Cayman Islands Local Customs
As in most Caribbean cultures, traditions are passed down orally in the Cayman Islands. As a result, many wedding customs and traditions have been lost with time and outside influence. However, there are still a few Caymanian wedding traditions that you can incorporate into your destination wedding to make it unique and respectful of local customs.
The Bridal Trosseau
Traditionally, Caymanian men were sailors and brought home bridal trousseaus from abroad when they were on leave. In the old days, practically everything was imported in the Cayman Islands and it was not possible to get bridal trousseaus. Brides-to-be had what was known as a “hope chest” sometimes as early as their teens to store items in preparation for their weddings.
Caymanian brides used to lay out the bridal trousseau, including their lingerie, on their beds before the big day to show their friends. Traditionally, there were a specific number of items that Caymanian brides were supposed to own. They owned what was known as the “second dress,” which they wore when leaving their wedding reception. After the bride-to-be’s friends view the bridal trousseau, they celebrate by partaking in punch and corned beef sandwiches. This small festivity was like a bridal shower of sorts. In the Cayman Islands today, bridal showers are uncommon but decades ago they were very commonplace. Men were never invited to the bridal shower, where women made naughty jokes and played pranks as modern women would at a bachelorette party. Bridal registers did not exist traditionally in the Cayman Islands so brides received ordinary household items like towels and dishes as gifts.
Wedding Traditions for Protection from Evil Spirits
At a traditional Caymanian wedding ceremony, the ground was strewn with petals to protect the bride from monsters in the ground while the veil was used to mask the bride’s face so she would be unrecognizable to evil spirits. After the wedding ceremony and on the way to the reception, Caymanian couples were greeted by the sound of honking horns. The Caymanian people believed that honking horns would drive away evil spirits. Caymanians traditionally tied cans to the back of the vehicle that the recently-wed couple was riding away in. This gesture was said to bring the new couple good luck. At the reception, it is Caymanian tradition for the groom and nobody else to open the champagne bottle. It is tradition to keep the cork as a memory so even if it lands in the water, you have to dive in and find it!
At traditional wedding ceremonies in the Cayman Islands, silk flowers were used as decorations because few florists existed on the islands back then. Nowadays an abundance of fresh flowers are used. Flowers are said to bring the couple good luck. Flowers that are native to the Cayman Islands that you can use at your destination wedding include one of the 26 different varieties of orchids that grow on the islands.
Caymanian Food and Music
If you are planning a destination wedding in the Cayman Islands, there are wonderful foods and music that you can easily incorporate into your ceremony and reception. Conch is a popular type of seafood and it is eaten in chowders, salads, and coconut milk stew. Fried conch fritters are a delicious appetizer that can be served at your destination wedding reception. Local fishermen come home with things like tuna, turtle, eel, mackerel, and dorado (dolphin). These types of seafood can be eaten Cayman style, which means cooked with tomatoes, onions, and peppers.
No destination wedding in the Cayman Islands is complete without live local music accompaniment. The Cayman Islands is known for its folkloric music groups, which utilize instruments like the fiddle, drums, grater, accordion, and mouth organ.
So there you have it. The Cayman Islands are a first class destination wedding location. They provide numerous affordable options, beautiful ceremony locations, and a rich Caribbean culture full of interesting wedding traditions. Make your destination wedding as culturally unique as it is picturesque by incorporating these one-of-a-kind Caymanian wedding traditions into your ceremony and reception. |
