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Wales: myrtle in the bouquet -

The Welsh bridal bouquet includes myrtle, which symbolizes love, and the bride gives a cutting to each of her bridesmaids. It's believed that if a bridesmaid plants the myrtle cutting and it blooms, she'll be the next bride.

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India: joota chupai -

On the day of the wedding, in a ritual called joota chupai, the bride's sisters and female cousins steal the groom's shoes and demand ransom money for their return.

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Italy: only getting married on certain days and months -

Italy is a superstitious nation when it comes to wedding ceremonies. They avoid getting married on a Tuesday, which is dedicated to the god of war, or on a Friday, which is believed to be the day evil spirits were created. May and August are also avoided, as are Advent and Lent.

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Germany: sawing a log -

After getting married, couples in Germany are presented with a large log and a saw. By sawing the log together, it's believed that they will be able to overcome tough obstacles.

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Mexico: wedding lasso -

During the ceremony, when the couple is exchanging their vows, a lazo, or lasso, made of rosary beads is draped around their shoulders in the shape of the infinity figure. It represents their union.

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China: wedding door games -

On the morning of the wedding day, Chinese bridesmaids put the groom through a series of challenges called 'wedding door games.' This is to prove that he's worthy of the bride. And afterwards he must pay off the girls with envelopes full of money.

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Spain: cutting the tie -

At some Spanish weddings, the groom's friends will take some scissors and chop up his tie, then sell the pieces to guests to raise money for the newlyweds.

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Peru: cake pull -

In Peruvian weddings, the cake is typically assembled with ribbons attached to charms, one of which is a fake wedding ring. Then, all the single women participate in the 'cake pull' by grabbing a ribbon. The one who pulls the fake ring is believed to be the next one to get married.

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Philippines: releasing white doves -

After tying the knot, brides and grooms in the Philippines release a pair of white doves in the air. The birds are believed to represent a harmonious life together.

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Russia: karavay -

Newly married Russian couples share a wedding sweetbread called karavay, which is decorated with wheat symbolizing prosperity and interlocking rings for faithfulness.

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Armenia: balance bread -

To keep evil spirits away, newly married Armenian couples traditionally balance flatbread on their shoulders. They then eat spoonfuls of honey, which symbolizes happiness, before the actual party starts.

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Fiji: presenting a whale's tooth -

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

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Japan: sake sharing -

This old age Japanese tradition consists of the bride, the groom, and their parents sharing sips of sake out of the same three cups. It symbolizes the two families being united together.

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Turkey: planting flags -

On the day of the wedding, friends of the groom plant the Turkish flag in the ground at his home. Sometimes objects like fruit, vegetables, and even mirrors are placed on top, signifying that the wedding has begun.

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South Korea: falaka ceremony -

In the falaka ceremony in South Korea, the groom's friends and family hold him down as they beat the bottoms of his feet with a stick or dried fish. At the same time, he's asked trivia questions. This is believed to help strengthen his memory and his feet.

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Lebanon: music and dancing before the ceremony -

In Lebanon, the wedding celebration before the ceremony is known as the zaffe, and has plenty of music and dancing at both the groom's and bride's homes. Eventually, everyone ends up at the bride's house, where the couple is showered with blessings as they leave for the ceremony.

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Greece: shaving the groom -

On his wedding day, a Greek groom's best man  becomes his barber by shaving him. After he's been freshly shaved, his mother-in-law will feed him honey and almonds.

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Netherlands: the wishing tree -

Instead of guests books, the Dutch opt for a wishing tree, where guests are encouraged to write little notes of good wishes and hang them from a tree branch or small potted tree.

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Kenya: good luck spit -

For the Maasai people in Kenya, spitting on someone is seen as showing them respect. So it's tradition for the father of the bride to spit on her for good luck.

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Venezuela: couples leave before the end of the reception -

In Venezuela, it's good luck for the newlyweds to sneak away before the party ends without getting caught. It's also considered good luck for the guest that catches that they're gone.

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Russia: wedding photos at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier -

Couples in Moscow often take wedding photos at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin as a gesture of respect. Then they lay down flowers afterwards

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Niger: camel dance -

In the West African country of Niger, the camel dance is done at the reception in the desert by a real camel, surrounded by guests.

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Romania: hiding the bride -

In Romania, before the wedding, guests work together to 'kidnap' the bride to an undisclosed location and demand a ransom from the groom, which is usually a few bottles of alcohol.

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Guatemala: breaking a bell -

When the newlyweds arrive at the wedding reception, it's tradition that the groom's mom breaks a white ceramic bell filled with grains to bring prosperity to the couple.

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Ireland: keep one foot on the ground during the first dance -

In Ireland, when the bride and groom are dancing their first dance, the bride must keep at least one foot on the floor at all times. Irish folklore believes that if she doesn't, evil fairies will come and take her away.

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Germany: polterabend -

To ward off any evil spirits, German couples traditionally clean up piles of porcelain dishes that their guests have thrown on the ground. Known as polterabend, this ritual also teaches them that while working together, they can face any challenge thrown their way.

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India: mehndi -

Before the wedding, it's common for Indian women to gather their closest girlfriends and have their skin intricately painted with mehndi, a type of henna.

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Mongolia: chicken liver -

Before setting a wedding date, a Mongolian couple must first kill a baby chicken and cut it apart by holding the knife together, to find a healthy liver.

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Japan: a white tsunokakushi -

A Japanese bride celebrating a Shinto ceremony traditionally wears a white kimono and a hood called a tsunokakushi. White represents her maiden status, and the hood hides the "horns of jealousy" that she feels towards her mother-in-law.

Sources: (Vogue France) (Brides.com) (Insider) (The Venue Report)

See also: The rituals of an Indian wedding

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