Did you know that italians have an incredible amount of traditions to respect the day of the wedding? If you want to get married in Italy, you have to do it the Italian way…
When Italians get married?
First of all you have to organize yourwedding on a specific day. For Italians, Saturday is considered the best day for the union between two souls to take place, and Sunday it is said to bring luck, fertility and prosperity.
Italians usually do not get married on: Fridays and Tuesdays. Friday, as in the past, it was thought that it was the day in which evil spirits were created, and Tuesday because Marte comes from the God of War and it was believed that couples who decided to marry on this day would spend every day of their lives together fighting.
The day before the wedding
The night before the wedding, it is used to organize, especially in the South of Italy, a typical “Serenata”: it is a love dedication from the groom, who declares his love singing under the bride’s house in front of their families and friends. Generally, the night before the wedding the bride and the groom should not sleep together; additionally, in some italian regions, the bride cannot see herself in the mirror, wearing the wedding dress.
The day of the wedding
“Bomboniere with confetti” are the italian wedding favours with the traditional sugared almonds that are given to the guests at the end of the event. Generally confetti are given in an odd number to ensure good luck, but sometimes they are given in a group of five symbolising health, wealth, happiness, fertility and long life.
It is the groom’s job to supply the bridal bouquet, as it is considered the final gift to his girlfriend before she becomes his wife. The bride may choose the floral arrangements she wants, but it is the groom who must pay the bill and make sure it is delivered to his fiance’.
After the ceremony, the bride would remove the garter and it would be torn into pieces for the guests to keep. In some italian regions, in this tradition is the groom who removes the bridal garter with his mouth, throws it to male guests and the one who keeps it will be a future groom. This is a tradition that dates back to the 14th century, when it was thought that owning a piece of the bridal trousseau would bring luck.
Finally, if you decide to have a real italian wedding, you have to add at least one of these typical traditions becoming Italian even if you come from the other side of the world.