The general wedding run down – couple says ‘I do’, first dance, toast, cake cutting, and then the bride and groom toss the bouquet and garter belt. Then the happy newlyweds ride off into the sunset with a just married sign displayed on their coat tails – okay well maybe they don’t necessarily ride off into the sun, but you get the idea. However, with so many different cultures in the world today there are a wide variety of wedding traditions that are not so common.

Blackening, Scotland: The Scottish tradition calls for the bride, groom or perhaps both parties to be taken out on the day before their wedding, plied with alcohol, and covered in treacle, ash, feathers, and flour by their friends and family. Apparently these measures will help the couple avoid evil spirits and bring good luck in the future.

Croquembouche, France: For residents of Croquembouche, France most couples opt out of a wedding cake and serve croquembouche which is a tower of cream filled pastry puffs. These delightful treats can be dipped in a number of sauces and are usually decorated with fruit, nuts and an assortment of glazes. While a tower of puff pastries sounds amazing the rest of the tradition is much less appealing. In La Soupe, the leftover croquembouche is gathered into a toilet from which the bride and groom must eat for good luck. As times have become more modernized, couples have opted to eat out of a toilet like bowl.

Kenya: The father of the bride spits on his daughter’s head and chest before the ceremony blessing her with good fortune.

Polterabend, Germany: Family and friends smash dishware outside the homes of the soon-to-be happily married couple on the night before the wedding. The tradition was started a long time ago however, there’s no particular reason why this custom is carried out.

Tujia, China: Brides and their families go through a ton of tissues in Tujia. A month prior to the wedding, the bride is supposed to cry one hour every day. Ten days into the sob session the mother of the bride joins in on the tearful crying sessions and then ten days later the grandmother does the same. By the end of the month every female in the family is crying alongside the bride. Supposedly this tradition is supposed to express the joy of the women weeping in different tones – similar to a song.

Fiji: It’s customary for men to ask their future father-in-law for his daughter’s hand in marriage. However, in Fiji the man is also expected to bring a whale tooth. The tooth represents the groom’s commitment to the relationship and reflects his willingness to go to the greatest depths for the bride.

Congo: In Congo, the bride and groom are not allowed to smile at all during their wedding ceremony. It’s considered bad luck to smile or laugh during a wedding service.