Norwegian Wedding Traditions
Babylon Productions Wedding Centre, Serving Norwegian Wedding Traditions
( Photography - Video - DJ - Limo - Invitations )

Norwegian weddings represent the most festive occasions in country life where the feast may extend to two or three days running. Sometimes a couple chooses to marry on the Midsummer Eve during the annual celebration. This is considered a lucky period of the year and many Norwegian couples look to wed at this time. The couple takes a boat to the area they are expected to light a bonfire. In the past, unmarried girls would usually pick seven different flowers on midsummer night. They then used the flowers to make a nice posy that they put under their pillows so as to dream with the husband fated for them.  A traditional marriage ceremony is almost always the choice for couples. During a Norwegian wedding a groom is expected to wear a hand made woolen suit known as a Bunda. The Bunda is adorned with colorful and intricately woven designs. It has a white silk shirt, stockings that are at the calf lengthwise, a vest and topcoat as well as the short pants. The designs that appear on the Bunda are usually unique to the city the groom originates from. The best man too wears a colorful Bunda. The bride wears a silver or white bridal gown and acquires the grace of a queen by wearing a silver or gold crown. The crown is made with spoon like bangles hanging from it. When the bride walks or turns her head the bangles make beautiful sounds that are believed to ward off evil spirits.

The Norwegian wedding abounds with superstition. Subsequent to the nuptial, during the reception the bride is expected to dance vigorously and the bangles tinkle loudly. This is because belief in evil spirits that visit weddings is rife. It is assumed that the brides dancing together and the fact that bridesmaids dress in a similar way to the bride serves to confuse any evil spirits present at the wedding. The wedding cake is cut at the reception and the groom and bride are made to hold the knife together as they cut into it. This act is believed to bring them good luck. The reception is where family members and guests give speeches wishing the new couple good luck. Tables at the reception are decorated with blokaker, which are layers of cake or the brudlauskling cake that is a flour cake decorated a mixture of cream, cheese and syrup. The music played in a Norwegian wedding includes popular tunes for instance, “come to my wedding”. This tune is played before and during the wedding as well as after the wedding is over. At the end of the ceremony the groom and bride exchange silver or gold rings. The round ring has neither beginning nor an end and is used to represent undying love between the couple. They then have the traditional kiss, which symbolically seals their relationship as husband and wife. After they are married neighbors and friends normally plant two small fir trees on either side of the couple’s house as a sign of fertility.