Latvian Wedding Traditions

On her wedding day, a traditional Latvian bride must wear her white wedding dress, and veil, until midnight. The women at the reception celebration then remove her wedding veil and pass it down to one of the younger sisters, who will presumably, marry next.

Once her wedding gown and veil are removed, "the bride" becomes "the wife," and she wears a married woman's cap.

Sometimes, at a Latvian wedding reception, the new bride is kidnapped by the groomsmen. The groom must pay a ransom, such as a song or a round of drinks, to get her back.