Wedding Rice: Best Wishes to the Newlyweds
Rice, in weddings, represents one of the almost obligatory steps within the celebrations.
An integral part of an ancient tradition, rice is still used today to give the newlyweds their first good wishes as they leave the church.
The customary throwing of rice has remained unchanged over the years and still represents one of the most magical moments in a wedding.
In this Cronorea article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about wedding rice.
Why is rice used for weddings?
Rice is a humble food, but its nutritional properties are remarkable. These characteristics make it a symbol of abundance and well-being.
The gesture of throwing rice at the newlyweds comes from an ancient Chinese legend, which says that:
One day, a kind genie noticed a farming village suffering from a severe famine. Struck by this natural disaster, the genie pulled out his teeth and placed them in a swamp. From this act, a crop unusual for the farmers was born. The picked fruits, once cleaned, had a color reminiscent of white teeth. From that day on, the rice plant was cultivated throughout the country, feeding millions of people.
From this myth comes the great importance of rice, a food capable of growing in marshy lands.
A symbol of abundance, rice is thrown to newlyweds today as a wish for a prosperous life full of well-being for the newly formed family.
Over time, different rice crops have developed, each with unique characteristics: which is best for weddings? Find out in the next paragraph.
Rice for a wedding: which one to use?
Throwing rice at a wedding is a moment loved by guests, especially the little ones, a little less so by the newlyweds.
Besides the confusion of the moment and the fear of finding grains of rice stuck in your hair and clothes, rice has a very annoying characteristic: it tends to stain dark clothes.
This is due to the rice, which is released in small amounts from each individual grain. In the form of a white powder, rice starch leaves white stains, making it particularly difficult to remove on dark garments.
In the past, the starch was removed beforehand by soaking the rice for a few hours. This process is particularly slow, and the rice doesn’t always dry completely.
To protect the groom’s suit, usually dressed in black or blue, there are different types of rice that are naturally starch-free:
- Parboiled: this variety of rice has a yellowish color and long grains;
- Basmati: here too we find thin grains, but the color tends more towards white.
Both types of rice are often found in the wholegrain variety, characterised by brown veins.
Your guests will need a rice container; check out some great ideas in the next section.
How to make wedding rice cones?
Rice should also be part of your setup and, as a key element of the celebrations, it deserves high-quality packaging.
Florists generally take care of this aspect, offering you various options, the most popular of which are:
- Cones: a paper package, often personalized with the names of the bride and groom;
- Bags: a handful of rice inside an elegant tulle bag.
Many newlyweds opt for a “shared” solution, such as a glass bowl from which each guest can scoop the rice before the fateful toss.
Our suggestion is to always provide an individual package for your guests, perhaps including the bags or cones in the wedding bags.
This way you’ll avoid crowds and your guests will be ready to throw rice once they leave the church.
Rice, along with wedding rings, are essential symbols in every wedding. The
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