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No matter where they're from - be it Africa, Armenia, Kenya or Canada - brides want to look beautiful on their wedding day. And yet, what that means exactly, varies. It seems wedding traditions are as diverse as the world's cultures. But one thing is certain: a wedding is always a celebration.
Bridal fashions
When it comes to the dress, most brides spend months preparing for the perfect look. In the West, girls love to get married in white to symbolize purity. In Greece, the bride may carry a lump of sugar in her glove, ensuring a "sweet life," while Japanese tradition calls for a triangular head band or horn cover to be worn. Known as the tsunokakushi, this cloth is thought to hide the horns of jealousy which Japanese believe all women possess.
Wedding fare
Around the globe the marriage of two minds calls for a feast. While the Danish enjoy a rich marzipan-covered cornucopia cake, Ukrainian couples share a sacred wedding bread called korovai. This bread is decorated with symbolic motifs to represent eternity and the joining together of two families. Meanwhile, in Bermuda, islanders place a tiny sapling on top of the tiered wedding cake which the couple later plants.
Good guests
While guests are an integral part of weddings, they may contribute to the day in a variety of ways. In the Czech Republic, friends of the bride will slip into her garden and plant a tree, then decorate it with ribbons and painted eggshells. Legend says the bride will then live as long as the tree. Guests in Scotland forego tree planting, but choose instead to wash the feet of the new couple before they walk off into married bliss. And wedding guests in Wales have a race after the ceremony to see who gets home first with news of the marriage. The prize? A pint of ale.
Other trimmings
Weddings usually include a variety of symbolic acts and traditions, each significant within the culture. Because ducks mate for life, Korean weddings include a procession of these quacking animals in the ceremony. In southern Africa, watch for the bride and groom to sweep the ground with a broom, thus beginning their married life. In Italy, weddings guests throw confetti, or sugared almonds at the newlyweds, wishing them a life showered with good things. Across the Atlantic, in the United States, rice or birdseed is popular.
"We all live with the objective of being happy: our lives are all different and yet the same."