9 Fascinating Jamaican Wedding Traditions | A Jamaica Experience Rather than spend loads of money on an expensive reception venue, everyone just gathers in a backyard for drinks, food, and dancing. According to her, the wedden godmadda would rise early on the wedding day and wore a starched white apron accompanied by a colorful bandana-plain head tie. Interestingly, this ceremony tends to be larger and even more festive than the first one. The groom and his side of the party, will normally go to the best mans home, and get ready and may have a beer or two to take the weight of the grooms shoulders. Yes, Bella Swan's 'Twilight' gown is one. Chances are someone already asked (and got an answer to) your question. But the traditional Jamaican wedding cake, is decorated with either a pearly white buttercream frosting, or a pearl white fondant. In case youve never heard of it before, a gizzada is a crisp pastry usually with coconut filling. Don't expect to see Jamaican to-be-weds wearing an engagement ring on their wedding finger ahead of the big day. The speeches, usually full of praise, would be followed by dancing. Backyard Receptions. Jamaican Black Rum Cakeis baked for weddings and carried in procession to the ceremony. The text in the body paragraphs, will contain different factors of a Jamaican wedding including foods, customs, and other traditions in general. Local and international favourites are served all night. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Below is a list of the most common traditions and rituals at Jamaican weddings. Rum is a flavorful, traditional Jamaican addition to any wedding cake. From sun-cooked meals to farm to table experiences, these vegetarian restaurants in Jamaica uses local flavours and ingredients in the healthiest ways. So, include a few of these in your wedding as well and make it a memorable, surprising and special day for yourself as well as your invitees! The type of cake, is called Jamaican black rum cake, Depending on if the bride and groom are of different cultures or not, the cake could be decorated in several different styles. A few very common, The bride wants her special day to go on without a hitch, so just like every wedding, all attire, photography, entertainment, food plannings, etc. One is OlHige, who leaves her skin at night to go and feast on babies blood. While some cultures focus on avoiding terrible luck and upholding superstitions, Jamaican weddings are all about the party! Millions of couples around the world choose Jamaicas beautiful beaches for their wedding ceremonies every year. Unlike most cultures, bridesmaids typically wear white to the wedding along with the bride. Back when Jamaica was a more agrarian society, the newlyweds would be excused from working in the fields for at least a week. While theres no set recipe for a Jamaican fruit cake, but some common ingredients include cinnamon, nutmeg, molasses, red wine, dried mixed fruit, lime, lemon, and white rum. You might be thinking of all the "wedding" flavours there are but I promise you won't guess this one. The wedding festivities don't stop right after the wedding day ends in Jamaican culture. Relatives of the couple and members of the community all had roles in preparing for the ceremony. But their work is still not over. Probably the best part of a Jamaican wedding is, of course, that you dont have to travel at all to experience one of the worlds finest honeymoon destinations. Sign up on The Knot to reach more couples and book more weddings! August 27, 2022 by Erin Krespan. To better understand the Jamaican wedding traditions you may consider including in your big day and/or other wedding-related events, we spoke with event planner Roxanne Bellamy and wedding planner and designer Kara-Ann Boyne-Anderson of Petals & Promises Jamaica.Bellamy points out that Jamaica is unique in that it is a cultural mecca. A traditional wedding in Jamaica typically involved the whole village or community where the couple lived. In an old (and now rarely practiced) tradition, villagers would gather around in the street to see the bride who was . Price for the plain cake would be approximately $200 for a two tier and $300 for a 3 tier cake. Goat Is On The Menu Traditional Jamaican wedding food includes two staple ingredients; goat curry and rum. Typically, the wedding couple picks out their own goat to be prepared for the wedding. Throughout the evening, participants made bids on the newlyweds, collecting a sum of money then given to the bride. Jamaican Wedding Traditions . Brideswho received bad reviews from locals would rush home to touch up their makeup before the big event. That's it! If you've been invited to the Caribbean for a destination wedding in Jamaica or may be looking to pay homage to your Jamaican roots when getting married, there are a couple of traditions that can be incorporated into the wedding that you may want to learn about. PleaseClick Here To Share It With Your Friends, Home | JOIN US | Site Search | Have Your Say | Archives | Old Archives | Contact | Disclaimer | TIP ME! The couple signs the wedding certificate, during the ceremony, to officially declare themselves as man and wife. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Wearinng a ring on your "wedding finger" before you get married will reduce your chances of ever getting married to zero. A traditional wedding can last up to seven days, here's what you need to know before putting on your dancing shoes. You can find white rum, black rum, and everything in the middle! In traditional Jamaican culture, the wedding reception was held in a shelter constructed out of coconut boughs and decorated with tropical flowers. Aside from the bachelor, and bachelorette party, things are done for the bride within her family for relaxation. Sign me up! Pieces of the Past by Dr. Rebecca Tortello. But, lets explore a few of these traditions. And since the celebration usually goes from dusk to dawn and so on, it can be tough to find a venue that will allow a 24-hour party. may be send as wedding presents to the couple, before the reception. If you attend a Jamaican wedding, you can almost certainly expect for there to be rum punch available. Most tourists dont know anything about old Jamaican wedding traditions. Youll never see a mother leading her daughter to the groom. Jamaican Revivalism is a mix of European and African religious traditions, turned into something uniquely Jamaican. What are some Jamaican wedding traditions? Although modern-day Jamaicans dont practice the traditions as strictly as their ancestors did, everyone in Jamaica has great respect for their heritage. Check out The Rough Guide to Jamaica to find out more about Jamaica's fascinating culture, and start planning your perfect trip to this Caribbean paradise. This reception is often open to the community and those loved ones who couldn't make the wedding," says Anderson. But she can be warded off if a crossed knife and fork and Bible are kept next to the babys crib. Traditional Jamaican Wedding. This reception is often open to the community and those loved ones who couldnt make the wedding. New! The cuisine offered at a wedding is not something that is taken lightly. This is another event that can last all night. The most common gift is that of eggs, to be used for making the wedding cake. Unlike European Christianity, Revivalist Christianity in Jamaica doesn't believe in a separation between this world and the next, meaning spirits can affect the material world and, by extension, our lives. She even volunteered to dress up the bride and provide her with the wedding bouquet. Even a few crumbs on the ground could mean an unsuccessful marriage. While the food was getting prepared, according to Miss Lou, the bride and groom would seek various marriage-related counseling and advice from the wedden godparents. Also, if the bride and groom are of different cultures, there would normally be two cakes. Tun Tanks Sunday is the celebration after the wedding. It usually followed the current fashion trends. The wedding cake is presented with a. Kingston: Twin Guinep Publishers, (pp.510-511),The Story of the Jamaican people. People cheer and watch the cake be set down on the cake table. When the duppy tries to follow you, it will immediately be confused once it tries to count the fourth one, leaving you get home ghoul-free whilst the duppy remains permanently on the spot trying to work out where to go next. (Ed.) The Venue . The wedden table was usually adorned with ferns, flowers like bougainvillea, and seasonal fruits. A Jamaican Wedding is therefore a traditional Christian wedding which can be a white wedding or more colourful one based on bride/groom's preferences. Your email address will not be published. A traditional wedding varies from country to country. When Sunday mass finishes, wedding guests visit the brides familys house for a second reception.