In the Church of Sweden, which is Lutheran, it is typical for the bride and groom to walk down the aisle together, as opposed to the bride being walked down by her father.
However, more Swedish women have been opting for their fathers to walk them down the aisle.
It is thought that social media, global television and Hollywood films have prompted more Swedish women to be given away by their fathers.
Even Sweden’s crown princess Victoria had her father, King Carl Gustaf, partly walk her down the aisle.
The calls for a ban erupted after a motion was submitted to the Swedish church to ban the practice of fathers handing over their daughters.
Pastor Sara Waldenfors, along with Jesper Eneroth, put forward the ban.
“The relatively new trend that the father walks the bride down the aisle and passes her over to her new husband is not in our church tradition,” Waldenfors told the Observer.
“Even though the scene feels nice for future bridal couples, we can’t disregard what it symbolises: a father handing over a minor virgin to her new guardian.”
“It has been a struggle to make it totally natural that women can be ordained to be priests. It has been a struggle for same-sex couples to be able to get married in the Swedish church.
“Shall we then amend a tradition in the church that isn’t ours and does not represent something that we can abide by?”
