Italian Wedding Traditions

Weddings are considered to be the most joyous of occasions in the Italian culture. Italian weddings are filled with loads of fun, festivities, and enough food to feed a small town. By incorporating the following Italian wedding traditions, a couple can easily plan a wedding that honors their Italian heritage.

Sunday Wedding
A traditional Italian wedding always takes place on a Sunday, for this is considered to be the luckiest day of the week, and is never held during Lent, Advent, or the months of May or August. The month of May is reserved for the worship of the Virgin Mary and marrying during the month of August is believed to invite bad luck and sickness to the bride and groom.

Bride Gown and Jewelry
A bride can either wear a green gown, symbolizing fertility, or a white gown symbolizing affluence and purity. She always wears a veil, which is later torn for good luck. Gold jewelry is not worn until after the wedding. Wearing gold jewelry before the wedding is believed to bring bad luck to the bride.

Groom Charm
The groom often carries a piece of iron in his pocket to “ward off the evil eye” for fear that envy and jealous feelings might destroy his happiness.

Throwing Confetti and Breaking Glass
After the ceremony, guests throw confetti as the couple exits the church. Confetti represents good fortune and money. The more confetti that is thrown, the better it is for the couple. The couple also shatters a wine glass or vase into as many pieces as possible. The pieces are then counted. The number of pieces represents the number of years the couple will be happily married.

Food and Drink Extravaganza
Italian wedding receptions are lavish, very fun, and a lot of emphasis is placed on the food and drinks. The women are often served sweet liquors and the men are offered stronger drinks before the meal. It is not uncommon to offer guests anywhere from 12-14 course meals that usually begin with antipasto, stuffed mushrooms, olives, calamari, and prosciutto. Wine is served during the meal, as well as other beverages. The dessert course includes a wide variety of Italian pastries, cakes, and fruits.