April 12, 2016
Even our clients from around the world often wish to include some of the Czech wedding traditions into their wedding. Since the wedding takes place in the Czech Republic, we think it’s a lovely idea and the wedding guests always find it interesting.
What are the most common wedding traditions of the Czech weddings?
Flower Petals Sprinkle
Flower girls, usually nieces of the engaged couple or friends’ daughters traditionally walk in front of the wedding procession leading them to the church to sprinkle flower petals. This is in its origin a pagan tradition. The flowers were to attract a goddess of fertility.
Haul In
Friends of the groom will prop a rope in front of the church after the ceremony. The rope is decorated not only by flowers and ribbons but also with empty bottles. The newlyweds are only allowed to continue in their way, after the groom pays himself out. This way, the groom pays himself out of the sins of his youth.
Flower Bouquet Toss
The bride throws the flower bouquet over her left shoulder once she leaves the church or town hall into a crowd of single women. The lucky lady who catches the bouquet is the next one to get married.
Breaking the Plate
At the beginning of the Czech wedding reception, a plate is broken at the feet of the bride and groom and they must sweep the chips together. This tradition has its roots in two superstitions; that chips bring happiness and the newlyweds show a will to cooperate by jointly sweeping the chips away and their marriage will therefore be harmonious.
Eating the soup jointly
At the wedding reception, the bride and groom are joined by being covered in a large cloth symbolizing unity, and then finish a bowl of soup using one spoon to symbolize cooperation. Another meaning, which may be even more substantial, is the symbol of the joint loaf of bread, from which it’s necessary to take and give by equal part to each other. Because of this concise symbolism, this tradition is still widely popular nowadays.
Kidnapping the Bride
This tradition symbolizes a woman’s separation from her parents and a transition to a new living community. When the reception is almost over, friends of the newlyweds kidnap the bride. If the groom finds her, he is obliged to pay the bill as a certain way of ransom for the bride, he intends to get back.
We at White Prague Wedding Agency will be happy to advice you how to make wedding traditions part of your wedding and ensure that they will be a nice addition to your wedding day flow and not a disturbance.
Photos by Petr Pelucha, Stepan Vrzala, Zuzana Scharf
Hello, we are Petra, Eva and Natalie...
