Weddings around the world

It is a very traditional game for newlyweds in Germany: the log cutting ceremony. After the couple has left the actual wedding ceremony, they need to demonstrate teamwork and ingenuity, because this game is the first challenge in married life. The newlyweds have to overcome the impending obstacle by sawing the log in half, which is symbolic for clearing the way to a happy future together. For the game, all that you need is a sawhorse, a handsaw, two pairs of gloves and, if you like, some decorations. The game needs to be well thought out; otherwise, you risk the couple losing interest in sawing or having it take too long to cut through the log. Then the surprise can quickly turn into agony. So, it’s best to not select a very thick log or you should make sure you have a Universal Chain 18 cordless chainsaw and the appropriate protective equipment along with you.

And just in case you develop a liking for it... we have another fun project that shows you what you can easily create from the cut pieces of log and a bit of skill.

Many couples around the world rack their brains over it as they make their wedding plans. However, seating arrangements can be quite easy, like in Sweden. There, only the newlyweds and any engaged couples sit together at one table. All the others are mixed together so they can get to know one other. Sounds like a lot of fun. But you still want to decide for yourself where each guest will sit during the ceremony? It’s not a problem! We show you how to construct an easel to use as a creative seating chart that is also a great eye-catcher to welcome your guests to the wedding reception. You can also personalise your table decorations by making your own DIY place cards, which you can easily create using a Gluey cordless hot glue pen and individualised glass markings.

A tradition that has also become established in Germany has its origins in English folklore. The bride will need five things to enter into a happy marriage. The traditional rhyme goes: ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a six-pence in her shoe.’ Here, the ‘old’ item stands for the bride’s previous life, ‘something new’ symbolises her future as a wife, ‘something borrowed’ stands for friendship and ‘something blue’ for fidelity. Finally, the six-pence coin stands for prosperity. And if you think it would be nice to make something ‘new’ out of something ‘old’, then have a look here for inspiration.

The custom of giving wedding guests dragées (sugar-coated Jordan almonds) is based on a tradition originating in France of the 17th century, more precisely during the reign of Louis XIV. It was customary at courts to present gifts to guests in valuable vessels made of gold and silver. Is it possible that these vessels were as creatively designed back then as our DIY jewellery box project? For the common folk, it was customary to use leftover fabric from the bridal gown to wrap up small sugar-coated Jordan almonds and distribute them to the guests as wedding favours afterwards. Even today, it’s quite typical for guests to get five almonds from the newlyweds. They stand for the five wishes for the bride and groom’s new life: happiness, prosperity, health, fertility and a long life. The custom is also still widespread in Italy and Greece. If you would prefer to delight your guests with even greater variety, you can surprise them with sweet delicacies from a DIY candy ‘bar’ at the wedding celebration.

A wedding without a piñata is unimaginable in Mexico. The hollow, colourful papier-mâché figure is the ultimate in good luck charms. You can easily make one and fill it yourself with sweets, money and other little surprises for the newlyweds. Then, on the wedding day, you can hang it from the ceiling or a tree. The bride and groom are first blindfolded and then they try to break open the piñata. If they succeed, they are guaranteed love, prosperity and a happy marriage. Now if that isn’t a reason to raise your glasses in a toast. You can use an IXO cordless screwdriver with the corkscrew attachment to quickly and effortlessly uncork any bottle of champagne. Cheers/here’s to love!

Despite its fame for tulips, in the Netherlands, the lily of the valley plays the leading role at weddings. These flowers can be found in the decorations together with evergreens, which symbolise everlasting love. Lilies of the valley are also planted in the newlyweds’ garden after the wedding. If the bride and groom do not have a garden, the white flowers can also easily be planted in a pot. It’s a breeze to create a vertical garden for these fragrant messengers of spring on any balcony wall.

Kisses, kisses and more kisses: In Denmark, the bride and groom have to stand on their chairs and kiss each other when a wedding guest starts to tap on their plate with their silverware. If they stamp their feet on the floor, the couple kisses each other under the table. But even the guests do not miss out on all this kissing: If the bride or groom leaves the room briefly, the guests are allowed to kiss whomever of the two left behind until the newlyweds are reunited again. You want to record this for posterity? Then capture this and many more fun and unforgettable moments of the wedding with pictures taken at your own DIY gazebo.

A wedding arch provides the perfect setting for any ceremony, no matter whether the wedding ceremony takes place in an Austrian mountain hut, a Tuscan villa, in a regular room or under the wide open sky. The design is as individual as each couple is. The arch can be decorated with floral arrangements garnished with foliage or fairy lights, decorated with fabric panels or pompoms. Or you can also stage it in a very rustic way using pieces of driftwood. There are no limits to your creativity. The material and the decoration can be individually adapted to the motto of your wedding. Classic white, steeped in tradition, or bohemian and unconventional? It's entirely up to you.