Fascinating wedding traditions from around the world

Throughout the world, there are a number of wedding traditions that are utterly fascinating and remarkably unique. Come, let's take a journey around the world:

China

Before the wedding there is a tea ceremony at the groom's family home. This is an important part of the overall celebration and is the time when the bride formally meets her in-laws the be. 

Red is always an integral part of a Chinese wedding. It's frequently used for invitations as well as decorations and more. Red envelopes, decorated with gold detailing and filled with money for the happy new couple, are one of the primary gifts.

It's also interesting to see how traditions have changed. Once upon a time a bride would return home three days after the wedding and take gifts to her family. Today, these three days are simply represented by an outfit change after the tea ceremony.

Indian

Hindu weddings in India are glorious, extravagant affairs and there are a number of ceremonies before, during and after the wedding.  The bride and groom have separate ceremonies pre-wedding, known as mandap and muhurat. In these ceremonies, the bride and groom are covered in turmeric. This yellow powder makes their skin smooth and gets them ready for the ceremony and reception.

Arguably the most important part of the wedding ceremony is the exchanging of vows, known as Saptapadi. As they talk, the bride and groom circle a scared fire three times, however it is not until they've completed one rotation, which is seven steps, that they begin to exchange their vows. When the three circles have been completed, the groom gives his new wife a silver ring.

Throughout the day, the couple show their love in simple and meaningful gestures – at the end of the wedding ceremony, they give each other flower garlands, and instead of cake, they give each other five bites of sweet food such as honey and yoghurt.