9 Meaningful Jamaican Wedding Traditions for Your Big Day

If you've been invited to the Caribbean for a destination wedding in Jamaica or may be looking to pay homage to your Jamaican roots when getting married, there are a couple of traditions that can be incorporated into the wedding that you may want to learn about.

To better understand the Jamaican wedding traditions you may consider including in your big day and/or other wedding-related events, we spoke with event planner Roxanne Bellamy and wedding planner and designer Kara-Ann Boyne-Anderson of Petals & Promises Jamaica. Bellamy points out that Jamaica is unique in that it is a cultural mecca. "The island is made up of people from many backgrounds and when it comes to weddings, each is personal to the couple. Island-wide, there aren't many concrete traditions." Although this may be the case, there are still a couple of traditional Jamaican rituals and superstitions that may be participated or adhered to if a couple chooses.

Jamaican Prewedding Superstitions

The experts we spoke with shared that in addition to traditions and rituals practiced at Jamaican weddings, there are a few notable superstitions to be aware of.

1. Rings

Don't expect to see Jamaican to-be-weds wearing an engagement ring on their wedding finger ahead of the big day. "Jamaicans believe that wearing a ring on your wedding finger before you get married, reduces your chances of getting married," says Anderson.

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2. No Wearing Black

"In Jamaica, guests and members of the bridal party are encouraged to stay away from the color black attire as it is usually associated with mourning, funerals and a sign of bad luck," says Anderson.

With regard to attire, Bellamy adds that "if the couple is not having a cultural wedding celebration, it is most likely the wedding will resemble that of an English wedding celebration (white wedding dress and veil and a suit or tuxedo)."

Jamaican Wedding Ceremony Traditions

The biggest Jamaican wedding ceremony tradition, explained below, stems from the importance of family in Jamaican culture. While marriage is about you and your soon-to-be spouse, it's also a time to honor the family that raised you.

3. The Processional

Unlike in many Western ceremonies where the bride is walked down the aisle given away by her father, "in Jamaica it is customary for both parents, [the] bride's mom and dad to walk the bride down the aisle," notes Anderson.

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Jamaican Wedding Reception Traditions

Get ready for delicious food on the menu at a traditional Jamaican wedding reception. From rum cake to jerk chicken, guests are sure to leave happy and full.

4. Jamaican Black Rum Cake

The traditional Jamaican wedding cake is not the average wedding cake. Jamaican Black Rum Cake is a quintessential part of a Jamaican wedding. "The aromatic spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg and dried fruits used to make the cake are soaked in rum for the entire length of the engagement," says Anderson. "The cake is rich in flavor and is adorned, most often, with royal icing," adds Bellamy.

5. Curried Goat

The cuisine offered at a wedding is not something that is taken lightly. In earlier times, "the bride and groom would take a trip to the family farm to choose a goat to be curried (slow cooked in a blend of different spices such as cumin, coriander, mustard, anise, all spice and turmeric) for their wedding reception. The goat would be cooked by a family member," explains Anderson. Although many couples in modern times no longer select the goat themselves, they do still serve it to their guests at the reception.

6. Jerk Chicken

In addition to curried goat, jerk chicken is often a staple on a Jamaican wedding menu. "Jerk chicken has also been a staple on the Jamaican wedding menu. This is presented in different forms. In appetizers one may have jerk chicken wings of jerk chicken kebabs. It can also be presented as the main course main entree along with other delights such as jerk pork, escovitch fish, fried plantain, rice and peas and potato or bread pudding. It can also be presented as a late night bite served with hard dough (hardo) bread (fluffy sweet bread) and or Festival (fried sweet cornmeal fritters that are perfect for soaking up jerk meat sauce)," says Anderson.

7. Rum Punch

If you attend a Jamaican wedding, you can almost certainly expect for there to be rum punch available. "Most Jamaican weddings serve rum punch with rum-infused sugar cane, rum sangrias and frozen rum drinks. Jamaicans will sometimes sprinkle white rum in the venue's yard to ward off evil spirits," Anderson notes.

8. Reggae Music

If you attend a wedding in Jamaica, you can expect no shortage of reggae music. "As a country, Jamaica and Jamaicans love reggae. There will always be reggae playing at a wedding reception. No matter what the cultural background, everyone loves reggae," says Bellamy.

Jamaican Postwedding Traditions

The wedding festivities don't stop right after the wedding day ends in Jamaican culture.

9. Tun T'anks Sunday

"The first Sunday immediately following the wedding is called the 'Tun T-anks Day' (Turn Thanks Day) when the newly-wed couple accompanied by their godparents as well as the entire wedding party would go to the church where the wedding had taken place and attend service. This gesture is to offer gratitude to God for the marriage. After the service, they have another celebration of food, rum, music and dancing at the groom or bride's family home often called the 'second reception.' This reception is often open to the community and those loved ones who couldn't make the wedding," says Anderson.