Italian Wedding Traditions

Incorporate Italian wedding traditions into your wedding day to give your wedding in Italy an extra touch of symbolism.

In Italy there are some really lovely Italian wedding traditions and including a few in your wedding day is a great way to make your wedding abroad a little more unique and special.

Italian Wedding Traditions

Italian Wedding Traditions differ from region to region and change over time. Some of the traditions mentioned are slightly older and may not be followed as much today as they once were and of course, current trends and fashion will always create changes from time to time. For example although rice is still widely thrown some couples are choosing to use rose petals instead – maybe fashion or maybe the sting factor!

• So they don’t see each other the night before the big event, the bride and groom will usually have separate evening meals with their respective family and friends.
• On the morning of the wedding the groom will either deliver the bridal bouquet to the bride’s house or wait outside the ceremony venue and present the bride her bouquet upon her arrival.
• The bridal bouquet is usually a gift from the groom’s family and its colour and design are meant to be a surprise to the bride.
• Wedding guests will wait outside the ceremony venue for the bride to arrive and then follow the bride and groom inside for the ceremony to commence.
• The groom will usually accompany his mother up the aisle.
• When the bride reaches the top of the altar, she will often hand one bloom or stem from her bouquet to the groom’s mother.
• In some regions it is customary for the bride and groom to walk to their wedding ceremony together.
• Often when the bride leaves her home, someone will have tied a white ribbon over her front door or gate which she must cut. A white ribbon may also be tied in front of the ceremony venue to symbolise the bond between the bride and groom.
• After the wedding ceremony all guests are given small bags of rice which are thrown over the bride and groom as confetti. If you are doing this, a word of warning the rice can sting!
• It is considered bad luck to wear any gold on the day of the wedding until the wedding rings are exchanged.
• At the wedding reception each guest is given a Bomboniere. This Italian wedding tradition is the original version of favours and the Bombonieri are 5 sugared almonds wrapped in lace. The almonds symbolise health, wealth, fertility, happiness & long life.
• Before the wedding meal begins the best man will serve the guests sweet liquor so they can toast to the happiness of the couple.
• At the reception the best man will cut the groom’s tie into little pieces and auction it to the guests. The bride and groom get to keep the proceeds from the auction!

Traditions that differ from English based Wedding Traditions

• If guests need to travel to attend the wedding it is customary for the bride and groom to pay for their accommodation.
• The brides entrance – as guests wait outside the ceremony venue for the bride to arrive, there is not the same buildup inside the ceremony venue waiting for the doors to burst open and the bride to walk down the aisle.
• The first dance will take place before the evening meal. Upon entering the reception, the newly weds are introduced and take their first dance followed by the bridal party and then the rest of the wedding guests.
• At Italian weddings there is no “top table”.
• Italian wedding cakes often don’t usually have the same wow factor as English style cakes. They are not displayed and are brought out just before the cutting. Italian wedding cakes are generally made of custard cream and chocolate or marzipan icing.

The most common of all the Italian Wedding Traditions

• Saying the term “Auguri” which means congratulations. You may hear people say that a lot, especially if you have a photo shot in the local town where your wedding is taking place – the Italians love weddings!

If you know any other Italian wedding traditions please let me know and I will gladly add them to the above list.

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If you are getting married in Italy I think it is really lovely to include some Italian wedding traditions into your wedding day. Be sure to also tell your guests the meaning of each of the Italian wedding traditions you have incorporated as I am sure they will be curious about why you have done certain things.