Wedding is a legalized and socially-acknowledged conjugal partnership between the spouses. Generally, the couple exchange wedding vows in presence of an authority figure, who then publicly pronounces them as married at the end of wedding rituals. The world is, however, divided into many countries, religions, cultures, and ethnic groups. So it’s a common knowledge that some of their wedding traditions are bound to vary greatly. In fact, almost all marriage rituals can be weird, painful, or downright entertaining!
So, here’s a list of 7 wacky but extremely funny wedding traditions that you will definitely wish to witness:

1. Post-Wedding (Sweden)

Photo by Bengt Nyman, CC BY 2.0

This is one fantastic wedding that all kiss-loving people around the globe would yearn to get invited to. It’s a common custom for newlyweds to kiss each other after exchanging wedding vows, in many cultures. In Sweden, however, this custom moves onto a whole new level. In fact, as a wedding guest you too get an opportunity to kiss the groom or bride. At reception party, if the groom leaves the room for any reason, then automatically the male guests get the permission to kiss his bride, till he returns. The same goes for the groom and his female guests. So, if you are getting married in Sweden, try to remain by your spouse’s side, till all the wedding celebrations get over!

2. A Month-Long Cry Fest (China)

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It’s commonly believed that a wedding event is a happy occasion where you can find people laughing and spreading cheers all around. Apparently, people belonging to Tujia community in China believe differently. The bride and her family start preparing for the upcoming wedding, an entire month in advance and that too with crying. The bride starts crying for one full hour everyday till her wedding day arrives. Exactly, ten days later, her mom joins her in this cry-fest and another ten days after that, the grandma shows up. By the end of the month, all female relatives in the house end up sobbing alongside the bride. Surprisingly, this sobbing ritual is considered as an expression of deep love and joy. Owing to the fact that all women are crying in different tones, this collective weeping noise might sound somewhat like a melodious song!

3. Wedding Soup In Toilet Bowl (France)

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Yeah, you read it right. Thankfully, this strange wedding soup is not meant for wedding guests to drink. It is actually meant for the newlyweds. In this supposedly gross post-wedding tradition, the bridal party goes around collecting food debris, trash bits, and leftover drinks in a large toilet bowl, with great gusto. This real toilet bowl brimming with nasty tidbits is then presented to the newlyweds who have to gulp down its contents without any protest. This ritual is supposed to help the married couple to kick-start their marital life with vigor.
Nowadays, the garbage soup is substituted by chocolate and wine which are quite palatable. Sadly enough, they are still served in a toilet bowl, albeit a brand-new one!

4. Blackening Of The Bride And Groom (Scotland)

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This strange age-old Scottish ritual is still carried out in several parts of Scotland. A day before her wedding, the bride’s family and friends tie her to a tree and douse her with a filthy sticky mixture of soot, grease, feathers, or anything that looks like trash. After ‘blackening’ her in this manner, she is taken out for a night of boozing. The groom meets the same fate at the hands of his own family and friends. It is believed that if you can endure this ordeal, you can overcome all hurdles of your married life.

5. Act Of Shoe Stealing (India)

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As a law-abiding person, you may find it hard to comprehend this. Fortunately, the only thing that you are allowed to steal is the pair of shoes worn by the groom and that too before the wedding-rites get over. In a traditional Indian wedding, the groom has to sit barefoot in the mandapa. As soon as he removes his wedding shoes, an epic fight starts between the bridal parties for possession of his shoes. The groom’s side of family and friends is expected to fiercely guard the prized possession against the stealing attempts by the bride’s group of family and friends. More often than not, the bride’s party manages to steal and keep the groom’s shoes till the wedding gets over. After that, they demand a hefty ransom from the groom for his shoes. The poor fellow ends up shelling out a substantial amount of money so that he won’t have to roam about barefoot!

6. Breaking Of Crockery For Good Luck (Germany)

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Popularly known as Polterabend, this noisy ritual is jointly celebrated by the couple, amidst their friends and relatives on the night before their wedding. All guests have to bring various porcelain dishes, ceramics, and other breakable items as gifts for the happy couple. During the party, these things are thrown down and smashed to bring good-luck for the couple getting married. However, you cannot break glassware and mirrors on this occasion as it is considered inauspicious!

7. Shooting The Bride (China)

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Before you start mistaking it for a terrible blood ritual, we would like to inform you that this symbolic custom doesn’t involve any loss of blood. In Yugur community, the groom-to-be shoots his bride with three arrows using a bow, before the wedding. These arrows are devoid of arrowheads and cause no harm to the bride-to-be. After this harmless shooting-spree, the groom and bride collect and break these arrows to signify that their love will remain unbroken for eternity.

We are sure that you thoroughly enjoyed knowing about these amusing wedding rituals. If you know any other such funny customs, then do let us know!