Some of the crazy wedding traditions from around the world

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married at the picturesque St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with their well-wishers in tow. But throwing the bouquet and cutting the cake is so cliché on the big day! ET checks some of the crazy wedding traditions from around the world.

SOOT FOR LUCK
Scottish brides-to-be are taken by surprise by their friends ahead of the big day, and pelted with all sorts of rubbish such as curdled milk, dead fish, spoiled food, tar and feathers. Later, she is taken for a night of drinking. The belief is that if she can withstand this kind of treatment, she can handle anything that comes her way in her marriage.


TOOTHY AFFAIR
In Fiji, men have to find an unusual gift before asking for the hand of their beloved: the groom must present his father-in-law with a whale's tooth.

SHOOT THE BRIDE
In Yugur culture (an ethnic Chinese minority), the groom actually shoots his bride with a bow and arrow three times before the wedding. The arrows don’t have arrowheads, but still, that's like getting shot with rubber bullets. Once the deed is done, the groom will collect the arrows and break them, thus ensuring that they will love each other forever.

FILTHY ENOUGH

In France, the bride and groom are made to drink a vile concoction, made from wedding leftovers, trash and anything else deemed filthy enough, from a toilet seat bowl. Although, nowadays, chocolate and wine are substituted for trash, it doesn’t make the process any more palatable.

WALK OVER
On the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, after the wedding reception, the relatives of the bride lie side-by-side in the dirt, face down. The bride and groom then walk over the human carpet.

CHOP CHOP
In Germany, newlyweds must instantly put their bond to the test by working together to saw a log in half in front of all their guests. The act is intended to showcase the bride and groom's ability to work together and face the obstacles that they may come across.

FISH WHIPPED

When a wedding is over in Korea, friends of the groom remove his socks, tie a rope around his ankles and start beating his feet with fish in order to prepare him for his first night as a married man.

GRAVE-SIDE WEDDING
In an average display of somberness and seriousness, many Russians choose to be married at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — a war memorial, dedicated to the Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. It is located at the Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden in Moscow.

WHY SO SERIOUS!
In the Congo, if you want to ruin someone’s wedding, just hire a comedian. In order for the marriage to be taken seriously, the bride and groom are not allowed to smile throughout the entire ceremony.

STAY GROUNDED

In Ireland, the bride's feet must stay on the floor at all times when she and the groom are dancing. This is due to the belief that if they don't, evil fairies will come and sweep her away.

TREE, I DO
In parts of India, men and women born as Mangliks (an astrological combination when Mars and Saturn are both under the 7th house), are apparently "cursed" and thought to be likely to cause their spouse an early death. In order to counter this, they must first be married to a tree and the tree cut down to break the curse.

HURL & FLING
In South Africa, hostility is a good old family tradition. During the wedding ceremony, the groom's side and the bride's side throw insults back and forth, getting more hurtful with each wave.

GOOD LUCK CHARMS... because even the most loving couple can use a little luck

- In Spain, the groom's tie is cut into pieces and auctioned off to his friends. It brings good luck to everyone who gets a piece. They do the same with the bride's garter.

- In Ireland, brides incorporate a small horseshoe into their ensemble for good luck. It can be pinned to her wedding dress, or added to her bouquet. The 'U' shape must always face upwards — that way, she keeps all the luck in.

- In Sweden, it’s traditional for the bride to place a silver coin given by her father in her left shoe and a gold coin given by her mother in her left shoe, symbolising the hope the couple’s marriage will prosper and be financially sound.

- Italian wedding traditions include having grooms carry a piece of iron in their pocket to help keep away evil spirits.