The countries of Scandinavia have some beautiful and unique wedding customs. A bride of Scandinavian descent may wish to add a few of this wonderful traditions to her own wedding. These are some of the rites and rituals that are found in weddings in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Each Scandinavian country will have its own individual take on certain parts of a wedding, but they do share many features in common. One of the first things that all of the Scandinavian countries share is a trend towards very long engagements. Three or four years is not unusual, as it allows the couple plenty of time to get to know each other before making a lifelong commitment. In Scandinavia, a marriage is not just about the bride and groom, but also about the family they will have in the future, so it is considered very important to be sure of your choice in a spouse.
One custom that any bride would love to have in her wedding is the Scandinavian wedding crown. These beautiful crowns are symbols of innocence that are passed down through generations of brides. They are delicate and airy, yet still quite heavy as they are made of precious materials like sterling silver or gold. If you do not happen to have one of these spectacular crowns in your family tree, you can have one handcrafted just for you and start a new tradition that you can one day pass down to your own daughter.
The open and airy Scandinavian wedding crowns often have gems or charms hanging from them. In Norway, it is believed that the musical sound of the silver charms tinkling around the bride's crown will help to protect her from evil spirits. To accent the crown, choose handmade wedding jewelry that complements the gold and silver of the crown. If there are any colored gems on the crown, you may want to have your wedding jewelry created with crystals in a matching color.
Another widespread tradition in Scandinavia involves trees. In Denmark, an arch of pine branches called the Gates of Honor is created in front of the bride's home. The friends and family of Norwegian couples will plant a pair of pine trees by their front door as a symbol of fertility. Another fertility symbol is the diamondrings-20" title="ring">ring of motherhood, which is a gold band the groom gives to his bride along with her wedding band.
A lovely Scandinavian custom that you may enjoy in your own wedding is a bouquet of wildflowers and aromatic herbs. It is very common in Scandinavian nations for herbs like rosemary (for remembrance) to be included in the bride's bouquet. Another popular addition is soft silvery lamb's ear leaves. Tie it all up with a few pretty ribbons for the perfect natural Scandinavian bouquet.
Some of the other wedding customs of Scandinavia will sound very familiar to Americans. Danish newlyweds will both hold the knife to cut the first slice of wedding cake for good luck. In Sweden, the bride's parents will give her coins to put in her shoes to symbolize future wealth. This is quite similar to the last (sometimes forgotten) part of our "Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue", which is "and a sixpence in your shoe". Brides everywhere are all hoping to have happy and prosperous marriages.
The wedding customs of Scandinavia are lovely, and would be a very nice way to honor your heritage. Whether just the bride or groom hails from that part of the world or both do, it is always wonderful to add these types of personal touches to your wedding. You will find that many of the Scandinavian wedding traditions can do a lot to make your wedding feel even more special and meaningful.
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