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Wedding season is in full swing! Here are 10 things you can always expect at a Maltese wedding
The good, the bad and the ugly!

Jillian Mallia

It’s wedding season and that only means one thing: your weekends are jam-packed with weddings. For better or worse there are some things that you will always see at a Maltese wedding, and here are 10 of them!

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1. Xemx

Probably the most popular song on the island, Xemx has been played so many times at weddings, that if you don’t know the lyrics by heart, have you actually been to a Maltese wedding?

2. Perlini

You either love them or you hate them. These sweet treats are usually given as wedding favours and quite frankly, you’ll be trying to dig pieces out of your teeth for days.

3. That blessed conga line

Some madhatter uncle will always start a conga line, picking up cousins, grandparents, colleagues, and random guests along the way. And he’ll give you a disapproving look if you don’t join in the fun!

4. Sweet Caroline

Another popular song found on every wedding playlist! Get ready to sing ‘Sweeeeet Caroliine – woah oh oh!’ all night long.

5. The garter

After getting the garter off, the groom throws it to all the single men. But this thing always ends up on a guy’s head. Without fail.

6. Flash mobs by the bridal party

Bridal party flash mobs have become a thing at Maltese weddings. Whether it’s the bride surprising the groom, the groom surprising the bride, or the couple surprising their guests, a flash mob is bound to occur!

7. Glass shattering (it's inevitable)

It’s unintentional we swear! But we’re either neck-deep in a heated conversation with a distant cousin we haven’t seen in a while or just hitting the dance floor and partying hard. Something’s bound to break!

8. Whistling when the bride and groom do a fancy move during their first dance

Embarrassment central! The bride and groom are having their moment and everyone’s calm, but once they do a twirl, a lift or some other fancy move, that’s when all the ‘woos’ and whistles will come from every guest present.

9. The cake is ALWAYS almond

With the exception of the occasional baci cake, almond is THE go-to wedding cake flavour. And paired with our famous gelat tat-tieg (wedding ice-cream), it’s the absolute bomb!

10. Junk food for the after party

Pastizzi, sausage rolls, sliders, mini pizzas, hot dogs – you name it!

BONUS: Drunk relatives

It isn’t a Maltese wedding if there aren’t drunk relatives thrown into the mix, who will then proceed to lift the bride and groom up on their shoulders for a kiss during the after party, and (obviously) make fools out of themselves.

15th June 2019


Jillian Mallia
Written by
Jillian Mallia
A book lover, writer and globetrotter who loves exploring new places and the local gems that the Maltese Islands have to offer. An avid foodie and arts fanatic, Jillian searches the island and beyond for the perfect settings to write about.

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