Wedding traditions with bread
Bread is the plain food of every table, and it is placed at the centre of many weddings.
Bread is the plain food of every table, and it is placed at the centre of many weddings. It stands for the household, for hospitality and for the sharing of a life. Often the loaf is the most decorated object in the room.
Decorated and shared loaves
The Ukrainian korovai is a large, ornate wedding bread with dough birds, flowers and a ring of wheat, and is made by married women of the community in a ritual of song. In Armenia, lavash is placed on the couple's shoulders, and in Georgia the shoti or a cheese bread may be served. In Poland the guests are greeted with bread, and in Greece decorated wedding breads are baked in some regions.
Bread and blessing
In Armenian tradition a piece of lavash is draped across the couple's shoulders as a blessing of plenty and good fortune. In Orthodox weddings bread and wine are served to the couple. In Morocco and in the Berber world, bread is baked in the groom's family home and brought to the bride.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Background on Bread (symbol). Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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The Jewish wedding meal blessed with wine and bread, followed by seven days of celebration.Feast custom · The ceremony
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A communal feast and prayer gathering held by Javanese and Malay communities to mark life events.Feast custom · The weeks before
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The Byzantine Rite ceremony where a priest crowns the couple to seal their union in Christ.Rite · Engagement and betrothal
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The traditional union of the Meitei people, marked by clan exogamy and specific courtship rituals.Rite · Finding a match
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Decorated cards sent to announce a marriage and invite guests to the celebration.Betrothal · The weeks before
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A traditional welcome offering of bread and salt to guests or newlyweds in Slavic, Baltic, and Balkan cultures.Feast custom · The weeks before
🇩🇪 Germany and 5 morePolterabend
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Polterabend: 4028mdk09, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Iranian wedding: Flickr.com user "avlxyz", CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Umtsimba: Cat7624, CC0, source
- Russian wedding traditions: GeorgeLouis, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Indian wedding invitations: Onef9day, CC BY 3.0, source
- Blessing ceremony of the Unification Church: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kenduri: Andreasprasetya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eastern Orthodox marriage: VitVit, CC BY 3.0, source
- Marriage in Myanmar: Thant Zin Myint, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Tulasi Vivah: Unknown author, CC BY 3.0, source
- Bread and salt: Olli Niemitalo, CC0, source
- Meitei wedding: Dabu Leichombam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source