Fiji
After receiving permission from a girl's father to marry, the Fiji groom-to-be personally prepares food and sends it to her family in a ritual called warming. When the bride-to-be leaves her home, friends and family gather for a farewell ritual. Before marrying, the bride is usually tattooed, and sometimes painted with turmeric and oil. Traditionally, she might wear a necklace of ivory points, which is removed by the groom during the ceremony, an act signifying her new married status. A celebratory feast follows the wedding ceremony.
Finland
In the past, it was traditional for the bride and groom to partake in polttarit, separate parties with friends marking the end of their single lives. Laurel leaves are scattered on the bride's path to the ceremony, symbolic of the hope for fertility. The bride wears a golden crown, which she passes on to a single woman while blindfolded during a special dance -- whomever is crowned is believed to be the next to marry. At the reception, guests put gifts of money into a silk-covered sieve, often held by the bride. Rice is thrown at the couple for good luck, and the remaining grains in the bride's hair are counted, supposedly representing the number of children the couple will have.
France
One of the most famous French wedding traditions is the bridal trousseau, the "little bundle" of clothing and linens a bride took with her to her groom's home. A few weeks before a French couple is wed, they must poster le bans, or put up a notice at City Hall, should anyone have any objections. Another custom is the coupe de mariage, a special two-handled cup from which the bride and groom drink a toast, signifying the coming together of their two lives. French weddings, like French meals, are long and drawn out, rarely ending before midnight. The bride and groom often dance under an umbrella, over which guests throw streamers. A piece montee made of caramelized cream puffs is a traditional sweet, and every guest is given a tiny bag of dragees, sugar coated almonds.
French-Canadian
As in France, French-Canadians follow the custom of posting banns, or announcing the intent to marry, at three consecutive Sundays in church before the wedding. Brides wear white wedding gowns, and the nuptial mass is common, as many weddings take place in the Catholic Church. Co-ed bridal showers given by friends or family are the norm, as are stag parties for the groom. A typical wedding reception consists of dinner, dancing and toasting to the newlywed's future happiness together.
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