as well as recognition from numerous prestigious international agencies So hopefully, the bridesmaids have quick hands. Or, simplyclick hereand here,to browse my library of over 500 questions and answers! Hand-clapping and percussion are an important part of Jamaican Revivalist ceremonies mauricioalvesfotos / Shutterstock. Old-Time Jamaican country wedden' in Gambrill, L. Rum is a flavorful, traditional Jamaican addition to any wedding cake. How to Plan a Destination Wedding in Jamaica, The Best Wedding Vow Examples From Real Couples, 12 Moroccan Wedding Traditions and Customs to Know, 29 "Something Blue" Wedding Ideas That Feel Fresh, Say "I Love You" with 136 Love Quotes for Her, Relationship Quotes to Make Every Couple Feel All the Feels, The Meaning Behind Something Old, Something New, 11 Beautiful Vows From Couples Who Wrote Their Own, Say "I Love You" with 24 Love Quotes for Him, The Complete Guide to a Montego Bay Honeymoon, Timeless British Royal Wedding Traditions to Know, Who Stands on What Side of the Altar? Both before and after the wedding, everyone in town was welcome to join in the reception festivities. In traditional Jamaican culture, the wedding reception was held in a shelter constructed out of coconut boughs and decorated with tropical flowers. Now, this is a tradition we could get on board with. (pp. If youre looking to throw a Jamaican wedding, here are the ultimate wedding traditions you should know about and incorporate. Although modern-day Jamaicans dont practice the traditions as strictly as their ancestors did, everyone in Jamaica has great respect for their heritage. 7. Hopefully this list has helped you understand and have a greater respect for Jamaican culture. The menu can be whatever youd like however, almost every Jamaican wedding has a curried goat and Manish water (goat soup) on the menu. 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. 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. We support you to make the most of your time on earth. In earlier times, "the bride and groom would take a trip to the family farm to choose a goat to be curried (slow cooked in a blend of different spices such as cumin, coriander, mustard, anise, all spice and turmeric) for their wedding reception. To date, he serves over 9,300 unique readers / viewers per day (and over 1.1millon page views monthly). Island-wide, there aren't many concrete traditions." Getting Married In Jamaica: Insights From Wedding Planners The bride and groom of course have to have their one last night of freedom! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. In addition to The Knot Worldwide, Jenna contributes to other online publications including Insider, People, BuzzFeed and The Daily Beast. 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. One of the most interesting Jamaican wedding traditions is called Tun Tanks Sunday. Most Jamaican weddings serve rum punch, rum sangrias, and frozen rum drinks. But, Jamaica being mainly a Christian country, the wedding is still done in a Christian format. The wedding festivities don't stop right after the wedding day ends in Jamaican culture. Since Jamaica is such a popular destination for marriages, there's a great deal of legal paperwork travelers have to fill out to make their Jamaican wedding dreams a reality. Jamaican Wedding Traditions . 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. With some extraordinarily beautiful wedding backdrop options, including coastal, city or . The wedden godfadda, on the other hand would accompany the bride and the bridal party, often on horseback. may be send as wedding presents to the couple, before the reception. The Jamaican wedding reception lasts till the sun comes up in the morning. 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. Traditionally, the Jamaican wedding cake is a fruit cake laced with a dizzying amount of rum. Backyard Receptions. Many Jamaican weddings dont even send out written, personalized invitations. Its very common (and a usual tradition) that the reception goes on until the break of dawn. Join our newsletter to get the latest articles, news, & videos. Soon the procession would be joined by several others including people from the village and the invited guests. The Business of Marriage : Memoirs Of An Illegal Alien Part 37. Below is a list of the most common traditions and rituals at Jamaican weddings. Your personal wedding planner will help you gather and complete all documents. This second reception was even larger than the first one, with more food and more cakes beings served. The roof was adorned with coconut-bough and songs like these were sung: Hosanna, mu bil me house oh, a, haMe buil it pon rocky ground, ha, haDe breeze can blow it down, ha, haIt buil pon rocky ground, ha, ha., The Food Preparation at Old Time Jamaican Weddings, Food for the builders and sugar cane juice were prepared by the women for the wedding guests. While English is the official language of Jamaica, Patois is spoken much more frequently and comfortably, hence the most common Jamaican phrases are almost exclusively in Patois. "Most Jamaican weddings serve rum punch with rum-infused sugar cane, rum sangrias and frozen rum drinks. The modern Jamaican weddings have drawn a lot of influence from American and English traditions. | Privacy Policy. . Friends and relatives begin sending presents long before the "big day". 