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Unity Bowl
At weddings in Australia, guests may be asked to hold differently colored stones or marbles in their hands during the wedding ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, guests all place their stones in a decorative Unity Bowl, to be kept and displayed in the home of the newlywed couple—a reminder of the presence and ongoing support of their friends and family.

A Lot To Clean Up
German brides and grooms can expect to ring in their new marriage with a lot of sweeping: the tradition of “polterabend” involves guests smashing dinnerware and crockery outside the home of the bride’s parents or of the newlywed couple on the eve of their wedding. The broken shards are supposed to bring good luck to the happy couple.

Breaking The Bell
It seems many traditions from around the world involve making a mess. In Guatemala, a white bell filled with rice, flour, and other grains that represent prosperity and abundance is placed at the entrance of the groom’s home. When the newlyweds enter, the groom’s mother breaks the bell to wish the couple happiness and abundance in their new life together!

Making Mischief
In India, it’s customary to remove one’s shoes before entering the mandap, or wedding tent. One playful custom involves the bride’s sisters or cousins stealing the shoes of her betrothed—he must convince them to return the shoes (or even pay a bribe) before he exits.

Chicken Livers
Instead of holding the knife together to slice a wedding cake, couples in Chinese Inner Mongolia have a slightly less appealing tradition: killing a chick together. Before they set the date of their wedding, couples hold the same knife while they kill and gut a baby chick. They locate and inspect the liver of the chick, and if it’s healthy and in good condition, good news, they can set a date!

A Gift of Geese
Korean grooms gift live geese to their mothers-in-law. These animals are believed to mate for life, and the gift symbolizes his intentions of fidelity and loyalty to his new bride. In modern times, the gift of a live goose might be more inconvenient than appreciated, so wooden geese or ducks are often exchanged instead.

A Show of Affection
How romantic! In Costa Rica, grooms will publicly serenade their brides-to-be on the night before the wedding as a demonstration of love, and to show everyone in the neighborhood their passion and commitment to their intended.

Check out our couples challenges at www.couplestrong.com. They are designed to help couples thrive in their relationships. It’s never too late to Be Couplestrong!!!

Be CoupleStrong.
Chris & Lori Cambas