Wedding Customs From Around the World

It might seem strange and, let's face it, it is a little, but as well as throwing the bouquet in order to determine which lucky lady will be next to trot her way down the aisle; in Peru, the single female guests, all get stuck into a little ribbon yanking. It's called cintas de torta, which literally translates as cake ribbons.

A ring, usually a cheap replica of the one given to the bride, is hidden in the wedding cake and attached to one of several ribbons also baked into the cake.

The single ladies (who would like to have a ring put on it), grab a ribbon, or more than one if they're able to, and pull. Whoever gets the ring on the end of her ribbon will be the next bride-to-be.

This all happens before the cake is cut, but, don't worry, it doesn't make too much of a mess, as the ring and ribbons are usually placed in just one corner of one layer.

Of course, the cake/ring pull could be made more exciting if the ribbons were all attached to the ring and the girls had to fight for it, tug-of-war style....just me?

This specific tradition is peculiar to Peru. However, there are variations on the theme in other South American countries and some states in the U.S., these customs usually involve charms attached to each ribbon. 

Mehndi or mehandi is the art of decorating the body, specifically the hands and the feet (where less melanin in the skin makes the markings more prominent), with pastes made from turmeric and henna.

It's an ancient ritual in the Hindu religion and the decorations are said to represent both inner and outer light; the notion of 'awakening your inner light' being central to Hinduism.

It was subsequently adopted for Muslim festivals, and mehndi is now practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Africa, as well, of course, as India.

In India, mehndi is just one of the many celebrations and rituals that make up a Hindi wedding. Usually taking place the night before the actual ceremony, the mehndi custom involves designs that are applied by either a professional artist, or by the bride's female relatives.

As you can see, the henna 'tattoos', which usually last between two weeks and a month, are often very elaborate and symbolic. Sometimes, these incredibly beautiful designs even have the groom's initials hidden within them.

It's not just about painting the bride, though. The mehndi tradition is filled with dancing, singing and revelry - a little like a bachelorette party.

Yichud is the period just following the Jewish wedding ceremony, when the bride and groom spend time alone together in seclusion.

This tradition is believed to have existed from the 2nd century A.D., and was initially the time in which the marriage was consummated 

As Jo Harrington tells us in her piece, 'What is Marriage?' weddings were contracts, which were not fulfilled until husband and wife had 'known' each other in the biblical sense. And it seems the sooner the contract was finalized the better.

Now, however, yichud is less about 'sealing the deal' (so to speak), and more about giving the bride and groom the opportunity to spend their first minutes as husband and wife alone; away from the hustle and bustle of the wedding party.

In traditional Jewish weddings, the yichud is a time when the bride will bless her new husband and the couple will break their wedding fast. It's also a great opportunity for the newlyweds to exchange gifts, and simply share a few minutes of quiet.