If you think that modern traditions are a little strange, you would be interested to know which wedding customs did not stand the test of time!

A bouquet of flowers symbolizes fertility and new life. Another reason this custom began, however, was far more practical. Flowers were often used to mask the smells of the farm and the sweat from hard work when bathing was at a minimum in history. It was considered good luck for the groom to wear a flower from the bride’s bouquet. The custom is still here today, but thankfully, flowers are not used to mask body odor anymore! Here are a few more strange wedding customs that did not survive over time.

A week before the wedding, it was considered good luck for a cat to eat out of the bride’s left shoe. In Anglo-Saxon times, the bride was struck with a shoe by her groom, which established his authority over her. The bride would then throw a shoe at her attendants to see who would be married next. In the old days, rather than tossing birdseed, or blowing bubbles, guests threw handfuls of grain, nuts, or eggs (yes, eggs) at the happy couple as part of an ancient fertility rite!

Some wedding customs are still alive today, and these strange wedding customs are often brought to us from other cultures. Remember, they may seem like strange wedding customs to us, but they are perfectly normal to people from these cultures, and wedding customs all have their reasons for being performed!

Tradition has it that members of the community of Tidong, in Sandakan, Sabah, prohibit newly married couples from clearing their bowels or urinating for three days and nights, or from leaving their home during this time. The belief is that couples who breached this custom might suffer a broken marriage, infertility, or death of their children at a young age. To ensure that people passed this test, several people would watch over the couple, and they would only be fed a minimal amount of food and drink. The couple is then bathed after this three day time period.

Before the marriage, the bridegroom is carried on a stretcher to the bride’s home. The wedding ring is not placed on the bride’s finger by the groom, but hy his mother. In the case of the Suluk community, the engagement period takes not more than one week, and the bride is not allowed outside during this time. Any bridegroom who arrived late would have to pay a fine, usually in the form of a ring. Before the marriage, the bridegroom is not allowed to see the face of the bride until he sings several love songs.