Couples around the world show their love and commitment in many different ways, as evidenced by these wedding traditions around the world.

Love is a universal language, but there are different ways to show it around the world. Some wedding traditions have a long history and still resonate today, while others are a little more opaque. Wedding traditions around the world vary from country to country. In China, brides practice crying up to a month before the big day, while in Mexico the celebrations last a full week.

With a list of 195 countries and broken down by continent, Steven Stone featured some of the craziest traditions to show how different couples celebrate their wedding anniversaries. From weird and wonderful to absolutely dangerous, here are some of the most bizarre (but somehow beautiful) wedding traditions around the world.

Read more: The AZ of British Wedding Traditions

Wedding traditions around the world

Great Britain: Something Old, Something New …

Here in Great Britain the age-old tradition of Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue is still cherished at a number of ceremonies, though couples are finding new ways to add a modern twist. The tradition is said to have emerged from an old English rhyme. On the day of the wedding, the bride must wear something old to represent the past, something new for the future, a borrowed item to symbolize the happiness given to the bride by the new husband, and finally something blue to ward off evil spirits .

France: pastries instead of cakes

France is famous for its incredible pastries. Instead of a fruit-filled wedding cake as a star dessert, you will be served a croquembouche at most French weddings. This is a real centerpiece of a dessert, made up of small balls of dough stacked on top of each other.

Spain: The bride in black

While it may seem a little strange, a traditional Spanish wedding tradition calls for the bride to wear a black lace dress and a veil called a mantilla. Should the clothes symbolize the devotion she shows her husband and address the vow “until death do us part”?

Sweden: flower crowns instead of tiaras

In Sweden, you are unlikely to see a veil or a tiara as the bride traditionally opts for a beautiful flower crown. In keeping with many other wedding traditions around the world, the corolla is imbued with symbolism. It often includes a myrtle branch to symbolize love. Nowadays, flower crowns have become a popular wedding hair accessory all over the world.

Germany: The happy couple uses chainsaws

While German bridal couples are still wearing their wedding attire, they are sometimes known to saw a tree trunk in two during the ceremony. This tradition is known as sawing a tree trunk. As a two-person saw, tree trunk sawing symbolizes the couple’s strength in overcoming the challenges in their marriage.

Kenya: Father spat on the bride

For the Maasai in Kenya it is considered respect to spit on someone. So, if you’re going to a wedding in Kenya, don’t be shocked to see the bride’s father spit on her dress for good luck. In the hope not to bewitch the marriage, the spit is meant in good faith.

Morocco: The wedding lasts a whole week

Although most of us are exhausted after a day of wedding celebration, parties in Morocco often last up to seven days. From pre-wedding ceremonies to preparation rituals to a large wedding party, book a week’s vacation when attending a Moroccan wedding.

At the beginning of the wedding week, the bride will go on a hammam day to mark the beginning of a new chapter in her life. As a cleansing ritual, the bride visits a traditional sauna with her friends and relatives.

The bridal shower will also host a henna party where everyone can have their hands and feet tattooed. They will be pampered with lots of dancing before the wedding, the wedding day and the after party.

Nigeria: Guest throws cash for the newlyweds

Guests at weddings in Nigeria are not afraid to inject the money. It is common for guests to toss bills to the newlyweds as a gesture to show the couple their happiness for them and to keep them on the dance floor as well. Given the price tag for weddings these days, we’d say this is quite a savvy tradition to stick with.

China: the wine ritual

While a few tears are expected to be shed at a wedding, in some parts of China the bride must practice crying. One month before the ceremony, Tujia brides are expected to cry for an hour each day. 10 days after the ritual begins, she is accompanied by her mother and 10 days later the bride’s grandmother joins. The ritual, known as Zuo Tang in western Sichuan Province, dates back to the warring era of China when the mother of a Zhao princess burst into tears at her wedding.

Japan: families drink in sync

Family members having a couple too many at a wedding doesn’t seem too strange, does it? Drinking in unison, however, can be a little more unusual. In Japan, the historical tradition of San-San-Kudo requires that the bride and groom each take three sips from three flat sake cups, after which their parents do the same and bind the families together.

Korea: a goose for the bride

Most newlyweds are gift accessories for their new home or money for their honeymoon, but in Korea, following a somewhat bizarre wedding tradition, brides and grooms swap wooden geese and ducks on their wedding day as a sign of their commitment. Historically, grooms also give their new mother-in-law wild geese or ducks. The monogamous animals represent the pure intentions and loyalty of the groom to his bride.

Cuba: The bride invites you to dance with her

This is another wedding tradition from around the world that we could take on board … Regardless of culture, it is usually customary for the bride to dance with her guests, but in Cuba the dance comes at a price. Every man who dances with the bride traditionally has to put money into her dress. This is to help the couple pay for the wedding and honeymoon.

Peru: Single ladies look for love in the cake

If you are a single lady you will love this Peruvian wedding tradition. Similar to the worldwide wedding tradition of throwing over the bouquet. A traditional Peruvian wedding cake has ribbons hanging from the sides. Each ribbon is attached to a pendant inside the cake, but a special ribbon is attached to a replica wedding ring. When the piece of cake filled with wedding rings is served to you, the Peruvians believe that you are next in line to get married.

Wherever your wedding takes place around the world, take a look at Steven Stone’s selection of engagement and wedding rings.

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