A Nickel in Your Shoe: German Wedding Custom

The following German wedding custom was performed in the USC Village on April 12th, 2019. On the German side of the informant’s family, there was a wedding tradition passed through many generations. “In the shoe bride wore, a junior bridesmaid or flower girl would put a nickel in shoe. The nickel was passed through the family as good luck charm for a happy marriage and happy health.”

 

“My grandma on my mom’s side, her youngest brother was 16 years younger than her. So when Uncle Danny, my mom’s uncle but I call him uncle. When Danny got married my mom was in his wedding because she was perfect bridesmaids age. They had a daughter and when she was getting married, I was perfect age for flower girl. So it kept going back and forth that we were in each other’s weddings.”

 

The informant says she will always remember the tradition because it’s something “I’ve been apart of since I was a little girl and my journey with it is only half over until I get married one day”. This tradition is a wonderful way of keeping the family involved in every wedding. Everyone will get their time to shine and is made to feel important for two ceremonies.