5 Welsh Wedding Customs

Traditionally a Welsh bride carries a bouquet containing myrtle leaves, signifying love in life. She gives her bridesmaids a cutting to plant and if it blossoms, the girl will soon marry.

Welsh brides believed that it was lucky to be woken by birdsong on the morning of their wedding.

The wedding party walks to the church together in a procession with a flower girl sprinkling petals along the road symbolising a happy route in life for the newly weds.

A couple would place a shovel on top of the fire and put on it two grains of wheat. As the shovel grew hotter the grains would pop off the shovel: if they jumped off together the couple could expect to jump into matrimony; if they jumped separately the couple would lead separate lives.

Traditionally, the bride's family kidnapped the bride on her wedding day, just before the ceremony took place. The groom and his family would rescue the bride and whoever freed her would themselves be married within the year. 

Many of the Welsh wedding customs have disappeared but some have evolved and are still in use today. We can ensure their survival by remembering them, if not practising them, on 29 February.