Italian Wedding Customs

The parents of the groom and the bride arranged long ago Italian weddings. Often the brother of the groom would visit the family of the bride and ask for the hand in marriage. Often if it is the groom proposing directly to the bride, he serenades her with an Italian love song.

"Diamond engagement rings were given by medieval Italians in the belief that the diamond was created by the flames of love". Engagement rings were often given as a payment for the bride and to signify the intent to marry.

The bride and the groom customarily wear green the night before the wedding to bring on good luck, prosperity and abundance to the couple. As well, it is bad luck for the bride to wear gold before, or at the wedding ceremony.

According to Italian tradition it was forbade to marry during lent or advent or during May or August where the months were traditionally to venerate Virgin Mary and it was bad luck to be married in August for reasons of bad luck and sickness. It is thought to be luckiest to wed on Sundays and will bring good luck to the marriage.

In southern Italy, it is quite uncommon for the tradition of bachelor, or bachelorette parties to take place. In northern Italy is it quite different where the best man cuts the grooms tie into small pieces and sells them to the guests. These proceeds are then used to help pay for the band.

At the wedding ceremony the bride arrives to the ceremony last and the groom is to wait at the alter for the bride to arrive and they can wed. The groom usually carries a piece of iron in his pocket for luck, and to ward off the evil eye since the happy situation all but invites danger.

At the reception the bride receives kisses from all the men for good luck, all but the groom - the men are at the reception to make the groom jealous. During the reception the attendants may sneak away to play pranks on the new couple. The guests dance and sing to Italian wedding music and have a wonderful time. After dinner, the guests are served dinner with cake and espresso. Foods of good luck are: twists of fried dough, powdered with sugar, called bow ties wanda, and Italian wedding candy. There is a strong emphasis on food and it is the focal point of the activities and is tied in strongly with the life of the family.

At the reception the bride carries a satin bag referred to as "la borsa" which the guests put money in to pay for the costs of the wedding that the brides parents have funded. The most common Italian ends with the toast "Per Cen'tanni" meaning, For a Hundred Years!