Wedding and Wine Cellar Customs

Wedding guard of honour and carrying the light into the new home

In many areas of Austria after the wedding ceremony the wedding guests form a wedding guard of honour in front of the church door through which the bridal couple step out together into the world.

An attempt is made at the same time to prevent the bridal couple from running through, thus symbolising the joint effort to overcome stumbling blocks in the marriage.

The guard of honour, which is made up of wedding guests forming a pointed arch by raising their hands above the bridal couple, symbolises that the bridal couple are surrounded by their family and friends and are supported and protected by them.

On this occasion the bride frequently carries the burning wedding candle so that she can carry the light into the new home as the wife, this has been considered since the dawn of history to be the symbolic custodian of fire and hence of the light and hearth.

Further wedding customs

Scattering flowers and throwing rice and grains
The widespread and delightful custom of scattering rice or grains over the bridal couple when they leave the church is meant to bring the bridal couple prosperity, good fortune and fertility.

Wreath dance and throwing the bridal bouquet
A much rarer custom is the wreath dance, which together with the throwing of the bridal bouquet, is a popular highlight at many weddings. This involves the bride's mother removing her daughter's veil and then the bride is led into the circle of unmarried girls. The girls spread the veil over the bride like a roof and a round dance is performed around the bride. After the dance, the bride takes off the veil and puts it on that girl who, in her opinion, will be the next bride. Instead of the removed veil, the bride gets a headscarf and a wooden spoon and everyone who then wants to dance with the bride must throw money into a hat.

Throwing the bridal bouquet involves the bride turning her back on the unmarried girls and throwing the bridal bouquet behind her high in the air and it is assumed that the girl who catches the bridal bouquet will be the next bride.