse or at the hotel.

   First they have to get the bride so they pick her up at her home, usually there are “fake brides” before the actual bride walks out. The ceremonial part starts with the bride walking down to isle in a white dress with her father(usually) and with bridesmaids walking behind/in-front of them. At the altar stand the groom and the maid of honour/best man. In my region we also have a “protfirer”, basically a guy who has to look after the consecrated wine so it doesn’t get “stolen”

   After the ceremonial part is over and the bride and the groom walk out of the church rice gets thrown at them. When everybody gets ready to drive of to the guesthouse they follow the couple in their cars usually with balloons and decorations attached to the mirrors, and beep throughout the whole journey so everybody knows they just got married.

   At the guesthouse they receive wedding gifts and the “party” begins. First there is lunch and than the music starts. There is also usually a band there playing Slovene music (Oberkrainer music). Weddings usually lasts long into the morning hours and these weddings are usually really big (+100 people)

10. We love a Big wedding here! I’ll talk about the traditional standard Catholic ™ ones, but a) nowadays many urban couples do more lowkey weddings, or just go to the notary, registry or town hall, without celebrations, and b) rural weddings usually are more “keep the gossipy ladies happy”, what we call to cater to “el qué diran”, c) romaní (gipsy), chinese and muslim weddings vary.

    So. It’s done in church, even if bride&groom didn’t go to mass since their 1st communion, so grandmas & other older guests are happy/don’t gossip. Also, because tradition. Wedding ceremony can be up to 1h+, depending if there’s a mass afterwards or not. Sometimes with lectures by selected guests. Dress code is formal, suits for men (tie yes or not depending on dress code), dresses (cocktail or long) for women. Sometimes headdresses are required for women. Children are always included in weddings, there’s no thing as a childfree wedding, although they may be ushered outside during the ceremony.

    Then, guests greet the just married with rice, flowers or confetti outside the church, and a rented bus (or two, or three, depending on size of the wedding) takes the guests to the venue. At the venue, first it’s champagne, wine or beers, and appetizers (not stingy quantities, on the contrary) while guests mingle waiting for the just married to finish their photoshoot.

    After 1 to 2h, it’s time for lunch, or dinner, seated. 1 entrée, 1 fish course, 1 meat course, dessert, including the wedding cake. Limitless wine. Just married couple greets every table, speeches might be told by best man or other important guests, occasionally guests start helicoptering the napkins while asking for bride&groom to kiss, or for their parents to kiss, and so on. Kids are usually seated at separate tables and cared for by babysitters, but can be at the same table as parents, depending on preference and budget.

    After 2h dinner, time for the first dance of bride&groom and for the party&open bar to start. The DJ will read the room and start with more popular music so older guests and children can dance as well. Beware of Spanish older ladies, they’ll dance you to ground

    At 1 or 2am some more food will appear, finger food usually. Open bar still goes strong. Beware of Spanish older gentlemen, they’ll drink you to ground.

    Usually rented buses will do runs like at midnight, 3am, 5am, for guests to depart. Sleeping children are collected from chairs or other quiet corners.

    Next day you’re hungover but happy, unless you did something stupid while drunk …

    Guests are usually between 100-200, can go higher depending on family. Usually wedding gifts are in cash or bank transfer, and at least cover the cost. Women are bringing more and more a pair of flats for dancing after the dinner is done.

11. Weddings and traditional stuff are so outdated for me. I can get along with my partner just as well without those additional steps. And be happy without following any kind of tradition or religion or without giving a single fuck about what people care or say about our decision.