We’re all a little bit obsessed with Italy at the moment and when we were looking into the culture’s Wedding traditions, we found some gems.
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No matter what your heritage, here are seven Italian Wedding traditions that you’ll want to consider including in your own Big Day.
1. The Garter
The number of Brides wearing a garter on the Wedding Day has significantly diminished over the last decade, but for Italians, this tradition is ingrained into their culture. The garter dates back to the 14th century when it was thought that wearing the wisp of lace would bring the Bride good luck. After the ceremony, the Bride would remove it and it would be torn to shreds for the guests to keep. If it’s found out that the Bride isn’t wearing a garter, her right shoe is taken off her and thrown! #BringBackTheGarter
2. No Mirrors Allowed
Not only can the Groom not see the Bride before the ceremony, but in some parts of Italy, the Bride can’t even see herself! It’s considered bad luck for the Bride to look in a mirror until she’s dressed in her Wedding Gown – and has removed a glove or a shoe! We love the idea of staying away from mirrors and having a big reveal once the Bride’s hair and makeup is finished and gown is on.
3. The Groom Buys the Flowers
Yes, please! It’s tradition for the Groom to buy the Bride’s bouquet as a final gift to his fiancé before she becomes his wife. The Bride still chooses the flowers she wants (thank goodness), but the Groom is sent the bill.
4. A Black Wedding?
In Tuscany, a traditional Bride would historically wear a black gown, along with a white hat. Whereas, in Venice, the Bride wore her second favourite Wedding gown to the church and save the best gown for the first dance. So, if you want to embrace colour in your Wedding gown, or have two dresses for your biggest day, this Italian tradition is for you!
5. Loooong Veil
In Southern Italy, the length of the veil signifies how long the couple have been together for – generally one-metre per year of engagement. For those Fairies who are getting married after years of dating, your train could be 3 or 10-metres long!
6. Sunday Wedding
In Italy, Sunday is considered the best day to get married, with this day most likely to give the couple luck, fertility and prosperity. However, Tuesday is the worst. Tuesday in Italian stems from Marte, which is the God of War. It’s believes that marrying on a Tuesday will mean couples spend their lives fighting with each other.
7. The Sweet Honeymoon
Italian newlyweds take a luna di miele (holiday) and it’s tradition that at every mealtime during their travels, they would eat a small portion of honey… Hence, where we get ‘honeymoon’ from!
Images from Megan and David’s Wedding. Photography by Blumenthal
