The importance of wedding traditions

In a world where themed weddings and elopements are so popular, it often comes as a surprise when a couple decide to tie the knot the old-fashioned way. And that's just what Bollywood superstar and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Shilpa Shetty and her partner Raj Kundra intend to do.

The pair have revealed that they are putting a lot of the wedding planning in the hands of their parents, in order to abide by Indian customs. Shilpa explained to Hello! magazine: "We'll set a date for a formal engagement and let our parents announce that, because we want to be very traditional."

She added that while she and Raj are hoping to say their I dos before the end of the year, they will have to settle for setting the date on an auspicious day such as a solar eclipse.

This got me thinking that we in the UK aren't so different ourselves when it comes to upholding wedding traditions. For example, we believe that it is frightfully unlucky for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before she walks down the aisle. Then of course there is the old need to have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

So, which wedding traditions are you planning to uphold on your big day?