International Weddings: Italy
Italy is a country based immensely on love, both linguistically and culturally; they are an extremely traditional and passionate people in all aspects of life, from every day interactions to a wedding ceremony with all the trimmings. The Italian wedding is full of romantic customs, which can be found in many cultures even to this day.
For example, Italian men must ask the father of the intended bride if he may have for her hand in marriage. But not only is the consent of the woman’s father necessary, the groom’s family must concur as well! Imagine that, leaving your eternal happiness in the hands of your immediate family?
There are a lot of religious stipulations in the Italian wedding; a couple may not be wed in the months of May or August, nor are they allowed to wed during Advent or Lent. May is the month Catholic Italians dedicate to the Mother Mary, and August is said to invite sickness and bad luck. Another popular tradition still found today is the custom of guests throwing rice or paper confetti at the newlyweds as they exit the church; the confetti is a symbol of good fortune and wealth, so the more thrown the better. Nuts and grains are often thrown in Italy as well, encouraging conception.
Months prior to the actual wedding, the bride will begin to collect and store items in her trousseau or “hope chest.” The things she puts in it will aid her in her marriage, and usually consists of household necessities such as comforters, silverware, plateware, etc. Now on the day of the wedding, the groom will carry a small piece of iron in his pocket to ward off the “evil eye” for fear that envy and jealous feelings might destroy the couple’s happiness. 
At the wedding reception, food, drink and merriment are in excess. The bride and groom smash a vase or glass beforehand so that the shattered bits may be counted to determine how many years the couple will have a happy marriage. Before any food is served, women are treated to sweet liquors while the men are treated to heavier, stronger drinks. Some Italian weddings have up to fourteen courses filled with mouth-watering pasta, salads, soups, meats and fruits for everyone. Throughout the wedding, guests can cry out “Evviva gli sposi” which means “hurray for the newlyweds,” bringing about applause, enthusiasm and much excitement
Symbolism is a particularly chief aspect in the everyday Italian life, and a wedding is no exception. We already saw it in the throwing of confetti and nuts, warding off the evil eye, and refraining 
from marriage during specific times. I think the most fascinating display of symbolism lies within their sweets selection; Italians definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to food. Sometimes instead of cake, sugar coated almonds are distributed instead to symbolize marriage itself as both bitter and sweet.
Con l’amore per l’Italia,
Stephanie Baldwin
Photo Courtesy: Wedding Bee, Your Perfect Day, and ZankYou.
