Uncover the Fascinating Wedding Traditions of Guatemala

Ok forget your to do list for a second folks and step away from the mood board for your own big day. I have a little bit of allure and tranquility for you this week to calm, revive and reignite your senses. Are you ready to be transported away?

Once described by Aldous Huxleyas ‘the most beautiful lake in the world”, it doesn’t get much better than the captivating glory of volcano-fringed Lake Atitlà¡n in Guatemala.Put it this way, the location’s so good that even Tel Aviv paid a visit… I’ll let Valerie explain that one!

Weddings

Both Guatemalan born, it was the perfect choice. The wedding party entered to a string quartet rendition ofHome, the invitations were hand made locally, the garlands, and table dressings were all indigenous flowers, fruits and vegetables — strictly vividly coloured ones. Pastels, and in fact anything bland, was banned!

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I love the whole vibe of this wedding and I’m especially drawn to that floral crown— I mean, wow – so striking and daring but so natural and simple too. It just works…

Daniel Lopez Perez’s photographs capture this rare gem of a wedding in such a crisp way that I’m sure you’ll be just as enchanted as I was by the rich colour, vivacity and freshness of this magical Central American dream.

We got married by Lake Atitlà¡n in Guatemala We have always gravitated more towards natural surroundings and even though we wanted to do it in some places that were further away, they were not prepared for bigger parties. Plus my mom (jokingly) threatened not to go if it meant travelling more than threehours…. (like a normal jewish mum)

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We have a delicious destination for you today folks. And they don’t come much more delicious than a beautiful melding of Jewish and Indian cultures all the way from Antigua, Guatemala!

The historic Central American city was the perfect location for Tina and David to tie the knot as they adore traveling and wanted their friends and family to experience the delights of Antigua in the Indian tradition of having a wedding celebration lasting several days.

Tina and David embraced both their cultures as much as possible with everything from a pre-wedding Henna Picnic to a combined Hindu and Jewish wedding ceremony, to a Bollywood Hora at the reception (Yes really! Words can’t express how much I love the sound of that) to serving both Indian and Jewish food during their cocktail hour.

La Serenata” And More Wedding Traditions From Around The World

We love to travel and had been to the Central American city of Antigua, Guatemala on one of our first trips together several years ago when we first started dating. We picked Antigua for our wedding because it was such a charming, unusual place – and we wanted our friends and family to experience it with us. There were ruins and grand buildings from hundreds of years ago, beautiful lush gardens, and lots of activities so we though it would be the perfect location for our guests to relax, enjoy, and explore.When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site.

Nancy Mattia is a freelance writer covering wedding and bridal content. She was an editor at for more than 18 years.

From the bride tossing her bouquet to wearing something old, new, borrowed, and blue, American wedding customs are still so popular today that even the most non-traditional couples happily take part. (Why tempt fate and start off your new marriage with anything other than good luck vibes?) But Americans don't have a monopoly on such rituals—pretty much every other country and culture also has its own beloved wedding customs.

The

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Some are sweet, like how wedding guests in Sweden kiss the bride or groom anytime their new spouse leaves the room. Some are perplexing: Couples in the Congo, for example, are forbidden to smile on their wedding day. And some are seemingly strange, such as the way engaged pairs in Mongolia must kill and butcher a chicken to find a healthy liver before being allowed to wed. But what binds these seemingly disparate customs from near and far is one simple thing: love.

If you follow these traditions, the theory goes, you will find eternal joy with your soulmate. So, even if some Hindu must first marry a tree or some South Korean grooms have to tolerate getting their feet whipped by family and friends, hopefully, it's all worth it in the end. When love and happiness ever after are the outcomes, it's usually a win-win for the newly wedded couple.

Keep reading to learn about 45 of the most awe-inspiring rituals from around the globe to give you an idea of the many traditions that go far beyond the bouquet toss.

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One Norwegian tradition states that the bride will wear an ornate silver and gold crown that has small charms dangling all around it. When she moves, the tinkling sound is supposed to deflect evil spirits.

During the ceremony, as a Mexican couple is exchanging their vows, a lazo, or lasso, made of rosary beads and flowers is draped around their shoulders in the shape of a figure eight. Not only does el lazo represent the union of the couple, but its shape also resembles the infinity symbol, signifying just how long they're hoping the marriage will last.

Guatemala

Want to keep evil spirits far away from your marriage? Balance lavash flatbread on your shoulders. That's what newly married Armenian couples traditionally do. According to the custom, when the bride and groom enter their wedding reception—typically at the groom's house—they break a plate for good luck, then are given lavash and honey by the groom's mother. They balance the bread on their shoulders to ward off evil and eat spoonfuls of honey to symbolize happiness, and then the party

Weddings Around The World: Guatemala — Nk Bride

While most about-to-be marrieds brim with excitement and anticipation, Congolese couples must keep their happiness in check. During their entire wedding day, from ceremony to reception, the two are not allowed to smile. If they do, it would mean they aren't serious about marriage.

Let's hope the groom remembers to remove the arrowheads. In China, a prospective husband will shoot his bride with a bow and (head-less) arrow several times, then collects the arrows and breaks them during the ceremony, to ensure their love lasts forever.

In Fiji, when a man asks a woman's father for her hand in marriage, he must present his future father-in-law with a whale's tooth.

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In China, a bride's family will hire a good luck woman to take care of her as she travels from her home to her groom's in an elaborately decorated sedan chair. Even more, attendants are busy shielding the bride with parasols and tossing rice (a symbol of health and prosperity) at the chair.

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Centuries ago, England restricted marriage to couples who were 21 and over. But that didn't stop young lovers from finding a loophole—in this case, a nearby Scottish town without such limitations. Today, that village, Gretna Green, is still popular for couples who want to elope.

Taking the term groomsman literally, on his wedding day, a Greek groom's best man, or koumparos, becomes his barber when he pulls out a razor and shaves his pal's face. But the groom's day also has a sweet side. After he's been freshly shaved, his new mother-in-law will feed him honey and almonds.

Latin American Wedding Traditions Couples Need To Know

As wedding reception hosts, the parents of Guatemalan grooms can do whatever they want, including smashing things. When the newlyweds arrive, it's a tradition that the groom's mom breaks a white ceramic bell filled with grains like rice and flour to bring prosperity to the couple.

On her wedding day, a Japanese bride celebrating a traditional Shinto ceremony wears white from head to toe, including makeup, kimono, and a hood called a tsunokakushi. White denotes her maiden status, and the hood hides the so-called horns of jealousy she feels towards her mother-in-law.

In Lebanon, the wedding celebration, known as the Zaffe, gets off to a rowdy start with music, belly dancing, and shouting at both the groom's and bride's homes courtesy of the couple's friends, family, and, occasionally, professional dancers and musicians. Eventually, everyone ends up at the bride's house, where the couple is showered with blessings and flower petals as they leave for the ceremony.

Do

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In their first bit of housekeeping together, German couples traditionally clean up piles of porcelain dishes that their guests have thrown on the ground to ward off any evil spirits. The lesson of this Polterabend: While working together, the two partners can face any challenge thrown their way.

Ditch the white wedding cake and switch

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