What is Polterabend custom in Germany?
Polterabend is a German wedding custom in which, on the night before the wedding, the guests break porcelain to bring luck to the couple’s marriage. The belief in the effectiveness of this custom is expressed by the old adage: “Shards bring luck” (German: Scherben bringen Glück).
What is Polter night?
Polter night The day before the wedding, stoneware and porcelain — never glassware — is violenty smashed by friends and family in order to chase away evil spirits. The shards are traditionally swept up by the betrothed.
What is a Brautentführung?
One of the most popular pranks in the southern part of Germany is the Brautentführung – the kidnapping of the bride. In a nutshell, the grooms’ friends “abduct” the bride at some point during the reception. In some cases, the groom is given a funny ransom note, or hint that his new wife has been taken.
What is a traditional German wedding cake?
The traditional German wedding cake is a rich nut or genoise sponge cake which is soaked in liqueur or syrup. Filled with jam, marzipan, or nougat and frosted in fondant or ganache, this is a much richer cake than the classic white cake which is traditional at American weddings.
What are some wedding traditions in Germany?
So we’ve put a list of the weird and the wonderful traditions that you’re bound to see at any authentically German wedding.
- Polterabend.
- Sawing the tree trunk.
- Junggesellenabschied.
- The Veil Dance.
- Invitations.
- Kidnapping the bride.
- Throwing rice.
- Main image via A Boho Chic Wedding in Germany.
How do you do the unity candle ceremony?
The bride and groom will light the center candle from the other two. The three candles will remain lit. One candle for each of them, one candle for the unity of their new family, and as symbols of their commitment to each other and to a lasting and loving marriage.
Who pays for wedding in Germany?
Costs – the father of the bride has to pay the wedding. This is an old custom but today normally both parents and the couple itself divide the costs for the wedding. Dance – the first dance is danced by the bride and the groom, it is traditionally a waltz.
What do German brides wear?
The typical German bride wears a white strapless wedding gown with no train, and a veil. The groom tends to wear a black suit or a tuxedo. There are no rules for what guests should wear — other than not to wear white — unless the couple set a specific dress code in the wedding invite.
Do German weddings have bridesmaids?
3. The Groom / Bridal parties (Trauzeuge/Trauzeugin) Many brides and grooms opt to have large parties of bridesmaids and groomsmen to escort them on their big day. However, in Germany, the wife and husband to-be tend to just have one trusted person each to assist them with all their wedding preparations.
Why do Germans wear the wedding ring on right hand?
In Germany and the Netherlands, couples start by wearing their engagement rings on the left hand, and then when they are married, they move the wedding rings to the right hand to signify their change in social status.
What does the lighting of the Unity Candle symbolize?
The unity candle ceremony is a common ritual in both religious and non-religious wedding ceremonies. It represents two people (and families) becoming one. They then extinguish the taper candles to symbolize the united flame is stronger than the individual flames.