Weddings are one of the most universal traditions that people celebrate.  In whatever shape or form it takes, you’ll find wedding rituals all over the world, from Ecuador to Ethiopia and everywhere in between. What makes each wedding culture unique is that every place has something special they bring to the wedding table. Here are some of the best and most unique from the four corners of the world.

Bathroom Moratorium –Indonesia/Malaysia

In the Tidong community in Indonesia, the bride and groom are not allowed to use the bathroom for three days following the wedding. They are confined to the house and denied everything but the bare minimum food and water needed to survive. Friends and family stay with them to ensure the rules are followed, lest it bring bad luck to the couple in the form of divorce, death or infidelity.

A Kiss for the Bride – Sweden

In Sweden, if the groom leaves the room then the bride is back on the market and available for a kiss! The men in the room are encouraged to steal a kiss to give the groom motivation to come back and reclaim his new wife.

Earn my Love – China

On the morning of the wedding ceremony, Chinese grooms must fetch the bride from her familial home in an elaborate ceremony. The bride’s family gives the groom tasks to complete before they will ‘let her go’.

Breaking the Glass – Israel

Ever wondered why, following a Jewish wedding, the groom breaks a glass underfoot?  Although many reasons are speculated, the prevailing consensus is that it symbolizes the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and is a moment to reflect and remember the fragility of life. 

Kidnapping the Bride – Germany

Imagine the groom’s distress, when just hours after he has made his true love his wife, his family and friends run away with her! In Germany, the best man will run away with the bride to the local pub, where they drink until the groom ‘rescues’ her by picking up the tab.

Maybe you can incorporate the local wedding tradition of the country or region hosting your destination wedding.  Or you can start your own and who knows, it may catch on and one day be on a list like this!