Choosing the Next Bride

We all know the drill. Sometime during the night the DJ is going to stop the music and make all the single ladies stand in an awkward bundle in the middle of the dance floor while the bride shows off her backwards throwing skills. Invariably the bouquet will hit the ceiling before it comes crashing down right behind the bride, only to be pounced on by a few hopeful brides-to-be who are sick of their lack of relationship status. Those poor flowers!

The tossing of the bouquet isn’t the only choosing-of-the-next-bride tradition. All around the world different customs are used to do this very same thing.

Here are some of the more interesting ones:

In Peru ribbons are added between the layers of cake when it is frosted and put together. Tied to the end of one of the ribbons is a ring. Just before the cake is cut and served, all the single women gather around and pull out a piece of ribbon. It is believed that the girl who pulls out the ribbon attached to the ring will be married within a year.

In Estonia the newlywed bride tosses her bouquet as we do, but the newlywed groom is blindfolded and then encircled by all the single men at the reception. He is then spun around and then picks the next groom by placing his top hat on the head of a random guest.

In Finland the bride traditionally wears a gold crown with her gown. During the reception the single women will gather around her and blindfold her. They will then dance around her and she will pick the next bride by placing the gold crown on her head.

In Columbia all the single people at the wedding remove one of their shoes and place it under the bride’s gown. The groom then picks one shoe and the owner of the shoe is the next to be married.

I must admit I love all of these. They sound a little more fun than scrambling for a bunch of flowers, doesn’t it? And what better way to make your wedding a memorable one than by indulging in a few foreign traditions?