6 Fascinating Jamaican Customs and Traditions | Rough Guides In some families, the wedding cake is soaked for a year so that it has its own distinctive flavor on the wedding day! Your email address will not be published. As you can see, Jamaican weddings are mostly about having fun and enjoying some incredible food! Did you know duppies cant count past three? 12. Swim with sea turtles, spot colorful fish, and explore underwater wrecks and caves at these 9 dive spots when scuba diving in Ocho Rios Jamaica. In case youve never heard of it before, a gizzada is a crisp pastry usually with coconut filling. This is to ensure the bouquet will never touch the ground. Anyone who comes for the reception, is served food and no one is ever refused hospitality. The bidding continued till the wedden godmadda fest that the amount so collected would be enough to donate to the newly weds to start on with their lives, she would announce the unveiling of the cake. After the "I do's" the marriage certificate is signed by the officiant, bride, groom and witnesses (usually the maid-of-honour and best man). Privacy Policy & Terms of use. Wedding ceremonies in the past were usually community affairs with relatives and participants of the group accepting responsibilities meant [] Sometimes guests from around town would even show up uninvited. Jamaican Revivalism is a mix of European and African religious traditions, turned into something uniquely Jamaican. We've created informative articles that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more! Prior to the 1800s, it was considered good luck to simply . We may also earn commissions on purchases from other retail websites. 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! Youll never see a mother leading her daughter to the groom. Many people travel to Jamaica as a vacation place, but it is very likely for the people that reside there to go to a wedding every once in a while for a friend, or family member. The drinks which were offered to the wedding guests would consist of cane liquor, rum, wine and ginger beer. Wearinng a ring on your "wedding finger" before you get married will reduce your chances of ever getting married to zero. So I don't know about anyone else, but since I am getting married in Jamaica, I would love to incorporate some Jamaican traditions. Lets take a look at Digicel Jamaica, explore its features and services. "The aromatic spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg and dried fruits used to make the cake are soaked in rum for the entire length of the engagement," says Anderson. The mother and father of the bride walk their daughter down the aisle to give her away to her new husband. The community helps to build the hut but the groom must not work. In the olden days, the wedding ceremony was held at a church and the reception at the grooms family home. Planning your big day but unsure what you want to include or exclude? But if you wrap up a sliver of your wedding cake and place it under your pillow on your wedding night, it can bring good luck and fertility! The Wedding Cake. Jamaican phrases - Real Examples (with a bit of history), The Colonial History of Jamaica | The Pieces We Tend Not To Talk About, Vegetarian Restaurants in Jamaica| 12 Top Choices Across the Island, Digicel Jamaica | The Bigger, Better Network, Scuba Diving in Ocho Rios Jamaica | 9 Dive Sites You Should Explore, Waterfalls in Negril Jamaica | 4 Waterfalls Near the Capital of Casual. The tradition of the bouquet toss as we know it today started in England in the 1800s, but the origin of this tradition is even older. This gesture is to offer gratitude to God for the marriage. With a relaxed and amazingly hospitable culture, Jamaican weddings are some of the best examples of a real coming together of families - as well as friends and indeed whole communities - for a real celebration! For drink, usually theres plenty of rum and rum punch to whet everyones whistle. This has always been a Jamaican wedding tradition, but some Western brides have adopted this ritual. Jamaican wedding receptions will often go for hours and hours until the sun rises the next day. The wedding cake is presented with a. Jamaican Wedding - Jamaicans and Jamaica The money collected for this would subsequently be given to the newly-wed couple as brawta meaning extra. 9 Jamaican Wedding Traditions to Honor Your Heritage - The Knot Traditional Jamaican wedding food includes two staple ingredients; goat curry and rum. And for all those already in Jamaica, ready to learn more about the culture, find recommended excursions here. Everyone is silent during this procession and the cake is covered in white lace which is thenunveiled. How much is a wedding cake in Jamaica? [Facts!] For Authentic Jamaican products, from my very own hands, visit my Etsy store here. Right after the wedding, everyone heads over to the grooms house for a reception. When it comes to partying, a Jamaican wedding takes things up a notch with open invitations and long bouts of dancing. Obeah is a belief system that is officially outlawed, although nowadays it's rare for anyone to be convicted for adhering to the practices.