Tasting the four elements wedding

The joy of marriage can only be explained by experience, but your guests can join in on your union and watch as the two of you profess your love for one another. A vital part of many wedding ceremo…

Adapted from the Yoruba tradition, it is said to represent the promise to love your partner “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.”

Adapted from the Yoruba tradition, it is said to represent the promise to love your partner “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.”

Tasting of 4 Elements Ceremony

The four elements, adapted from a tradition of the Yorùbá people, are a lovely addition to a wedding ceremony. Here are some ways to integrate the tradition into your wedding.

Illustration of a young couple smiling, holding bowls with chili peppers and lime in them during their African Tasting the Elements Wedding Ceremony

The “Tasting of the Elements”. In a ritual from Yoruba tradition, the bride and groom taste four elements that represent different emotions within a relationship. The tokens used in this ceremony are sour (lemon), hot (cayenne pepper), sweet (honey) and bitter (vinegar). By tasting these elements, Femi & Latanza demonstrated their symbolic commitment to get through the seasons of life together

Tasting of 4 Elements Ceremony

This New Mexico elopement in San Ysidro was rich in culture and traditions. The intimate wedding ceremony included a Native American Four Direction ceremony and African tradition of Tasting The Four Elements. Photo by Crystal Cousin Photo.

Our Andean Wedding in the Peruvian Mountains to Machu Picchu - a spiritual type union and ancient tradition of the Andes where two souls are powerfully connected by the forces of nature and protected for a life of happiness and abundance. We were surrounded by the four elements, earth, water, air and fire, which played an important role in the union.