The wedding season will soon be with us, and this year is expected to be a busy one as couples who postponed their plans during the pandemic finally get to tie the knot. The last few years have naturally been challenging for the wedding industry, as long-standing traditions were replaced with new rules and regulations almost overnight.

One of the most impactful changes in the UK was a relaxing of the rules around getting married outdoors. Before the pandemic, all ceremonies had to take place indoors or under an approved structure. However during the Covid outbreak, the rules were relaxed so that weddings could take place outdoors at approved premises.

This rule became permanent in April 2022, giving couples much more choice and variety around where they get married. Other traditions that have changed during the past year or two include the rise of the ‘micro wedding’, where the guest list is kept to just the very nearest and dearest of the bride and groom’s friends and family.

While these changes can help people to have more freedom and control over their wedding plans, a sense of maintaining traditions that have been passed on through the ages is also important to many people. In Wales, there are some charming customs around love and marriage. Here are just a few examples!

The St Dwynwen’s Day courtship

Wales has its very own day to celebrate love and romance on the 25 January. This is St Dwynwen’s Day, the patron saint of Welsh lovers. Legend has it that Dwynwen became a hermit nun in the 5th century, after a heartbreaking forbidden love affair. She settled on Llanddwyn Island off the Isle of Anglesey in north west Wales.

The ruins of St Dwynwen’s church still remain today, and the site remains a popular destination for both tourists and pilgrims. On the 25th of January, it became the custom for prospective lovers to offer a token of affection to their sweetheart. At one time, this might have been in the form of a handmade Welsh love spoon.

This traditional gift has a symbol carved into the handle, and has become a popular way to commemorate a special occasion, including birthdays and weddings. For a newlywed couple, this might be a horseshoe to symbolise God’s favour, a bell, hearts, or chain links to symbolise a permanent union.

The myrtle plant

Welsh brides traditionally carry a bouquet including myrtle leaves, a plant that has traditional associations with love, good fortune, and fertility. It was said that if a bridesmaid caught the bouquet and then planted a myrtle cutting that flowered, she would soon marry.

The Gwahoddwr

In Wales, the local songsmith would be given the task of spreading news of the wedding to the surrounding locality. He was known as the ‘Gwahoddwr’, and he would carry a brightly decorated wand with him as he spread the word in verse or song from house to house. He would also collect donations towards the cost of the wedding.