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Not every wedding has to follow the same old
pattern. If you want your big day to be that little
bit different, take a look at these marriage customs
from around the world. Adapt one or two of them to
your own wedding and you'll have an occasion
everyone will be talking about.
1. Moroccan brides start their wedding day by having
a ceremonial purification milk bath before having
their hands and feet intricately painted with henna.
2. In Estonia, the classic tradition of whichever
woman catches the bride's bouquet being the next one
to marry is adapted for men. The groom is
blindfolded, then spun round. The single man whose
head he puts his top hat on will be the next to get
hitched.
3. Japanese brides change their outfit several times
during the day. (The perfect excuse to hit the
shops.)
4. Italians cut up the groom's tie, then sell the
pieces to help fund their honeymoon.
5. An Anglo-Saxon groom would tap the heel of his
bride's shoe to symbolize his authority over her.
6. In Ireland women braid lavender into their hair
for luck.
7. Latvian brides are 'kidnapped', and the groom has
to pay a ransom (a song or a round of drinks) to get
her back.
8. The phrase 'tie the knot' comes from the Romans -
the bride wore a girdle with lots of knots, which
the groom had the fun of untying.
9. At Finnish weddings, the groom's mother balances
a china plate on top of her head when the newly-weds
begin their first dance. The number of pieces it
breaks into when it falls predicts how many children
the couple will have.
10. In a Russian Orthodox wedding, the bride and
groom race each other to the carpet they stand on to
make their vows. Whoever wins will be head of the
household.
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