Caribbean Wedding Traditions

The Caribbean wedding traditions are really interesting and exciting due to the fact that many Caribbean islands follow the wedding traditions of the Americans while the others create a peculiar blend of the African and European cultures which is typically Caribbean and could be found nowhere in the world.

The customs actually vary from island to island. But a common custom enables the bride and the groom to dress in their finest clothes. Then the bride and the groom head towards the church either from the bride's place or from the groom's place. Then the church bells ring in order to announce the wedding to the island. Usually the villagers line the street to view the bride and the groom walking to the church and it is compulsory for every onlooker to comment on the bride and the groom's clothes.

The guests are usually invited by the word of mouth, only in some exceptional honored cases, invitations are hand written. The bride's father or both the parents escort her to the aisle with her face covered by a veil. At the end of the ceremony, the groom lifts the veil and kisses his new bride, which is an amalgamation of catholic and African traditions.

The food reflects the typical uniqueness of the islands including curried goat, spicy chicken jerky and fried plantains. An island wedding cake is unique in the world which is a traditional 'black cake' the recipe of which is handed down by the mother to the daughter for many generations.

Travour.com describes and provides information on the wedding traditions of the Caribbean and around the world.

Here are some Wedding Traditions performed around the world