Getting married in Zillertal

Acquaintances of the bride and groom who haven’t been invited to the wedding block the path to the church and have a funny game (suitable for the couple) prepared. Afterwards, these acquaintances are invited to have coffee and cake, but they do not attend the evening reception.

Friends of the bride make small corsages, which are then given to relatives before they enter the church. None of the other guests will receive a corsage until they have presented the ‘Weisat’ (gift of money). This way, everyone will know which guests have already given their gift, and which haven’t.

The apron of Zillertal’s traditional costume is tied in the middle at the front for virgins, on the left for unmarried women, on the back for widows, and on the right for married women. If the wedding is in traditional costume, the bride will wear the apron tied on the left when she enters the church, then tie it on the right when she has left.

The groom buys the bridal bouquet and delivers it to the parental home of the bride. After the wedding, the bouquet is tied to the ceiling upside down and dried. This way, it watches over the bride and groom as a symbol of eternal love.