Superstitions and beliefs are part of every Italian wedding. If you are planning to get married in Italy, it is important that you know about them, so you can make your wedding even more special!
Italian wedding superstitions concern both the bride and the groom. Here is a list of the most common.

1. The groom must not see the bride until she walks down the aisle.It is considered bad luck if he sees the bride before the wedding ceremony, so he waits for her at the altar, till she arrives accompanied by her father.
2. In a number of Italian regions, it is not just the groom who can’t see the bride, but the bride herself is refrained from seeing herself in the mirror: she can do it only if she removes a ribbon or a shoe.

3. The bed where the bride and the groom will sleep the first night as a married couple must be prepared by two unmarried girls. They must be close to the wedding couple in some way. Each girl prepares one side of the bed and the family (the bride’s mother and other married women) observe them while they are making the bed. If the bed isn’t prepared in this way, it is considered bad luck for the bride-and-groom-to-be.
4. A bride is considered luckier if she wears a veil given to her by another bride.Naturally, the girl who gives the veil to the bride must have a happy marriage.
5. Italian brides don’t fear the rain: in fact, it is traditionally seen as good luck for a bride if it rains on the wedding day, as the rain is considered a symbol of abundance. The Italian saying is: “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata” (“A wet bride is a lucky bride”).

Some of these superstitions are practiced more than others, but all are part of the beauty, ritual and charm of an Italian wedding. Now that you know them, you can start to plan your Italian wedding!