Italian wedding traditions are deeply rooted in culture and have been popular for decades. These traditions include spending the night before the wedding apart, with the bride staying at her parents’ house. It is considered unlucky for the couple to see each other before the ceremony, and the bride is not even allowed to see herself in her wedding attire until she removes an accessory. Additionally, it is tradition for the bride to not wear any gold jewelry except for her ring on her wedding day, as wearing additional gold jewelry is believed to bring bad luck.
In Italian culture, the groom traditionally buys the bride’s bouquet as his last gift to her before they wed. Guests attending an Italian wedding are advised not to wear white, as it is a color reserved only for the bride. Instead, guests can choose from a variety of colors depending on the season of the wedding. After the ceremony, guests often throw rice at the couple as a symbol of fertility and well wishes for a full life. Another unique tradition is the cutting of the groom’s tie into pieces, which are then auctioned off to guests to raise money for the couple.
“La Tarantella,” a popular folk dance known as the “dance of the spider,” is often performed at Italian weddings. Guests join in by forming a circle and dancing around the newlyweds. The dance originated in Puglia, Italy, and is named after a spider bite reaction where victims would begin dancing. The traditional wedding cake served at Italian receptions is the Millefoglie, which consists of layers of puff pastry filled with custard or cream and topped with an array of colorful fruits. The cake, which means “1,000 layers,” is not overly sweet and is a popular dessert at Italian weddings.
At the end of an Italian wedding, guests typically receive a party favor known as a bomboniere, which consists of sugared almonds called confetti. These almonds are believed to bring good luck, and guests are usually given five to seven almonds each. Overall, Italian wedding traditions are rich in history and culture, and they continue to be cherished and honored by couples celebrating their special day.
