Dutch weddings are full of meaningful traditions that celebrate love, family, and new beginnings. These customs create special moments for both the couple and their guests.
In this article, you’ll discover 8 Dutch wedding traditions, like the release of white doves for peace and the “child’s deed,” where children sign a document to honor their role in the family.
Each tradition reflects the couple’s heritage and helps strengthen bonds with loved ones. Keep reading to learn how these customs can make any wedding even more memorable.
1. No Driving for the Happy Couple
In Dutch weddings, there’s a tradition known as “No Driving for the Happy Couple.” On their wedding day, neither the bride nor groom is allowed to drive. Instead, a third person must drive them to ensure good luck and prosperity for their marriage. This custom is believed to guarantee a long, happy life together.
In addition to the driving rule, the couple’s wedding car is often decorated with empty tin cans tied to the back. This is thought to chase away evil spirits, adding an extra layer of protection and positive energy for the bride and groom as they begin their life together.
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2. Long Speech
In Dutch weddings, a long speech is an important tradition that adds a personal touch to the ceremony. The wedding officiant, as well as close family or friends, often deliver speeches filled with anecdotes, memories, and heartfelt messages about the couple.
This speech can last between 30 to 60 minutes, making the ceremony longer than in many other cultures. The couple typically sits on a bench or chair facing their guests, allowing them to be part of this intimate and celebratory moment.
The speeches are deeply personalized, focusing on the couple’s path, their love story, and the joy of their union. In addition to the main speech, other wedding guests might also contribute, sharing poems, memories, or even performances to honor the couple.
This creates a warm, community-centered atmosphere where the couple’s story is shared and celebrated by those closest to them.
3. Releasing pigeons
Releasing pigeons, or more commonly white doves, is a beautiful Dutch wedding tradition symbolizing purity, love, and peace. White doves are often seen as a sign of faithfulness, as they mate for life and form strong family bonds.
In Dutch weddings, it’s customary for the parents of the couple to gift the release of doves, marking the couple’s path into their new life together.
The act of releasing doves at a wedding carries deep symbolic meaning. As the couple exits the ceremony, the doves symbolize the couple’s love and loyalty, their peaceful union, and their shared future.
The doves, typically trained to fly back to their home, also represent the couple’s departure from their families and the beginning of their new life together, filled with happiness and prosperity.
4. Wedding Cake Toast and Champagne
In Dutch weddings, the “Wedding Cake Toast and Champagne” is an essential tradition that marks the beginning of the reception. Right after the ceremony, the couple cuts the wedding cake and shares the first piece together. This is followed by a toast with champagne, which symbolizes joy, celebration, and good wishes for the couple’s future.
It’s a moment of shared happiness with their guests and signifies the start of their married life.
The cutting of the cake represents the couple’s first joint act as just-married pair, while the champagne toast adds a festive touch. This tradition is filled with symbolic meaning, as wedding cakes are often seen as symbols of prosperity, luck, and fertility.
After feeding each other the first pieces of cake, the couple is surrounded by well-wishes from their loved ones, making it a joyous and meaningful start to their celebration.
5. Sweetmeats
In Dutch weddings, sweetmeats play an important role, with bridal sugar being a traditional gift for guests. Bridal sugar consists of five almonds, each coated in sugar, and symbolizes the dual nature of life; both sweet and bitter.
The number of almonds given to each guest corresponds to the number of wishes for the couple’s future, such as love, happiness, loyalty, prosperity, and fertility. These sweet treats are typically handed out at the wedding reception after the toasts and gifts have been exchanged.
Along with bridal sugar, spiced wine, known as “bride’s tears,” is also served at Dutch wedding receptions. Together, these sweetmeats and drinks reflect the couple’s hopes for a life filled with both joy and challenges, while the number of bridal sugars symbolizes the collective well-wishes and blessings given to the newlyweds.
The tradition of giving sweetmeats not only adds a special touch to the celebration but also deepens the symbolic meaning of the event.
6. Remembering the Deceased
In Dutch weddings, a meaningful tradition is the commemoration of deceased loved ones, such as parents or family members who can no longer be present. This is often done through small, symbolic gestures, like displaying photos of the deceased, lighting a candle, or releasing balloons during the ceremony.
These acts ensure that those who have passed are still included in the celebration, honoring their memory in a respectful and heartfelt way.
The tradition serves as a visual reminder of the loved ones who are absent but still cherished. It reflects the importance of family and the desire to include those who have shaped the couple’s lives.
By remembering the deceased, Dutch weddings acknowledge the deep connections that extend beyond the physical presence of the guests, creating a more meaningful and inclusive celebration.
7. Bitterballen
Bitterballen, or bitter balls, are a beloved snack at Dutch weddings, often served during the reception as a part of the spread of appetizers. These small, deep-fried croquettes, typically served with mustard, are a staple of Dutch cuisine and provide a delicious, spicy treat for guests.
Their popularity at weddings is undeniable, as they are often consumed quickly, sometimes disappearing within minutes of being placed on the reception or dance floor.
The tradition of serving bitterballen at weddings is a nod to Dutch culinary heritage, offering a taste of authentic local food. While they are similar to croquettes in preparation and ingredients, bitterballen are smaller in size and are typically paired with “bitters,” a herb-flavored alcoholic drink, which is where they get their name.
This beloved snack adds a warm, familiar touch to wedding celebrations, connecting the couple’s special day with their cultural traditions.
8. A Child’s Deed
The “child’s deed“ is a special Dutch wedding tradition where children also sign a document after the adults. This tradition emphasizes the importance of family involvement in the wedding ceremony. For younger children, instead of a signature, a fingerprint impression is often taken, creating a meaningful memento of the day.
This gesture highlights the significance of the children in the couple’s new life together, symbolizing the acceptance of the next generation in the celebration. It’s a way to formally acknowledge the children’s role in the family and their connection to the couple’s marriage.
The child’s deed serves as a lasting keepsake for both the couple and the children involved.
Key Takings about Dutch Wedding Traditions
1. No Driving for the Happy Couple: The couple is driven by a third party for good luck and prosperity.
2. Long Speech: Heartfelt speeches filled with personal memories and well-wishes.
3. Releasing Pigeons: Symbolizing purity, love, and the couple’s new life together.
4. Wedding Cake Toast and Champagne: A celebratory toast to the couple’s new life.
5. Sweetmeats: Bridal sugar and spiced wine to reflect life’s bittersweet moments.
6. Remembering the Deceased: Honoring loved ones who’ve passed with meaningful gestures.
7. Bitterballen: A delicious snack that connects guests to Dutch culinary heritage.
8. A Child’s Deed: Involving children with a signature or fingerprint as a keepsake.
