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Travelling Central Europe in search of traditional wedding customs.
After travelling over 3,000 miles across Central Europe, I thought I would share with you my most interesting discoveries relating to various cultural wedding customs.
I started my journey from Edinburgh on Tuesday 14th January heading to the beautiful capital city of Prague in Czech Republic.
I have been to Prague in my early teens with my Granny, but I’ve always dreamt of going back and this dream has finally come true.
Following my visit, I thought to share with you all the wedding traditions I’ve learnt about:
Wreath of Rosemary
Bridesmaids create a wreath made with rosemary on the night prior to the wedding for the Bride to either wear or hold during her wedding ceremony, this is in hope for wisdom, love and happiness. Rosemary sprigs are also given out to wedding guests as favours to encourage happiness and fertility.
Rope gate
Another popular tradition in Czech weddings is for the couple to be stopped right outside of the ceremony venue with a rope decorated with flowers and empty bottles by the friends of the Groom. It is his responsibility to pay his way for the sins of his adolescence, permitting entry to the wedding venue.
Smashing plates
This one is a responsibility of a venue coordinator to smash a plate right in front of the wedding couple as they arrive for their wedding breakfast. It is the couple’s job to clean it all up in front of their guests, giving them the opportunity to prove the harmony in their relationship, and willingness to work as a team in the face of all obstacles.
Love of Beer
Beer in Czech Republic can often be found cheaper than a bottle of mineral water – this is yet another reason why weddings in Czech Republic are so popular.
Eating soup jointly
Could you imagine enjoying your soup jointly, using one soup spoon? This tradition prevails even today, showing that married couples must always work out difficulties together and go halves in everyday life.
Disappearance of the Bride
When the wedding is at its peak, the Bride is carried out by the Groom’s friends. The Groom must find her as soon as possible, if he doesn’t achieve that within a given timeframe, he’s got to yet again pay his way to be re-joined with his newlywed Bride. This symbolises disconnection of the bride from her parents and the start of a new life with her brand-new husband.
After five days of enjoying many amazing Czech attractions and their world-class beers, I headed from Praha Hlavni Nadrazi (Prague – Central Train Station) to Wroclaw Glowny, Poland on a four hour inter-state train journey through the mountains.
I travelled north to my home town of Legnica, in the south west of Poland. Whilst visiting family and wedding professional friends in Poland, I remembered a few polish wedding traditions, some of which featured at my own wedding two years ago.
Majority of weddings in churches
Polish people in majority are Catholic, which means that most wedding ceremonies will take place at a church, followed by a reception at a banqueting hall or venue. The Polish Government signed an agreement with the Catholic Church, meaning that all Catholic wedding ceremonies are legally binding.
Love of Vodka
Poland is very well known for its vodka, which is very reasonably priced, which is why so many wedding traditions involve vodka!
Firstly, the wedding couple are greeted with one shot of water and one shot of vodka upon their arrival to the Wedding Breakfast. Whoever selects the vodka is expected to be the boss in the relationship. The Couple then proceed to throw the shot glass over their left shoulder, symbolising the start to their new married life together, leaving the past behind.
Finally, vodka is provided on all tables for guests to enjoy along with a selection of mixers and replenished throughout the night, ensuring the guests have the best celebrations.
Bread and salt
Another tradition dedicated to the arrival of the couple to their Wedding Breakfast is the provision of a ‘wedding bread’ and salt. Both sets of parents are responsible to greet the couple with a specially decorated, and baked for the occasion, loaf of bread and salt. The Couple tear off a piece of bread and consume it with a pinch of salt. The bread symbolises no hunger and the salt flavour in the marriage.
Long celebrations
Can you imagine your wedding celebrations lasting two, three days or sometimes even a week? In Poland, this is quite standard. Most weddings last a minimum of two days, with main celebrations and the ceremony on day one and a full meal with all family and friends before the guest departure on the second day. In the highlands of Poland, however, weddings will last up to a week and each day will involve a different activity for the wedding celebrations.
Midnight Games – pol. Oczepiny
Since all weddings in Poland last into the wee hours of the following morning, sometimes as late as 7am, all guests gather round the dance floor at midnight to take part in the Midnight Games (pol. Oczepiny). These games are normally organised by their ceremony witnesses and can involve both physical activities as well as quiz style games. This is a fun way to break the night and involve both the wedding couple and their guests in ice breaker activities.
After over a week of travelling, visiting family and enjoying some plentiful Central European food, I am now back to my beloved home in Scotland, to see you all soon at the upcoming open days and wedding showcases in Edinburgh.
If you have liked this blog, hit LIKE below and let me know which of these Central European traditions you liked the most.
Wishing you all a fantastic February!