Portuguese Wedding Traditions

In ancient times, the Portuguese used to marry simply to build a family. Given that the parents decided on all details regarding the wedding -- including the selection of the Groom and the Bride -- love was not necessarily the main reason for marriage.

Everything involved an agreement between families. The Bride's family would be responsible for the hosting of all the parties, while the Groom's family would be responsible for giving a large gift to the newlyweds -- usually a house. Nowadays, even though there are many traditional and conservative families, marriage is a synonym with a promise of mutual love that will last as long as both parties shall live.

In days past, the Bride's family would hold the engagement party. Tradition called for the Groom to send a friend or a relative to ask the prospective Bride's father for permission to ask for the daughter's hand in marriage. Often, the Groom's father performed this task. If the Bride's father agreed, the young man could formally ask for the girl's hand in marriage, and having thus received the father's blessing, the wedding was allowed to take place. An ancient tradition -- long abandoned -- called for the prospective Bride to pretend to be a cow that needed to be recognized by its owner, her soon-to-be husband, before the wedding celebrations could begin.

Considering that the majority of people in Portugal are Roman Catholic, a mass would follow the engagement. After this mass, close relatives would be invited to a small reception. The Bride would choose a "Madrinha" -- a Maid of Honour -- and the Groom would choose a "Padrinho" -- a Best Man. In some cases, two couples would be chosen to fill those roles.

A Portuguese couple's wedding invitation traditionally carries both the Bride's and the Groom's addresses, since it is customary to live with one's parents until married. All wedding gifts are traditionally sent to the Bride's house, and put on display to be admired by relatives and close friends who come to visit. On those occasions, tradition calls for a cup of tea and a piece of cake to be served.

Since Portugal is a very conservative country, with a large Roman Catholic population, bachelor and bachelorette parties have always been rather innocent -- consisting mostly of friends and relatives getting together for food and drinks. It is customary for the oldest members of the Bride and Groom's community to attend the Groom's stag party, where he bids farewell to his single life and his single friends.