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Warding off Trolls: A Swedish Wedding Tradition

Did you know that trolls like to crash weddings?

It’s true! I recently learned that trolls can’t resist weddings. Perhaps it’s the smell of sweetly frosted cake (or tasty ring bearers and flower girls) that lure them in, but trolls have a history of popping by weddings and running amok. Sometimes they even kidnap the bride!

It turns out this is a particularly common problem in Sweden. This is not surprising as the folk-lore of trolls originated in Scandinavia. Over the years trolls have evolved in our imaginations, ranging from classic trolls to lumbering trolls, to having fabulous hair or haunting our nightmares. But don’t fear: the Swedes have come up with a brilliant wedding tradition to keep those dim-witted people-eating fools from ruining your big day.

The best way to keep a troll from nibbling on your guests is to create a bridal bouquet of stinky weeds!

Sarah + Dylan's Wedding, Saratoga, CA - Russell Gearhart Photography - www.gearhartphoto.com

That’s right: find as many pungent, odorous, smelly flowers as you can. They can be as pretty if you like, just as long as they smell awful! And I mean awful! Then hand those stinking stems to the bride and send her down the aisle. It also seems that it’s a tradition for the groomsmen to try and knock the bouquet out of the bride’s hands. I suppose boys will be boys, and they can’t help wanting a troll or two as wedding guests.

I know it sounds like I’m making this up. But this is a real Swedish wedding tradition. I learned about it from Sarah and Dylan, who collected herbs and wildflowers with their bridesmaids and groomsmen, in lieu of having bouquets. They kept ’em as fresh as possible in containers of water, then bundled them together at the last minute. As you can see from the images below, it’s a serious job to be a troll hunter.

For the record: no trolls showed up to Sarah and Dylan’s wedding at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA. Obviously, this is a tradition that works!

Sarah + Dylan Winery Wedding, The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California – Russell Gearhart Photography – www.gearhartphoto.com

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