Portuguese Wedding Traditions

In Portugal, most of the population is Roman Catholics and thus most weddings follow the modern wedding patterns of USA and Western Europe. But certain old customs of Portugal are followed even today. For instance, it is customary to attend a stag party for the groom at which he bids farewell to his single life and single friends. The ancient custom of passing around the bride's shoes at the reception and stuffing it with money to help the new couple in their honeymoon is performed still today.

Usually, the bride's family holds the engagement party where the groom would send a friend or a relative to ask the bride's father for her daughter's hand. The groom's father also performs this task at times. If the girl agrees, the wedding is to take place with the blessings of the father. A mass would follow the engagement and after the mass the relatives would be invited to a small reception. The bride would then choose a 'madrinha' or maid of honor and the groom would choose a 'padrinho' or the best man.

Wedding reception does not have a firm schedule and the party could last long till the night. Guests are often served with food prepared at home. Portuguese wine being very famous is also served at the reception. An important part of the reception is the custom of 'copo d agua' or cup of water where the bride and the groom go from table to table to spend time with the guests and ensure that everyone is having fun and enjoying their meal. A champagne toast is offered to the new couple when they cut their wedding cake and offer the first slice to a single friend.

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

Here are some Wedding Traditions performed around the world