Wedding Rituals: Traditional Wedding Customs | BRIGITTE.de

wedding rituals
Traditional wedding customs

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Wedding rituals have a long tradition. We explain the most important rituals in Germany.

German rituals on the wedding day

At hardly any other celebration is tradition preserved as much as at a wedding. It starts even before the wedding with the bachelor party or bachelorette party. Then it goes on from the civil marriage to the wedding ceremony and the big celebration. We tell you the most popular German wedding customs.

  • flower children: The scattering of flowers by the flower children is part of every traditional wedding and goes back to an old pagan custom. The beguiling scent of the flowers is said to attract the goddess of fertility, who is said to help the newly married couple to have children.
  • Throw Bridal Bouquet: Throwing the bridal bouquet is one of the most popular wedding rituals after the ceremony. The bride stands with her back to the unmarried women. Then the newlywed wife throws the bouquet into the crowd. It is said that whoever catches the bride’s bouquet will be the next to step in front of the altar.
  • Wedding cake: A wedding cake is not only a delicious treat at the wedding celebration, but also has a symbolic meaning. The bride and groom cut the wedding cake together, which is supposed to be a sign of the bond within the marriage. It does mean, however, that whoever holds the hand up when cutting will call the shots in the marriage. When planning a wedding, a taste test should not be forgotten. By the way: To ensure that everything runs smoothly at the wedding ceremony and reception, we have put together a checklist for the wedding.
  • Wedding dress: At a wedding, it is customary for the bride to wear a white dress that symbolizes purity and light. However, the groom is not allowed to see the dress before the wedding. Finally, it is said that demons can cast evil looks at the bride through the man.
  • Money in the bridal shoe: Another traditional wedding custom is for the bride to wear a penny in her bridal shoe on her wedding day. This ritual is intended to free the bridal couple from money worries. However, since this custom is very uncomfortable and can lead to painful blisters on the foot, brides prefer to attach the penny to the outside of the shoe.
  • stand trellis: After the wedding ceremony, the wedding party can honor the bridal couple with a beautiful gesture: After the ceremony, the guests stand in two rows next to the door, creating a corridor in the middle. Then they put their hands together. The newlywed couple walks through the tunnel formed by the guests. This ritual is intended to show that the two spouses have taken the right path together. The narrowness of the tunnel should also stand for the obstacles that the bridal couple will overcome together.
  • “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue”: This English custom has now also established itself in Germany. These are items that the bride carries with her at the ceremony. That Old symbolizes the past. A family piece of jewelry is often used. That New stands for the new phase of life as a married couple and can be wonderfully symbolized by the wedding dress. That salvaged is usually provided by the mother or a close friend and is intended to give the couple security and happiness. There Blue the color of loyalty is, something blue completes the thing. A blue garter is usually used for this.
  • Carrying the bride over the threshold: Wedding rituals are simply romantic.? After the wedding, the groom has to carry his wife across the threshold of their common home, since terrible demons are said to live under the stairs. When the new husband carries his sweetheart across the threshold, the evil spirits cannot harm her.

Wedding rituals after marriage

When the civil or church wedding is over, the wedding rings are exchanged and the vows are said, it’s time for the celebration.

  • wedding dance: The bride and groom open the dance floor with the wedding dance. The bride and groom usually dance a classic waltz. After the opening dance, the witnesses, family members and all other guests are also allowed onto the floor. Haven’t found your song yet? We have compiled popular wedding songs.
  • wedding games: For some entertainment, wedding games are extremely popular. For example, the knowledge of the bridal couple can be tested or the guests can be integrated into a fun quiz.

You can find more traditions (before, after and during the ceremony) around the world here: Wedding customs. In addition, we have on our Pinterest board further inspiration for the very special day.



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