Jamaica
Like most Caribbean countries, the wedding cake is prominent in the celebration. It is a rich pound cake made of dried fruits (prunes, cherries, raisins, currants) soaked in rum, plus flour, butter, and a dozen eggs. Some guests may send ingredients as wedding presents beforehand. The bride parades through the streets to her wedding ceremony, and her appearance is commented upon -- even ridiculed! Her Maid of Honor is referred to as the "Chief". Since many weddings are village or community celebrations, no guest is refused and can enjoy a feast featuring curried goat, rice, and rum punch. Slices of cake are mailed to guests who cannot attend.
Japan
White symbolizes "new beginning" in Japan, and brides wear anything from the white silk kimono, or shiromuku, of the Edo period, to a modern wedding gown, although some favor the ornate ceremonial robes made popular by royalty. Other traditions include the bride being covered in a white silk veil; the burning of two flames together in the "perfect unity of marriage;" the sacred drinking of the sake, and a ceremonial sampling of various foods representing the tasting of the joys and sorrows in life. For the reception, the bride changes into an ornate robe called an irouchikake, and later, she changes again into the furisode, the kimono of the unmarried woman, ceremonial of the last time she will wear it.
Korea
Before the ceremony, Korean brides and grooms drink Korean liquor with their parents, who dispense advice about married life. Grooms once rode on horseback to a bride's home with a duck or goose (animals that mate for life) in tow. Today, couples may receive a pair of wooden ducks as gifts. At the kyobaele, or ceremony, bride and groom stand on opposite sides of a table laden with traditional foods. According to Confucian custom, the groom bows twice, and the bride bows four times. The couple then shares three spoonfuls of rice and drinks liquor from pyojubak, two cups made from a single gourd. Traditionally, the bride is then carried to the reception on a sedan chair, where noodles, or kuk soo, are served because they symbolize long life. ("Have you eaten noodles yet?" is a way of asking if someone is married). Afterwards, well-wishers toss chestnuts (symbolizing respect) and jujubes, dried red dates, (symbolizing diligence) at the newlyweds.
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