Weddings are just so beautiful and emotional but in every part of the world, certain traditions govern weddings, including in the Caribbean. The wedding traditions in the Caribbean were mostly influenced by African and European cultures. It is amazing how both religious and ancestral wedding rites have been blended with the culture of the African ancestors of the people of the Caribbean.
Just like in many other parts of the world, the American culture of hiring a wedding planner has become mainstay but the African culture of cooking lots of food, music, and dance still finds a way to prevail. In the Caribbean, weddings could last up to three days with lots of wining and dining, music, and dancing, they are merry events.
There is also the traditional jumping of the broom and the showering of gifts on the couple, as well as the procession of the couple followed by their guests and family members around the village while the villagers watch cheerfully. Then there is the wedding reception where there is a lot to drink, especially rum-punch. In most places, people eat, drink, and dance till dusk and then return at dawn the next day.
We cannot forget the huge cake that is made of local recipes handed down from one generation to the other. The couple looks forward to enjoying their honeymoon on an island other than theirs for a few days after their wedding, which is most of the time lavish, as it is in the African culture.
Looking through different Caribbean wedding cultures, especially those of the Jamaicans, Cubans, and Puerto Ricans, it is evident that lots of music, eating, drinking, and dancing is common to all. This is a result of the influence of African wedding cultures which has a lot of merrymaking, it has been said that in some places, people who have no idea who the couple is, even attend the wedding.
