Icelandic Weddings

Ok, so this post will not be about Austria but Iceland. Just warning you, so as not to confuse anyone. The other night, Rakel and I indulged in a girls movie night and watched Confessions of a Shopaholic. Like typical girls do, we were commenting on the colors, dresses, and themes of the girls in the show and especially during a wedding scene at the end. There were about five or so bridesmaids, each dressed in different colors with matching veils. I commented that it's not everyday that you see bridesmaids wearing veils. Rakel replied with something that took me by surprise. She said that in Iceland, brides have no bridesmaids. This shocked me for a second, but the more I got to thinking about it, I began to like the idea. After all, how many countless hours of sleep are lost and tears are shed as brides make the painful decision (or scrounging search) for bridesmaids? For some, like myself, I have considered numerous times about who I would want as a bridesmaid. For me it would be difficult to narrow down my list to just 4 or 6 girls with which I am the closest to. I have a fear of leaving someone important out. For others, the opposite problem exists. Hence the creation of Made of Honor. The elimination of bridesmaids would eliminate the potential for numerous feelings to be hurt. Not that I am thinking about getting married ANY time soon, but it is just something interesting to consider. I think part of the reason why I enjoy learning so much about other cultures is because then I can decide what I like about each, and try to incorporate and apply different aspects of each culture into my own. So, I might be getting married in Iceland after all. Welcome to Austria, and an inside perspective on Icelandic culture from an Icelandic roommate.