It’s the land of reggae music and sunshine and a rich culture of love. Are you planning a wedding in Jamaica? Maybe you want to honor your roots by including some Jamaican wedding traditions in your celebration. Regardless of your intentions, we’re here to inform you on some unique and interesting customs from the exotic island! So, let’s jump right in.
The Rings
In Jamaica, there’s no such thing as an engagement ring. It’s seen as bad luck to be wearing a ring before your wedding. It’s a common belief that a single person reduces their chance of getting married by wearing a ring.
Jamaican Wedding Attire
Cultural weddings in Jamaica are all about showing up wearing bright and celebratory colors. Some brides end up choosing brilliant colored dresses as opposed to a white wedding dress. For the gents, a colorful bowtie or pocket square can help bring a bit of spice and fun to the wedding outfit. Just make sure you don’t wear black. In Jamaican culture black clothing is reserved for occasions of mourning such as funerals. Black suits at a wedding are seen as bad luck.
The Wedding Procession
In a traditional Jamaican processional, you can expect to see the bride accompanied by both of her parents to meet the groom.
Curried Goat
Curried goat is a staple dish at Jamaican wedding celebrations. In the past, couples would go to a farm with the family to pick out a goat. The meat is slow cooked in a tasty blend of spices – cumin, tumeric, mustard, coriander and anise. If there’s one thing you can count on eating at most Jamaican weddings, it’s this delicious curried goat.
Jerk Chicken
Jerk chicken is another incredibly popular, and tasty wedding dish. The term ‘jerk’ refers to a specific Jamaican spice which can either be applied as a dry rub or prepared as a wet marinade. From kebabs to chicken wings, jerk chicken can come in many different forms.
Black Rum Cake
A Jamaican wedding is not the same without a moist black rum cake. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and dried fruits soaked in rum are the prime ingredients of this wedding treat. Don’t worry, you won’t get drunk from eating this cake, so feel free to eat as much as you like!
Rum Punch
This concoction however, has the potential to get you boozed up – of course only if that’s what you’re aiming for. The rum punch you’ll find at a Jamaican wedding is often infused with rum-infused sugar cane. It’s also possible that a little bit of rum will be sprinkled on the ground of the wedding venue to ward off evil spirits.
Reggae Music
You can be pretty certain to hear those funky island beats to be playing at the wedding reception. “One Love” by Bob Marley or “Strength of a Woman” by Shaggy will very likely be played at some point. Reggae music is the perfect accompaniment for pretty much any party, but it’s an exceptional vibe for wedding celebrations as love, sunshine and happiness are prominent themes throughout the music.
Tu Tanks Sunday
In case you didn’t get enough rum punch at the wedding, you’ll have another opportunity to celebrate at Tu Tanks Sunday. This is the Jamaican tradition that takes place a week after the official wedding celebration. The family will go to a church service in the morning which is especially prepared to offer thanks and praise to God for the marriage. After the service, another big party with more black rum cake, drinks and dancing is celebrated with family and friends.
Officiate a Jamaican-American Wedding Ceremony
Don’t miss the opportunity to officiate a Jamaican-American wedding ceremony for one of your friends or family. You can get ordained online for free with a number of online organizations by just filling out a simple form that only takes a couple minutes to complete. We highly suggest getting ordained with American Marriage Ministries. Once ordained, you’ll have access to a library of information to help you learn all the aspects of wedding from writing your speech to filling out the marriage license.
-Bernard Paul