When it comes to tying the knot, cultures around the globe have cooked up some truly head‑turning customs. These 10 unusual wedding traditions prove that saying “I do” can be as unpredictable as it is romantic.
10 Unusual Wedding Traditions Around the World
10 France
In France, especially among younger couples, friends and relatives descend on the newlyweds’ home armed with pots, pans and a chorus of boisterous shouts. The noisy crowd demands drinks, snacks, and sometimes even cash to earn their leave.
If the party is ignored, the mischief can turn downright daring: revelers may break in, abduct the groom, and dump him far from home—often in his birthday suit—forcing him to trek back on his own.
This raucous custom, known as the charivari or shivaree, traces its roots to medieval times when neighbors would loudly protest a widow’s hasty remarriage. Today it’s all in good fun, a lively reminder of communal celebration.
9 Mauritania
In Mauritania, a plumper physique is prized, leading families to send daughters—sometimes as young as five—to summer “fat camps” where they are encouraged, often force‑fed, to bulk up. This practice, called Leblouh, sees girls consuming staggering amounts of food, sometimes up to 16,000 calories a day.
The belief behind Leblouh is that a larger woman occupies more space in her husband’s heart and signals greater wealth; the richer the man, the larger the bride he can afford.
When a groom’s family begins negotiations, the girl’s size becomes a key bargaining chip: the heftier she is, the more desirable—and expensive—she is considered.
8 Scotland
The Scottish “Blackening” is a pre‑wedding rite that drags the bride, groom, or both into a messy ordeal. Friends and kin douse the couple in anything from rotten eggs and dead fish to curdled milk, mud, flour or tar.
After the slop‑fest, the embarrassed pair might be tied to a tree or paraded around town in the back of an open truck, ensuring maximum public exposure to their discomfort.
Folklore holds that surviving this communal humiliation equips the couple to weather the inevitable trials of married life, especially in the rural northeast of Scotland where the tradition thrives.
7 China
Among the Tujia people of China, every bride is expected to shed tears during the ceremony. Elders view the act as a heartfelt expression of gratitude toward parents and extended family.
To master the art, the bride rehearses crying for a month, spending an hour each night weeping loudly. After ten days, her mother joins in, followed by the grandmother and other female relatives, creating a cascade of emotional release.
The tears are meant to convey joy and hope, not sorrow, and while the custom has faded in modern times, it once stood as a poignant rite of passage.
6 Borneo
The Tidong community of Borneo imposes a baffling rule: for three consecutive days after the wedding, the newlyweds must not use the bathroom at all. In effect, they are forced to hold both urine and feces.
Breaking this taboo is believed to invite severe misfortune—infidelity, or even the premature death of the couple’s children.
During this austere period, friends and family supervise the pair, providing only minimal sustenance. After the three‑day fast, the couple receives a ceremonial bath and is finally allowed to resume normal life.
5 China/Mongolia
The Daur people, spanning parts of China and Inner Mongolia, determine a wedding date through a rather grisly divination. The engaged couple grabs a knife, slaughters a baby chick, and then dissects it to examine its organs.
If the chick’s liver is healthy, the couple takes it as a good omen and proceeds to set a wedding date. A diseased liver, however, signals bad luck, prompting the pair to repeat the ritual until a healthy liver appears.
This macabre practice underscores the community’s belief that the health of the chick mirrors the future prosperity of the marriage.
4 India
In certain Indian locales, astrology can cast a dark shadow over a bride’s fate. Women born under the “Mars‑bearing” sign are thought to be cursed, bringing early death to their husbands.
To neutralize the curse, the bride must symbolically marry a banana tree; the tree is then destroyed, supposedly lifting the malign influence. Though the practice has been outlawed for violating women’s rights, it still persists in some circles, even among celebrities.
The ritual reflects a deep‑seated belief in cosmic forces and the lengths some will go to safeguard marital harmony.
3 Wales
Dating back to the 17th century, Welsh courting customs feature the crafting of an ornately carved wooden spoon—known as a love spoon—by a hopeful suitor. This spoon, presented to the lady, signals his intention to marry.
If the woman accepts, the spoon becomes a token of engagement, symbolizing a promise that the groom will never let his bride go hungry.
Today, love spoons are readily available as decorative gifts, still exchanged on weddings, christenings, birthdays, and other special occasions across Europe.
2 Maasai
Maasai weddings are lavish affairs, and one of the most striking customs involves spitting. Once the families agree on a union, an elder spits fresh milk in front of the bride’s home to herald the wedding procession.
The bride, adorned in vivid garments, beaded necklaces, and a shaved head slicked with lamb fat, then receives a spit from her father on her head and breasts. The act is believed to usher in prosperity and good fortune for her married life.
This ritual, while startling to outsiders, is a cherished blessing within Maasai culture, reinforcing communal support for the new couple.
1 India
Among Tamil Brahmins in southern India, a playful yet elaborate ceremony tests the groom’s resolve. He pretends to abandon the wedding, claiming he wishes to become a priest, while his relatives beg and cajole him to stay.
The officiating priest also joins the drama, attempting to sway the groom’s mind. After a series of persuasive arguments, the groom finally arrives at the marriage hall, where the bride’s family greets him and the festivities commence.
This theatrical ritual underscores the importance of community involvement and the symbolic affirmation of the groom’s commitment.
+ Marquesas Islands Of French Polynesia
On the Marquesas Islands, after the nuptial vows, the bride’s relatives lie face‑down, side by side, across the floor. The newlyweds then walk over them like a ceremonial carpet, symbolizing their passage into married life.